Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) has what I like in movies: fun. Ever since Deadpool, or maybe Guardians of the Galaxy (oh, and Ant-Man), we've been getting some lighter, funnier Marvel comic book movies. Sure, Logan was plenty grim, but that's not all the Marvelverse has to offer, unlike on the DC side, where it's all grim and gritty.
As well as being funny, this movie is gorgeous - any frame could be airbrushed on the side of a van and it would be awesome. Or a black light poster or album cover. The opening scene is set on Earth in the 80s, so that makes sense. Then we meet our heroes on a CGI set that would look great as the scoreboard of a pinball machine. This scene sets up the dynamic well. Star Lord is talking trash, Gamora has a plan, Drax jumps down the monsters throat and tries to slash his way out. Rocket is trying to set up a boombox so that baby Groot has tunes. So we have a nice little battle scene set to baby Groot boogying down to ELO.
This isn't a big part of the main plot, but it does serve to introduce the uptight Art Deco aliens, the Sovereign, lead by Elizabeth Debicki (looking rather Tilda Swinton), who gives the Guardians Gamora's sister Nebula (Karen Gillan). The main plot starts when Star Lord finds out that his father is Kurt Russell, playing Ego, the Living Planet.
The story is a good one, with a lot going on but more focused than the previous film (or a lot of the big Marvel movies). But it is the old Daddy Issues plot, the only one most writers seem to know.
But all that hardly matters. What matters is awesome fights, chases, and battles. Drax the Destroyer is really the MVP in the movie. He attacks with such pure innocent gusto, laughing his fool head off just for the joy of the fight. It was incredibly infectious, as well - so pretty soon you're laughing along, going "wow" and "whoa" at all the right places. Plus, Drax has some great lines, like mispronouncing "anulax" as "harbulary", because they sound just the same to him.
Let's see, I'm leaving out Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Ego's psychic pet/slave. She's a great character, especially interacting with Drax, who insists that she's hideously ugly - which is good, because when people love her, it is for what is inside. There was Michael Rooker as Yondu, with his whistle-controlled rocket arrow. He plays another side of Star Lord's Daddy issues. There's Gamora and Nebula's feud, also a Daddy issues story. And a cameo from Howard the Duck.
My only quibble would be with the use for imitation 80's typography for the opening. It kind of smacks of Stranger Things. But I guess it is period-appropriate. The music wasn't as anthemic, with a couple of clunkers - although I agree that "Brandy" may be the greatest song ever written. And the end credits, done in the style of a, 80s cop show, were fabulous.
And in the end, we meet teen-aged Groot. What a jerk!
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