Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2
Direction: James Gunn
Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell
Music: Tyler Bates
Cinematographer: Henry Braham
Editor: Fred Raskin, Craig Wood
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Rating: ∗∗∗
What is it about: It serves as the sequel to the 2014 “Guardians Of The Galaxy”. The film picks up post the first film them posing as the Guardians fighting evil forces, among one such instance they’re presented with an unexpected occurrence, what happens post that forms the crux of the story directed by James Gunn.
Why it’s disappointing: The ensemble was quite a hit with the first film, and it did hit the right note to an extent. But there were few moments in the film, which were paused little too long for a Superhero film and moreover shifted the track from action comedy to a deep emotional one. The film gets quite heavy on it, and loses the steam it required, as to every action sequence there’s a track in the background pumping them, and we wait for action to happen. With this bunch being infused in “Avengers” soon, doesn’t make them look good or solid to be part of such a team.
What to watch out for: What it loses on the integrity of the story it tries to make it up with the witty performances of the entire cast. Chris Pratt does a solid one, Zoe follows closely as Gamora. Dave Bautista is the muscle with a peculiar sense of humour which is laced with an innocence.
Michael Rooker as Yondu, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha were perfect in the respective attires. Whereas Kurt Russell as Ego didn’t fit the bill.
And then the whacky Rocket voiced by Bradley Cooper was hilarious. His timing and body language is impeccable. Of course you can’t miss this character, one of the most loved on screen from the franchise. Baby Groot voiced by Vin Diesel, was adorable and makes you laugh hard in most of the scenes, especially during the opening credits which was spectacular.
The VFX was great so was the 3D which was seamless. IMAX formatting was an icing on the cake, which made many scenes elaborate and engages the audience. Cinematography by Henry Braham was delectable and was crisply edited by Fred Raskin & Craig Wood.
Verdict: James Dunn did a great job in presenting the Galaxy’s outlaws turned in to mercenaries, but didn’t lay a solid ground in order for them to hold on to. Still the film has the requisite elements for its genre but not the one which may compete with its rival. Definitely worth a watch.
