GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOL. 2 *Stingers*
Directed by James Gunn
Writing by James Gunn
Based on the Marvel comics by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Star-Lord created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gann
Gamora and Drax created by Jim Starlin
Groot created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby
Rocket Raccoon created by Bill Mantio and Keith Giffen
Music by Tyler Bates
Cinematography by Henry Braham
Film Editing by Fred Raskin and Craig Wood
Casting By Sarah Finn
Random Crew Member: Mantis Stand-in by Grace Marie Williams
Filmed on location at Atlanta, Cartersville, and Pinewood Atlanta Studios, Fayetteville, Georgia, USA
One bonus scene leading into the principle cast closing credits. THREE bonus scenes during the closing credits. One bonus scene after the closing credits. KEEP THOSE ASSES IN THE SEATS!
**DO NOT LEAVE BEFORE THE CREDITS END! There is a bonus scene before the closing credits. Animation during the credits. Three bonus scenes during the closing credits and a stinger after the last credit.**
Three years. Three years. That is a loooonngg time to wait for a sequel and a protracted downtime, you would think. Instead, it kept the fanbase building to such a fever pitch that no film could possibly live up to the expectations. Sequels such as Pitch Perfect 2 and Bourne movies may get audiences as thrilled as humanly possible, only to surprise them with a dirk in the back when they least expected it, just after they had plunked down $16.75 USD to see the sequel. *oooh* Injury to insult. Is there anything more painful to fanfolks than a weak segment in a series?
Guardians of the Galaxy did for space operas what Deadpool did for the superhero franchises; laugh at yourself and bring it up to a genuinely adult level and the fan-men and -women will follow you anywhere. Even to a suckfest? One time they will. Not the multiple times the studios are counting on for the billion bucks.
What a relief! Sitting in the luxury of my Dolby seat, I felt Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 explode all over and around me, as sassy and gobsmacking as Vol. 1…maybe even more. There! I said it! And I meant it. As fantastic and iconic as the original may be– Oh, hell. I’ve got to go watch them back-to-back now to get a fair comparison. And, because they both kick ass in the very best way.
The Star Lord, Gamora, Rocket, Drax, and Baby Groot (just as adorable as you thought, but with a mouth like an Abelisk’s potty) — to whom else would a sentient race offer a bounty to to battle a multi-dimensional…um, armoured slug? Everyone ready? Wait! Start Awesome Mix Tape #2, the soundtrack for this fight to the death and for this entire movie. And attack! It’s up to Baby Groot to make the final connection and…he shakes it to “Mr. Blue Sky” as the battle rages above him. Typical Guardians of the Galaxy. Typically packed action and dry wit. Oh, yeah. Here we go!
Meet the Sovereign. The race that thinks as much of themselves as the name implies and inspires the kind of reaction that most people who want to live to see the next ridiculously dangerous battle keep to themselves. Of course, Rocket is neither a person nor the type to keep censor himself. You’ll see. A race that dresses in gold, where all of their surroundings are gold, and, why not, every Sovereign is gold, gold, gold, isn’t likely to have that kind of self-deprecating humour with which Rocket’s material works. Let’s say they take themselves far too seriously. I mean, they’re gold, for shit’s sake.
But, Abelisk (armoured slug) slain and Sovereign treasure safe, time to give the crew their bounty. If you’ve seen the trailers or the posters or you’ve spent the last three years dreaming of this moment you will have notice that most-wanted one-woman crime wave Nebula is back. With a splendiferous price on her head. Family be damned. Besides, she did try to kill Gamora in Vol. 1. That makes for a pretty tense Big Bang Day table.
So, everything is good. Peter Quill and family will just take their bounty and leave. Love will radiate around them, even the electroplated, narcissistic spoilsports, and envelope all in hope. Woo-wat? Not in this movie. Not with this crew. Everything is just about to go black hole for real.
Oh, goody.
Who had more fun here? The SFX teams that created all these eye-popping planets and tapas of the universe, not to mention the huge interiors of the rather rank ships? James Gunn, who got come up with this unbelievably sharp, continuously moving at lightspeed, Algonquin Round Table waggish script? The same guy who got to mold it on film? Or those actors we probably all envy because they got to be there, having all that fun with each other and, yeah, it was work, but come on?
Who has more fun in the end? We, the audience, the ones who can go from IMAX to 3D to DOLBY and rinse, repeat and condition ourselves to see volumes one and two as many times as we want (can afford). The franchise is only getting stronger, I promise you.
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