Official Website

Plot Summary: 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.

Director: James Gunn

Writer: James Gunn

Runtime: 2 hours 29 mins Main Cast:

• Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord
• Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary
• Bradley Cooper as Rocket (voice)
• Pom Klementieff as Mantis
• Dave Bautista as Drax
• Karen Gillan as Nebula
• Vin Diesel as Groot (voice)
• Sean Gunn as Kraglin
• Will Poulter as Adam Warlock
• Zoe Saldana as Gamora

Review by: Samuel

Tweet

What I Liked:

In 2014 with the release of Guardians Vol 1, The Grand Shuckett issued a disclaimer in our review saying that while it was a fantastic film, there was a ton of cursing so parents may be aware when bringing young children to the theater. That same disclaimer is appropriate here…times 10. This movie is really NOT for young kids. We have gore, violence, the MCUs first F-bomb and so many sexual innuendos. Why is this under “What I Liked”- because I loved the adult nature of the film. James Gunn has a background in horror and it shows here. There are some images I am still recovering from and I appreciate that the film can do that.

Outside of its visceral nature, the film is also (for the most part) a visual spectacle. Groot and Rocket are rendered to such amazing detail that it’s almost hard to believe they aren’t real. The action scenes are also done well which is in contrast to a bunch of recent films that seem content to just throw flashy colors on screen and show bodies flying. That is a testament to the VFX, choreography, and cinematography. Really, Marvel put an amazing crew together for the final outing of these Guardians.

Speaking of, the Guardians are truly what I liked most about this film. In its two- and half-hour runtime, we get moments with each of them and they all give us the feels. Gamora’s frustration with being compared to her future self, Peter’s heartbreak at losing the love of his life, and Nebula trying her best to hold everyone together even though she is clearly suffering herself- these are just some of the emotional gut punches the movie delivers. But the real star of the show is Rocket- this is HIS movie. We finally get to see his backstory and his relationship with the film’s antagonist drives the plot. Without giving up spoilers, I will just say this movie makes you understand why Rocket does not talk about his past.

That leads to another thing I really enjoyed about this film, and that’s the way it balanced the tone. As stated, this movie gears you up for emotional hits, but it still finds time to be hilarious. Just as each character has time to be vulnerable, each also has time to bring the comedy gold. This shows 1) that these actors are vastly talented (which we knew) and 2) that people aren’t one-dimensional. It’s good to see James Gunn understand that comic relief doesn’t have to be an assigned character trait to one person. I really appreciate that.

The final thing I will mention that really worked is the overall feeling of dread that exists during pretty much the entire runtime. Trailers, promos, and word of mouth have probably made you believe that not all the Guardians make it out and from the beginning of the movie, the stakes are high. You are truly scared that at any moment one of these characters we’ve grown to love will be saying goodbye forever. It is one of the few times in a Marvel movie where I just knew that the stakes were real and that a happy ending was not a foregone conclusion.

What I Didn’t Like:

Marvel gets a lot of hate these days. Some of it is from me because I haven’t been impressed with film or TV post-Endgame. But, a lot…A LOT of the hate is unwarranted trolling from people who are mad at Disney or Marvel for illegitimate reasons- and because of that, I don’t like siding with them when a movie isn’t great. Having said that, I will say of the two things that didn’t work for me, the villain in this film takes the cake. The High Evolutionary is literally everything I hate about a villain – EVIL FOR NO REASON! The Joker is a psychotic maniac who laughs while doing heinous things so you can be entertained by watching him be silly while attempting to blow up a hospital. Thanos and Kang commit genocides but there is a clear sadness in their eyes and regret in their voices- they don’t ENJOY having to do what they do. But this man- this High Evolutionary is needlessly cruel. If you are an animal lover, just cover your eyes whenever he is on screen. The dude murders innocent civilians like it’s a video game and his “purpose” for doing so is incredibly weak. He is probably going to be remembered not for his character like Loki, but only because he’s the cruelest person ever introduced in the MCU.

The other thing I did not like in this film was the inclusion of some characters that felt like a sideshow. Adam Warlock- a major character in the comics (and one of my personal favorites) kind of just shows up and then goes away 3 or four times in the film. He doesn’t really have a purpose other than to establish that he exists. The same is true for the characters of Cosmo and Kraglin (who are featured on several promo posters) They periodically pop up so you say “Oh yeah, they’re in this too,” but you don’t really care.