Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - The Redemption of Yondu

[Mal12345]

So we ordered VIP seats at a nearby theater and watched Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 today. The plot line was simple even for a comic book, but it's hard to mentally digest because of the constant activity. This is a movie that never "sleeps." Sure there were slow times, but those were mainly aimed at character background and development. For the most part, the main character did not develop. But the others moved a step forward in their spiritual journeys to whatever end their writers have in mind for them. It has a lot to do with family values. The Guardians consider each other members of a sort of family, while at the same time they each have issues with their real families of origin. In between action sequences there were periods of reminiscing and bringing forward awkward feelings that action heroes normally don't dwell on. Nebula and Gamora, who are sisters by blood but somehow their skin colors are different (I'm sure this is by design to symbolize the fact that they are feuding siblings), discuss their feelings in a somewhat smarmy fashion. Quite frankly, I found a lot of it to be rather corny. Rocket, the only character that has no family orientation, is the misunderstood character yet ironically the only character who can understand what Groot is saying. A bit is revealed about his true motivation as someone hiding his deeper feelings behind a tough-guy mask. Drax (played by Dave Bautista) seems to be the naive brute who simply drops funny lines and has no need for character development.

As for Yondu, who is not a Guardian but more of a villainous type, shows another side to his personality and makes it possible for this series to continue on to a third installment.

I rather liked the movie, although my wife fell asleep on my shoulder a couple times. I think she wanted to see Baby Groot more than anything else, just as she watches Lord of the Rings simply to see Gollum and has no interest in the story itself. I don't care for all the action as I am INTP-interested in more mythical subjects. One of my favorite all-time movies is the 1974 Academy award-nominated "The Conversation" starring Gene Hackman along with the first appearance of Harrison Ford who plays a tough guy with a few quiet lines to speak. All in all, it is a very quiet movie about an introverted detective who becomes embroiled in a murder plot, but he mistakes the true murderer as someone else. This was due to an assumption he made while playing back an audio tape created while he was spying on a couple walking around. It's a natural, human mistake to make because they seemed so young and innocent. There is a lot of psychology involved.

So Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was not my type of movie. But I rather enjoyed the first installment and I will be sure to catch the third one whenever it comes out.

 

[Mal12345]

I also found that there were a lot of recycled bits of action from other movies from the genre. There were bits from Star Trek (the reboot part 2), Star Wars (especially part 5), and other things that I don't remember off-hand, but which kept popping up in my mind to keep things interesting while watching dumb action.

 

[Totenkindly]

I saw it earlier today and enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the first installment. I'm glad they didn't obsess about Baby Groot once they got past the opening, the cuteness factor was a little too much. Rocket got to show us what he could do, while defending the ship. Gamora feels like a den mother trapped overseeing a bad of miscreant boys. Drax is my least favorite; a little bit of him goes a long way, he's kind of a one-note joke.

I'm still at a loss for people who go to see Marvel Universe movies who don't enjoy or dismiss the action sequences. I mean, that's what they are, generally. I appreciated more understanding of Nebula's intentions and motivations; not a lot had to be articulated to "get it," her emotional state and attitudes conveyed more than the words.

Yondu got to shine here. Sometimes Michael Rooker can be dropped in a movie to play this particular type of character (and he's good at it)... but for his gruffness/roughness, he can deliver a lot of meaning. The movie did resolve some questions I had about Quill and Yondu from the first movie, when I suspected he could be Quill's father.

...and....

.... well, hello there Adam Warlock...

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I actually enjoyed it more than the first one. I was expecting to like the first one much more than they did. The first one seemed from the previews like it would be a quirky, off-beat variation on Star Wars, and it was, but perhaps not to the extent I would have liked. This one kind of took everything further and went to the extra level that I really wanted the first one to get to. There was also a lot of weird, crazy production design that I really want in a movie like this, and I feel like it's unfortunate that a lot of movies within the past 10 years try to dial that stuff down to make it more "realistic"; that gonzo element is part of what I love about genre pictures. Plus I found myself kind of surprised by the various twists and everything (although it probably wouldn't have been if I've known more about comics), and I always enjoy when something like that still manages to take me by surprise.

 

[Mal12345]

I saw it earlier today and enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the first installment. I'm glad they didn't obsess about Baby Groot once they got past the opening, the cuteness factor was a little too much. Rocket got to show us what he could do, while defending the ship. Gamora feels like a den mother trapped overseeing a bad of miscreant boys. Drax is my least favorite; a little bit of him goes a long way, he's kind of a one-note joke.

I'm still at a loss for people who go to see Marvel Universe movies who don't enjoy or dismiss the action sequences. I mean, that's what they are, generally. I appreciated more understanding of Nebula's intentions and motivations; not a lot had to be articulated to "get it," her emotional state and attitudes conveyed more than the words.

Yondu got to shine here. Sometimes Michael Rooker can be dropped in a movie to play this particular type of character (and he's good at it)... but for his gruffness/roughness, he can deliver a lot of meaning. The movie did resolve some questions I had about Quill and Yondu from the first movie, when I suspected he could be Quill's father.

...and....

.... well, hello there Adam Warlock...

Thank you for the clue in the spoiler. I don't know anything about Marvel characters so that completely slipped by me. As for not enjoying action, I do enjoy action, just not beginning-to-end action of a very blunt nature. Subtlety is more mind expanding. On the other hand, I enjoy the characters in Guardians. That's really what keeps me watching. In the long run I was subconsciously hoping for some kind of inspiring moment, but nothing like that happened. My deeper motivation for watching movies or reading books lies in being inspired, or pleasantly shocked, or something along those lines. I like it when something unexpected breaks through to consciousness like that. Very few things are capable of that, for example, Stephen R. Donaldson has that capability with me.

 

[Mal12345]

'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' Review: Surprising Performances Save A Sputtering Sequel

Just a random review I ran across this morning. I thought it was spot on, especially this:
"Average fans will forgive the thin plot line because they’ll still be guffawing over a line Rocket just yelled. The musical selections are so perfect that one can’t help but wonder if Gunn picked what songs were going to be on the soundtrack before he even wrote the screenplay. If you plan on going this weekend, don’t expect the same brilliance of the original film. That’s just a standard this film has no chance of reaching."

I certainly did enjoy the 70s musical selections. It turned out that the opening theme, which was Brandi by Looking Glass, was more than just a song but had internal meaning to the movie and to Peter's life.

I agree with the review's summing-up of this movie. The plot line was thin gruel, something to hang the family values theme on. Each character (except for Drax) has a background and an arc, so that makes up for the thin plot line. There is some depth despite it being a light-weight action movie. The humor makes up for a lot of what the movie lacks, although I did find a lot of it to be cornball humor.

 

[Totenkindly]

I actually enjoyed it more than the first one. I was expecting to like the first one much more than they did. The first one seemed from the previews like it would be a quirky, off-beat variation on Star Wars, and it was, but perhaps not to the extent I would have liked. This one kind of took everything further and went to the extra level that I really wanted the first one to get to. There was also a lot of weird, crazy production design that I really want in a movie like this, and I feel like it's unfortunate that a lot of movies within the past 10 years try to dial that stuff down to make it more "realistic"; that gonzo element is part of what I love about genre pictures. Plus I found myself kind of surprised by the various twists and everything (although it probably wouldn't have been if I've known more about comics), and I always enjoy when something like that still manages to take me by surprise.

It definitely had interesting production design, and when they bounce around from location to location, it gives them some opportunity to explore and try out some new things that might otherwise be throwaway. The Ego planet was particularly lovely in terms of colors, and the intricate filigree/detail of the buildings was incredible.

Thank you for the clue in the spoiler. I don't know anything about Marvel characters so that completely slipped by me. As for not enjoying action, I do enjoy action, just not beginning-to-end action of a very blunt nature. Subtlety is more mind expanding. On the other hand, I enjoy the characters in Guardians. That's really what keeps me watching. In the long run I was subconsciously hoping for some kind of inspiring moment, but nothing like that happened. My deeper motivation for watching movies or reading books lies in being inspired, or pleasantly shocked, or something along those lines. I like it when something unexpected breaks through to consciousness like that. Very few things are capable of that, for example, Stephen R. Donaldson has that capability with me.

Donaldson has been good for transcendent philosophical thinking... maybe my first actual experience with existentialism since I read the original series when I was about twelve, and I was raised with a rural Christian background (Mennonites and Church of the Brethren and all). I am trying to get through the last series now, but i keep getting sidetracked, and the books are just monsters. (Altogether it's probably 2000+ pages in hardback format... twice as long as Stephen King's "It".) It's one of those works that I tend to learn something / think of something new upon every reread.

As a side note, I don't think his works translate easily into cinema, at least not into the "general market blockbuster" market where studios want these stories to be in order to market to the most people and peddle their merchandising. it probably would benefit from a more arthouse approach, yet those budgets probably aren't high enough for special effects. Donaldson is so uniquely him that the movies would have to be dark to be effective, and of course you get an antihero in book 1 who most conventional audiences probably can't identify with after some things he does. if anything ever got produced it probably wouldn't be "Donaldson." Hell, they couldn't even produce a Shannara that was true to the books, and Terry Brooks is much more conventional fantasy fare.

... Back to Guardians, I don't know the Guardians mythos particularly well (I just know Thanos and Ego and others), but the assortment of Ravagers at the end were possibly earlier members of the Guardians?

Also, I agree that a big part of the pull is the humor + the characters. I just like the characters and enjoy spending time with them regardless.

 

[Mal12345]

It definitely had interesting production design, and when they bounce around from location to location, it gives them some opportunity to explore and try out some new things that might otherwise be throwaway. The Ego planet was particularly lovely in terms of colors, and the intricate filigree/detail of the buildings was incredible.



Donaldson has been good for transcendent philosophical thinking... maybe my first actual experience with existentialism since I read the original series when I was about twelve, and I was raised with a rural Christian background (Mennonites and Church of the Brethren and all). I am trying to get through the last series now, but i keep getting sidetracked, and the books are just monsters. (Altogether it's probably 2000+ pages in hardback format... twice as long as Stephen King's "It".) It's one of those works that I tend to learn something / think of something new upon every reread.

As a side note, I don't think his works translate easily into cinema, at least not into the "general market blockbuster" market where studios want these stories to be in order to market to the most people and peddle their merchandising. it probably would benefit from a more arthouse approach, yet those budgets probably aren't high enough for special effects. Donaldson is so uniquely him that the movies would have to be dark to be effective, and of course you get an antihero in book 1 who most conventional audiences probably can't identify with after some things he does. if anything ever got produced it probably wouldn't be "Donaldson." Hell, they couldn't even produce a Shannara that was true to the books, and Terry Brooks is much more conventional fantasy fare.

... Back to Guardians, I don't know the Guardians mythos particularly well (I just know Thanos and Ego and others), but the assortment of Ravagers at the end were possibly earlier members of the Guardians?

Also, I agree that a big part of the pull is the humor + the characters. I just like the characters and enjoy spending time with them regardless.

I noticed while watching Guardians that "Penis" was a major plot point throughout the movie. And just now I recognized the connection between that and the main character's first name.

 

[Luke O]

I saw it last Wednesday and I did enjoy it. What appeals to me really, really much is the soundtrack. Definitely an "Awesome Mix".

Wished for subtitles when Sly was on screen though, either my hearing is getting worse or his ability to talk is.

No character had too much focus on them, they're stronger as a team. Kurt Russell was great. The theme of family runs deep through the film, and moreso the importance of having family.

 

[Totenkindly]

I saw it last Wednesday and I did enjoy it. What appeals to me really, really much is the soundtrack. Definitely an "Awesome Mix".

Wished for subtitles when Sly was on screen though, either my hearing is getting worse or his ability to talk is.

No character had too much focus on them, they're stronger as a team. Kurt Russell was great. The theme of family runs deep through the film, and moreso the importance of having family.

I had a lot of trouble understanding what Stallone was saying too. He needs to enunciate a bit better. I did find a few Quotes online (like in IMDB) that helped clarify what he said to Yondu or at the end of the film.

We were talking about what builds connection to characters over in the Wonder Woman thread, and I mentioned that Guardians managed to have characters who are strong/competent, yet also each suffering some kind of vulnerability/wound, and it's very easy to see and empathize with. They're not emo (aside from a few comedic moments), they each have some kind of serious loss or unresolved desire they are dealing with. But it's one reason why this series has been successful (along with the humor).

Obviously spoilers abound here, since I will talk about Peter, Nebula, and Drax in detail based on the plot:

maybe I just put myself further into the characters than some viewers do? But I'm usually looking for a "merge" moment where I know the character intimately. While I like that Peter was not as much the focus as he was in the first movie, he still has the deepest "wound" in this movie that is brought to fore.

Peter's biggest wound in life (besides losing his mother -- he never really faces this until the end of the first movie) is feeling abandoned by his father, cast aside like he wasn't worth knowing. So then his dad searches for him and finds him, this is a huge deal. Not only that, but Ego says everything to reaffirm that Peter has value "as an equal" -- he's part Celestial and his dad wants to even included him in his sense of purpose. He's finally "home."

A human being granted the powers of a god and then having to accept or reject the gift is a common theme in this kind of fiction, but this was one of those few stories where I actually felt like the character really DID taste what it meant to be a god. Ego taps him on the forehead, and suddenly Peter SEES things he has not seen before, and it's conveyed so beautifully in the imagery and Pratt's reaction... it's beautiful and amazing and glorious.

Then it all goes to shit. He doesn't want to lose his friends even if he wants to be part of this vision. And then he finds out his dad killed his mom so that she wouldn't inadvertently erode his sense of purpose. And then he finds out his dad didn't give a shit about him after all, he was always just a commodity -- the only reason Peter exists was to help further his dad's plans, and all his half-siblings who couldn't further those plans were immediately killed. His dad ultimately didn't want him, he just wanted his power. Like, what the hell... Ego basically found the most vulnerable part of Peter, pretended to salve the wound, then hit him where it most hurt so the loss was even worse than before.

Which leaves Peter in a shitty place. He wanted to find his dad, and he can get his dad's approval (but never his love apparently) simply by going along with his dad's plans; but his dad is going to kill everything he loves. So now he has to kill his dad.
Here's where Star-Lord grows up some more... when he sends Drax off with Mantis with his rocket pack (which means he's stuck in Ego's core without a way to get out himself). he willingly accepts the responsibility for distracting his crazy dad so that none of his friends will die. And that's how it plays out.

And when the bomb goes off, his dad's face caves in right in front of him and he collapses to dust. Yeah. Just killed his dad. Even when your parent sucks, their death is a huge shift. There will be no future reconciliation, your parents will no longer be there to pick you up; you're on your own for good. And your dad was such an asshat that you had to kill him.

There's a big ache as he stands there alone, watching Ego's core collapse around him, knowing he's about to die and that all of his dreams (for reconciling with his dad) ended up being ash, so much for dreams... although at least he did what had to be done and his friends got away, so he did something good. This is probably the most adult moment in Peter's life, honestly -- when you do what you know is right even if it might cost you your life + your dreams, and you make sure your friends don't take the brunt of it.

... and then Yondu swoops in, grabs him, and blasts them out into orbit. It's a really big moment. Peter's just proving himself an adult, but he never had that moment of REALLY knowing a dad who loved him; and instead of letting him die, Yondu willingly and even gratefully sacrifices his own life to save him. There is no moment of snark or deflection here, Peter flips out as he realizes what Yondu is doing. But it's also a moment of catharsis... maybe his bio dad died trying to use/kill him, but then there is this surrogate father who sacrifices himself for him and takes pride in him. So even after Yondu is gone, that realization that Yondu actually loved and believed in him is something Peter can carry with him for the rest of his own life. It's a damn powerful moment.

All of this is actually conveyed on screen by the acting and context, not something one has to guess at. If you're in Peter's head at all, the subtext is very plain.



Nebula was interesting too. We don't really get nearly as much with her, but she hates her sister so much it seems... and then we learn every time Gamora would best her in combat (which their father Thanos would force on them, to make them useful tools), he would cut off part of Nebula and replace it with something mechanical so that she could be a "winner." WTF. Now you've got this woman who is more machine than human, and Gunn does a great job with relaying that both from her appearance or after she realigns her arms and back after the crash sequence.... it's so freakin' inhuman.

And you think she hates Gamora, but no... I mean, she hates her on the surface, but really it's all about how Gamora needed to win regardless of how Nebula was mutilated, while all she wanted was a sister. "You were all I had!" Which comes out in that once she beats her, she doesn't actually want to kill her. She just wanted a sister. It's a moment of vulnerability that gets through Gamora's guard, and her entire attitude towards Nebula changes for the rest of the movie. The great part is that, while now Nebula is not trying to kill Gamora anymore -- she even saves her life, as well as the other Guardians' -- and although she wants to have a sister and now has one, it's really hard for her to return Gamora's embrace at the end. You can't live in rage for so long and then immediately accept warmth from others, even if it's something you have desired so strongly. You can change what you do in the future, but the past can't be simply dropped, emotionally. She's still currently what she was made into.



The best scene of Drax is when he is sitting on the steps with Mantis, and he's talking about his dead family, his daughter, in such a flat voice, and staring off into space... and Mantis reaches out gently to console him, which triggers her empathic ability, and she is immediately wracked with gasping sobs, reflecting the depth of pain inside of him. You would never know, from Drax's persona, sitting taciturnly there on the steps. Despite all the callous behavior he projects, Drax has this gulf of endless agony within him from the loss. it gives context to all of Drax' other behavior, as annoying as he can be at times.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

We keep wanting to see it, but can't get our schedules together to find a time. GOG is my favorite superhero movie of them all. I want my cat and Rocket to fall in love. They would if they met.

 

[Totenkindly]

We keep wanting to see it, but can't get our schedules together to find a time. GOG is my favorite superhero movie of them all. I want my cat and Rocket to fall in love. They would if they met.

Which then brings us to the adventures of their offspring, Baby Rocketcat!

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

Which then brings us to the adventures of their offspring, Baby Rocketcat!

You have to admit they'd be a cute couple...
Butters is quite grumpy and likes to be left alone most of the time, but is actually very sweet.

 

[Totenkindly]

My Best Buy package came today with the steelbox Ultra 4K 3D version of the movie, which technically releases Tuesday. Watched it in 3D. (I don't have Ultra at this point, although when I can get an Ultra copy for close to the same price as regular or 3D, I will pick it up so I have it when I get ultra.)

The colors actually remained pretty vibrant in 3D, which isn't always the case. There were some 3D elements near the bottom corners of the screen, though, where a character is standing just a bit on frame in the foreground while focus is on the background central character, and I'm not sure I liked that... the foreground stuff seemed more ghostly. But the film does have a lot of bluescreen special effects and feeling of wide open space, and this came through on the transfer.

I also turned the sound up fairly high; I don't have a system, but the TV itself has some decent surround / positioned speakers in it, and I was able to pick up on small bits of dialogue and small noises I never even realized were there before. The sound transfer seemed decent.