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Since the reviews/buzz started hitting last week and the word was that while it was very good but not as high a bar as the first (which is fine considering how high it hit AND still holds up; re-watched last night for the 5th time), I tempered my expectations a bit. When further word came that the group would quarrel and split during the movie, tempered further still (I love inter-character moments, not hostility). Yeah, it's good and I'll definitely see it again. I'll rant about the one thing I truly hated in a sec. General thoughts: -the opening banter pre-credits and title was great and ever since the first I really wanted a whole movie of stuff just like that, of the 5 of them on missions and jobs, getting in over their heads, bouncing off each other, etc. (Maybe next time, post-IW?) The credits focusing on dancing Groot was a cute gag but at the same time felt a bit too self-referential since we all loved the credit stinger last time. So of course here it is AGAIN, but significantly extended AND even directly references what it's already doing when Drax crash-lands! ...On the other hand, the last one opened on the same motif (series staple, perhaps?) and maybe this was Gunn saying "OK audience, let's get this out of our system now instead of waiting all movie for more dancing Groot since we know how much you want to see that again anyway." -the first was as close to perfect a balance of light/dark as I can recall. This one is far more dark, which happens with sequels, but still. (Especially the ending shot...) Oddly enough, the prison and Knowhere locales featured make the first film feel grittier overall. -if you know the comics, you know about King J'son of Spartax. Seems like any incarnation of Peter Quill has a jerk for a father figure. Poor guy. LOVED that montage right before "What's so bad about that?" of all the social bonding stuff we presume about but rarely or never see in these types of movies. -no Glenn Close or John C. Reily? Boo! And boy, just like his role in Ratchet & Clank, Sly Stallone was almost reduced to a purely cameo appearance in this, wasn't he? -It's kind of surprising that *that* happened to a major character like Yondu so soon. Just saying. Even so, certainly a big time payoff in the end and a good story arc. Guess they didn't want to stretch him out too much. OK, rant time: I really hate how Rocket was such a loving rear end in a top hat in this story. He's supposed to be trigger-happy and rough around the edges; Quill's "bit of an a-hole but not 100% a dick" message from the first easily applies. Here he acts worse than ever and with more malicious stupidity than Drax in the first when he called Ronan. -He totally fucks over the only family he's ever had with the theft (also a colossal rear end in a top hat move, especially after all these characters have been through together) -plus it's not like he's desperately needing the money, what with being in a group now -burns a bridge for everyone AND earns them lifetime hate AND almost gets everyone killed -wrecks Quill's gift of a ship from the Nova Corps because of those actions plus his ego -drat near bites off Mantis' fingers in an extra-aggressive out-of-character moment (it's well-established that he hates being referred to or treated like a savage vermin animal, so why act like one?) -there's now an entire civilization that hates them and wants to kill them all thanks to his actions -directly and indirectly causes Yondu's death The prime narrative ending on his shedding of tears may be an indication that he realizes the latter and has guilt and thus character development, but even so, after the events of the first combined with the implied stuff that happens before, you'd think his arc would go forward into him becoming team tactician and maybe the conflict coming from being too assertive and demanding that the team follow his plans, not him degenerating back to selfish thieving crook mode. Oh yeah, and according to the Adam Warlock stinger, the golds are now making a powerful life form dedicated to their destruction. Maybe AW's arc will be "Just because you created me doesn't mean I have to be your hitman!" a la The Iron Giant? And this winds up bringing them to the attention of Thanos, who takes the Gauntlet on a test run to their planet? Will their genocide be the only way they'll stop hunting the Guardians? Who knows, but it's all Rocket's fault and he didn't have to be written as such an rear end in a top hat. At least the movie didn't end with the team furiously angered at him and kicking him out. That would've been too much of a downer, akin to Empire Strikes Back or Alien 3. Even if it set up a redemption arc you don't want to end your action-comedy that way. Gonz posted:If we don't get a standalone movie with Stakar Ogord, Martinex, Charlie-27, Starhawk, Mainframe and Krugarr, then I will be sad. They set that right up on the tee and I expect more from that team. My first taste of GOTG was Jim Valentino's run, so throw Vance, Nikki and Talon (will of course will need a costume alteration unless they want to make a joke out of it) in there too. Agent Escalus fucked around with this message at 12:09 on May 5, 2017 |
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May 5, 2017 12:02
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| # ¿ May 17, 2024 01:11 |
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