The farce is with them
Guardians sequel is as cosmically silly as the original.
The first Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) helped put the comic back into comic-book movies. It adapted a previously minor-league team from dustier shelves of Marvel’s library and delivered an enjoyable sci-fi action comedy.
It was less a superhero flick than a comic space opera also played like a psychedelic Star Wars spoof, with Chris Pratt’s Earth-born Peter Quill – or as he wanted
to be known, Star-Lord – the smartass Han Solo of the Guardians. His squad outdid the USS Enterprise HR policy for diversity, too, including the tree-like monosyllabic Groot (stealing the show again here), the rancorous Rocket Raccoon, the Hulk-like Drax and space amazon Gamora.
And now, a sequel. If the first Guardians film was sort-of Star Wars, then this is sortof The Empire Strikes Back. Which is to say, from its terrific beginning – an extravagant visual gag set to ELO’s Mr Blue Sky
– to one of the better endings to finish a Marvel movie, it’s just as much cosmically silly fun as its predecessor. It expands on its universe, as does its mad 70s jukebox of a soundtrack.
Like Empire, much of its time involves splitting the team up and trying to get them back together while fighting off bounty hunters and dealing with daddy issues.
But Vol. 2 can overdo it when it ditches the character-based stuff for special-effects takeovers, like the unending epic showdown on a planet seemingly inspired by Roger Dean 70s album covers.
Elsewhere, not all its pop culture gags land, especially a pointless cameo by Sylvester Stallone and a clunky reference to sitcom Cheers when Quill attempts to romance Gamora.
The throwbacks extend to Kurt Russell, chewing scenery as a “celestial” being named Ego, who we first see as a digitally restored, younger, groovier self with Quill’s mother. It’s no spoiler to say Ego is Quill’s mysterious alien father, or that this interstellar deity wants to bring his own Luke to the dark side.
No, the galaxy these guys are supposed guardians of isn’t really so far, far away. But that doesn’t stop GotGV2 being a hoot. The farce is strong with this one. IN CINEMAS NOW