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Written by: James Gunn (written by), Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning (comic book)
Directed by: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel (voice), Bradley Cooper (voice), Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Sean Gunn, Sylvester Stallone, Will Poulter, Maria Bakalova
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own, a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians if not successful.
Verdict
It's more dramatic than what you might expect from this franchise. While it still has some comedy, the overall tone is dire. A lot of this movie feels like decisions were done based on because the movie can. It's too long, there are too many characters, and some of the dramatic moments feel manipulative. There are numerous emotional moments too. This is two movies in one. It's the backstory for Rocket Racoon and his rescue. It really seems like this movie had no constraints. I liked the first Guardians movie because it was fun and irreverent. The second move maintained that tone, but this forgoes that. Past that, this is the typical big budget Marvel blockbuster.
It depends.
Review
The first Guardians was a lot of fun and a big surprise, and the second Guardians was almost as good. This is a different tone, and it doesn't have the standout scenes nor does it make these characters fun.
This opens on Rocket (Bradley Cooper, voice), the pain of his past weighing on him. It's a past we've never seen, but it has been referenced. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is despondent over losing Gamora (Zoe Saldana). While Gamora is present in this movie, she's a variant from a different timeline, not the Gamora that had a relationship with Quill. I was expecting an upbeat and fun introduction like the second movie, but that's not the case.
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| Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana play Peter Quill, Gamora |
The plot kicks off when Warlock (Will Poulter) attempts to abduct Rocket, fails, and seriously injures Rocket in the process. Quill and team must spring to action to save Rocket as we get flashbacks of Rocket's past throughout the movie and how he became Rocket Racoon. Rocket's past is heavy. You know what this movie is setting up with this narrative. It's manipulative and indulgent. This backstory exists just to set you up and then knock you down with emotional moments. They hit hard, but it doesn't feel like it's in service of the story.
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| Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper (voice), Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel (voice) Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff play the Guardians of the Galaxy |
I appreciate that this Marvel movie doesn't try to incorporate the multiverse as the last few movies and series have, but this is two movies in one. It's Rocket's past and the quest to save him. That makes this movie feel long, but that's also because Kraglin (Sean Gunn) and Cosmo the Spacedog (Maria Bakalova) are main characters that we don't really need. There's no information provided on Cosmo. Cosmo was formally introduced in a holiday special and was briefly seen in the original Guardians. This is longer than it needs to be. Marvel movies of late have tended to be longer and this uses the extra run time just because it's available. This movie leans into the idea of because we can let's do it. The Marvel train provides this movie a larger budget than it needs.
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| Chris Pratt plays Starlord Peter Quill |
Guardians had established itself as a fun adventure in comparison to the Marvel universe. This movie maintains dire circumstances and high stakes. It has some comedic bits, but this is a dark plot. Drax (Dave Bautista) is the comic relief again, but he doesn't reach the heights of the previous movies. Mantis might be the most fun character in this movie, which is a surprise given the ensemble. The soundtrack has been a lauded staple of this franchise, but in this one it's perfunctory. The end does provide a few redemption arcs for various characters, but this is trying to do too much. By trying to tell a story for too many characters, this doesn't have a focus. It's claimed this is the conclusion of the Guardians, but it also hints that it might just be the end of this team and a new group could take its place.
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