Channel: MovieNight

Category: Film & Animation

Tags: peter quillguardians of the galaxy 2 movie reviewguardians of the galaxy movie reviewsuperherocomic bookspace#jogwheelchris pratt#jpmnreviewsci-fiscripted movie reviewcriticismmichael rookercomedyfilm reviewfilmmovie reviewspoiler-free movie reviewvin dieselzoe saldanaadventureguardians of the galaxy vol. 2dave bautistajames gunnkurt russellprofessional movie reviewbradley cooperjonathan paulasylvester stallone

Description: • Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) - Sweet-natured story with irresistibly charming characters, 9/10. WATCH full episodes of "Movie Night" -- bit.ly/JogJPMN READ my un-filmed reviews / scripts: bit.ly/JPMNNotFilmed FOLLOW me on Letterboxd to see what I'm watching / rating: bit.ly/JonLetterboxd ~ Movie Night ~ Your host, and film critic Jonathan Paula reviews everything from opening day releases, recent DVDs, upcoming trailers, and classics from years past. Each "Quick Review" is an excerpt from a full episode, which airs on the Jogwheel channel every week. ~ Watch More Reviews ~ Browse By Year ----- bit.ly/MNYear Browse By Rating --- bit.ly/MNRating Trailer Reviews ------- bit.ly/MNTrailers ~ Other Channels ~ Jogwheel (Main channel) --- bit.ly/Jogwheel Jon's World (2nd channel) -- bit.ly/JonWorld The Microwave Show --------- bit.ly/TMSArchive Twitch ------------------------------ bit.ly/JonTwitch ~ Social Media & Merch ~ Twitter ---------------------------- bit.ly/JonTW Facebook ----------------------- bit.ly/JonFBFan Instagram ----------------------- bit.ly/JonInsta Patreon -------------------------- bit.ly/JonPatreon Letterboxd ---------------------- bit.ly/JonLetterboxd T-Shirts -------------------------- bit.ly/JogStore ~ Credits ~ Created by ------ Jonathan Paula Camera ---------- Panasonic HMC-150 Microphone ----- Sennheiser ME 66 Software --------- Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2015 Computer ------- bit.ly/JonPaulaPC • Jogwheel Productions © 2017 • ~ Script ~ Predictably excellent. This James Gunn sci-fi / superhero film scored over four times its $200 million dollar budget following its May 5th release in 2017. The original film is one of my favorite action / comedies of the last five years - and it's also my second-favorite MCU film, trailing only "The Avengers". Which is why I am stoked to report its sequel is a worthy successor. The 136-minute adventure reunites the titular squad for another round of, what else, galaxy-saving action and antics. The Guardians battle alien forces while attempting to unravel the mystery of Peter Quill's long-lost father. The hugely talented ensemble cast includes Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Sylvester Stallone, and Kurt Russell. The core group of characters really do feel like a family at this point, with everyone doing an great job; especially considering they're usually performing opposite CGI-characters in front of giant blue screens. Russell, and his marvelous mane of hair, is a particularly tremendous addition to this cast - and feels so effortlessly perfect as Pratt's on-screen father it's amazing they've never worked together before. Sadly though, he doesn't share any scenes with his former "Tango & Cash" co-star; who appears briefly in a role that will likely be expanded in follow-up films. Elsewhere, Bautista provides a hilarious straight-man comedic foil to newcomer Klementieff, who portrays a lonely and somewhat naive empath. Every scene they share together is complete gold. But it's Rooker's inclusion as a nefarious space-buccaneer and surrogate father-figure that resonates strongest. And least we forget about the adorable baby Groot, who delights with every appearance. ... Impeccably chosen 70s-era pop music is threaded into the narrative in meaningful and effective ways; grounding the otherwise silly moments and magical abilities with something Eartbound audiences are actually familiar with. I will say however that the song-selection for Vol. 1 included better, more recognizable songs. But Russell waxing poetic on the lyrics and relevance of Looking Glass's "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)" was an important scene; and a clear example of how these two mediums (movies and music) can compliment each other like peanut butter and jelly. These stellar musical choices also help propel an emotional epilogue to legitimate tear-jerking status; something I didn't think was possible for this brand of movie. With the exception of this final scene, the film has a somewhat pervasive habit of punctuating these emotional moments of introspection or romance with a jokey response, like when Bautista declares "We leave no one behind."... before continuing towards Gillan, "Expect maybe you." This is a fun, cameo-laden ride from the flashy opening titles to the Easter-egg filled ending-credits and its five separate bonus scenes. Despite the whiz-bang action and unfamiliar environments, "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2." is a surprisingly sweet-natured and grounded story with irresistibly charming characters. Just shy of my top score, I thought it was AWESOME. ~