Welcome to another installment of SIDE BY SIDE,
where we dissect the differences and similarities between two films,
be it a remake/reboot with its original, a sequel with its original, or two
similar movies. This week we’ll be taking a look at a the biggest hit so far
this summer and its predecessor…..GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and GUARDIANS
OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2.
The two Guardians of the Galaxy films were directed by James
Gunn and represent fascinating explorations into some of the weirdest corners
of the Marvel Universe. These films represent, in many ways, the culmination of
nerd culture’s ascension into the mainstream as many things that would be unimaginable
just ten years ago are played loudly and proudly and are enjoyed by thousands
and thousands of people. I will do this review by discussing both films and
offering some wrap up comparison’s at the end.
The first Guardians of
the Galaxy was released in the summer of 2014 and starred Chris Pratt, Zoe
Saldana, Michael Rooker, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Karen Gillen, John C.
Reilly, Glen Close, and Lee Pace. No one really knew what to expect from this
film. It took some of the most obscure Marvel comics characters and put them
center stage and was written and directed by a guy who had done nothing
remotely on the scale of this film. It wound up being a massive hit, and
rightly so. This is my third favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe film and,
frankly, one of my favorite comic books generally.
This film does almost everything right. It is a gorgeous
film to look at. It is relentlessly funny and clever. It has one of the best
soundtracks in movie history. It introduces a plethora of characters and makes
them all very real and relatable. From a human, to an alien, to a raccoon, and
even a tree, this film makes you connect with characters in ways a lesser film
never could.
I really think all the strengths of this came from James
Gunn’s passion behind the project. He truly brought a vision to this film that
bubbled to the surface in a spectacular way. Yes, this film still has the
Feige-regime influence, but it truly feels auteur in all the right ways within
that. It is so enjoyable to see how this film lands and it is why it is one of
the best.
I have almost no complaints with Guardians of the Galaxy. I do think the Thanos material was a
little bit superfluous but it never took away from my experience. I also think
that the “moment” in the final confrontation with the villain in this film was
incredibly ridiculous and did bother me.
Guardians of the
Galaxy Vol. 2 is, naturally, the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy and the fifteenth film in the Marvel canon.
This film has us meet up with the beloved Guardians team several months after
the events of the original as they settle into their roles on the team and take
on odd jobs for money. In addition to the returning cast from the original,
this film introduced Pom Klementieff as Mantis and Kurt Russel as Ego the
Living Planet.
I really enjoyed this film. I was very drawn to all the
improvements that seemed to be made in this film. Gunn’s choice to make this
more of a character story than a proto-action film was bold and really
effective. This film also has many moments that really enhanced my
understanding of these characters and this world and made me appreciate the
cosmic side of the universe even more than I already did. That said, this movie
is far from perfect and didn’t live up to the legacy that the original film
left.
What this movie did really well was understand its
characters and advance each of their stories in meaningful ways. The thematic
elements that underlie much of this film were brilliantly constructed and play
on the emotions of the audience in spectacular fashion. I really thought the
family dynamic that they show off in this film was clever and the actors
brought it across the board. The film is also the most gorgeous movie Marvel
has ever made. The new camera was definitely noticeable, but the color
correction and visual effects also stood out. Honestly, this is one of the most
beautiful looking science fiction films in recent memory. There is one specific
close up of Rocket Raccoon that literally caused my jaw to drop.
The movie isn’t perfect, however. The biggest issue it had
was overdoing it with the humor. There were several jokes that were used to
punctuate moments in the film that just fell flat. They really doubled down on
the humor they had with Drax in the first film which had some positive results
but also led to a lot of moments that were really undesirable. I also felt that
the “villainous” Sovereign were kind of a bad plot device. They really didn’t
offer much and never had a compelling moment in the story. They set up some
things for the future but really didn’t need to be here otherwise.
Overall, I think what James Gunn and the team at Marvel have
done with both these films is incredibly impressive. The absolutely brilliant
focus on character in both stories and making the weird elements of comics a
ride filled with fun for everyone is extremely impressive. These are definitely
two of the stronger films in the Marvel canon, and two of the strongest comic
book films in general that are worthy of being checked out as soon as you can
if you haven’t!
Ryan’s Scores:
Guardians of the Galaxy: 9/10
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: 8/10
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