Marvel Movie Madness
So, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 came out, and Marvel, in its infinite wisdom, arranged for some theatres to show a GotG double feature playing them back to back. And, since the first one was a hoot, and since it was practically my birthday, I said "this is my present to me, and it's happening", and then it happened.
Let's review:
Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 1
To be honest, I was never a huge fan of this comic series. My comic preferences hovered around those plucky X-Men and their wacky adventures, and sometimes Spider-Man and the Avengers. The Guardians and other cosmic types didn't grab me as much. So, when Marvel announced this movie as part of their big universal plans, I was a bit ho-hum about it.
Let's be frank: I was totally wrong.
The plot: A group of misfits get thrown together by random circumstance. Naturally, they save the universe.
The pros: Humor, and lots of it. Rocket and Groot create a comedic duo of sarcasm and physical slapstick; Star Lord plays the fool and Gamora is his straight man who deflects his constant jabs, and Drax is a literalist who has no sense of humor and therefore becomes the funniest thing in the movie. All their interactions are written well and the jokes keep the audience smiling. The plot is a treasure hunt, all Raiders of the Lost Ark without Harrison Ford's rugged jawline. The villains are comic book staples: the Dragon who wants to be God, the rival sister, the slaver whose rough ways made Star Lord what he is today. Throw in a few emotional moments from Star Lord's youth to Groot's sacrifice, and you've got everything you need for a comic book movie.
The cons: Well, it is a comic book movie. We're not talking Citizen Kane here. There's action, and special effects, and maybe it gets a little hairy in the middle there with the magic rock and Benicio Del Toro and stuff... but that's ok, the good guys win, and a sequel is on its way.
The verdict: Wheeeeee! Way funnier and better than I expected.
Intermission: There was a half-hour break between movies. But, as the credits for GotG1 started rolling, a loud whistle resounded in the theatre. It was not from the credits. It sounded real. And then Michael "Yondu" Rooker walked in and said hi to everyone. HOLY SHIT HE REALLY DOES THE WHISTLE THING. And he was cool and tried phoning in to video chat with James Gunn but technology failed him so he just talked about the movie for a few minutes and they took a video for Disney's movie page and away he went. Surprise Yondu: the best kind of Yondu.
And then...
Guardians of the Galaxy vol.2
Well, once the first one came out, I was sold on the characters and the humor and everything. I still haven't read many of the comics, but you know what? Who cares? The movies are doing a good enough job keeping my interest, and they're part of the MCU so at this point I'm in all the way, I'll watch GotGv17 if I have to. Granted, I'll also watch Taken 23: Liam Neeson Beats Up The Entire Nation of Kazakhstan, so you know, take my words with a grain of salt.
The plot: Kurt Russell has sex with every species in the universe. In your face, Captain Kirk! Oh, and the Guardians do stuff.
The pros: I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think this movie was even funnier than the first one. And that is no small feat. Nebula gets a much larger role and somehow, despite being a villain, I enjoy her scenes and her story arc a lot. Baby Groot brings the cute factor up to about eleventy billion, and is still played for physical comedy down to the end. Rocket and Yondu team up to become the Biggest Pair of Jerks in the Galaxy, and it's ok. Star Lord and Gamora continue their "sexual tension" dynamic. And once again, Drax takes the cake by being... Drax. Mantis manages to make Drax even funnier, and again, I can't believe I'm saying that.
The cons: Why do million-year-old celestial entities always go bad and want to destroy everything? Is there any movie with an ancient being who is not a cheeky bastard?
The verdict: Yes. Did you like the first one? Then don't stop there.
Note: "Yes, because my turds are famously huge." Thank you Drax. Don't ever change.
Let's review:
Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 1
To be honest, I was never a huge fan of this comic series. My comic preferences hovered around those plucky X-Men and their wacky adventures, and sometimes Spider-Man and the Avengers. The Guardians and other cosmic types didn't grab me as much. So, when Marvel announced this movie as part of their big universal plans, I was a bit ho-hum about it.
Let's be frank: I was totally wrong.
The plot: A group of misfits get thrown together by random circumstance. Naturally, they save the universe.
The pros: Humor, and lots of it. Rocket and Groot create a comedic duo of sarcasm and physical slapstick; Star Lord plays the fool and Gamora is his straight man who deflects his constant jabs, and Drax is a literalist who has no sense of humor and therefore becomes the funniest thing in the movie. All their interactions are written well and the jokes keep the audience smiling. The plot is a treasure hunt, all Raiders of the Lost Ark without Harrison Ford's rugged jawline. The villains are comic book staples: the Dragon who wants to be God, the rival sister, the slaver whose rough ways made Star Lord what he is today. Throw in a few emotional moments from Star Lord's youth to Groot's sacrifice, and you've got everything you need for a comic book movie.
The cons: Well, it is a comic book movie. We're not talking Citizen Kane here. There's action, and special effects, and maybe it gets a little hairy in the middle there with the magic rock and Benicio Del Toro and stuff... but that's ok, the good guys win, and a sequel is on its way.
The verdict: Wheeeeee! Way funnier and better than I expected.
Intermission: There was a half-hour break between movies. But, as the credits for GotG1 started rolling, a loud whistle resounded in the theatre. It was not from the credits. It sounded real. And then Michael "Yondu" Rooker walked in and said hi to everyone. HOLY SHIT HE REALLY DOES THE WHISTLE THING. And he was cool and tried phoning in to video chat with James Gunn but technology failed him so he just talked about the movie for a few minutes and they took a video for Disney's movie page and away he went. Surprise Yondu: the best kind of Yondu.
And then...
Guardians of the Galaxy vol.2
Well, once the first one came out, I was sold on the characters and the humor and everything. I still haven't read many of the comics, but you know what? Who cares? The movies are doing a good enough job keeping my interest, and they're part of the MCU so at this point I'm in all the way, I'll watch GotGv17 if I have to. Granted, I'll also watch Taken 23: Liam Neeson Beats Up The Entire Nation of Kazakhstan, so you know, take my words with a grain of salt.
The plot: Kurt Russell has sex with every species in the universe. In your face, Captain Kirk! Oh, and the Guardians do stuff.
The pros: I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think this movie was even funnier than the first one. And that is no small feat. Nebula gets a much larger role and somehow, despite being a villain, I enjoy her scenes and her story arc a lot. Baby Groot brings the cute factor up to about eleventy billion, and is still played for physical comedy down to the end. Rocket and Yondu team up to become the Biggest Pair of Jerks in the Galaxy, and it's ok. Star Lord and Gamora continue their "sexual tension" dynamic. And once again, Drax takes the cake by being... Drax. Mantis manages to make Drax even funnier, and again, I can't believe I'm saying that.
The cons: Why do million-year-old celestial entities always go bad and want to destroy everything? Is there any movie with an ancient being who is not a cheeky bastard?
The verdict: Yes. Did you like the first one? Then don't stop there.
Note: "Yes, because my turds are famously huge." Thank you Drax. Don't ever change.