Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) Review

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

On the run from the Sovereign, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 follows the Guardians as they come across Peter’s long lost father, Ego, a celestial and a living planet, with a very dark secret. 

Where the first Guardians was about mothers, Vol. 2 is all about fathers (and siblings for that matter). Gunn really strips these characters down to their most barren states, leaving them compromised and vulnerable. Part of that is done by splitting them up. But in doing so, it serves a grander purpose; it leaves them defenseless yes, but also reveals truths about the others and about themselves that is wholly important when they do come together in the third act. Drax must learn to care for another being. Gamora must learn that, in her quest to survive, she pushed away the only real family she had. Rocket must face that hard truth that him and Yondu (who along with Baby Groot, were my favorite pairing in this movie) aren’t all that dissimilar and push anything good they have, away. And Peter..Peter must learn that sometimes your real family isn’t always those bound by blood. It’s a deeply personal story for myself and one that makes Vol. 2 more of a tug on the heart strings than a ‘laugh out loud’ Marvel film.

 

The music in turn, compliments this tone. Whereas the first was all about that groovy feeling of love, now we get songs with deeper meanings attached to the plot. Brandy by Looking Glass parallels the story of Ego and Merideth; The Chain by Fleetwood Mac represents the chains Peter must break in able to move on from the fantasy he is living in; and Father and Son by Cat Stevens is just that, a complicated story of a father and son, with a son who wants to go out and experience what life has to offer, not bound by the light of legacy. It’s a beautiful soundtrack that, in my opinion, is only rivaled by that of Guardians 1 in its ability to suck you into a mood and make you feel certain emotions at specific times related to the story. 

Vol. 2 boasts another terrific cast, featuring Sylvester Stallone, Elizabeth Debicki, Sean Gunn, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Michael Rooker, Bradley Cooper, Kurt Russell, and Chris Pratt. While this was very much Star Lord’s story, I found the smaller performances from Rooker, Cooper, and Gunn to be the most profound, as they added so much emotional depth to such an amazing story. Russell also nails the part of Ego, a character, who as I mentioned above feels very deeply personal to me (along with Yondu) in the way it portrays absent fathers. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, directed by James Gunn, is a beautifully fulfilling sequel that naturally progresses this family of characters to a point where the must reevaluate what’s important to them. Is it the money? The parent they never knew of? Or is it just one another, a bond that by movie’s end, is only tighter and more profound making this almost as surprising as the first Guardians in terms of sheer unpredictability and emotional impact. 

8.9/10