Gardiens de la Galaxie 2 (Les)

There was nothing to suggest that the comic book Guardians of the Galaxy, which first appeared in 1969 (Marvel Super-Heroes # 18), was going to give rise to a cinematographic universe that simply revolutionized the world of adaptations of comics to the screen. The two teams that have succeeded one another in the guards has allowed many authors to give birth to characters as diverse as trying. It is the second team that appeared in the comics Marvel and created by Dan Abnett (Screenwriter) and Andy Lanning (cartoonist) in May 2008 which is at the true source of the two cinematographic adaptations written and realized by James Gunn.

The first film released in the cinema on August 13, 2014 in France, had not only created a real surprise and showed especially that there existed another way to approach the Marvel Universe Marvel and also create the perfect mix between a world of science fiction (Rather close to Star Wars) with its plethora of extraterrestrials of all shapes, ubiquitous humor and especially spectacular special effects and a universe unique to Marvel with its superheroes ready to fight for a good cause. The first part not only imposed James Gunn as a gifted director (previously known for Horribilis (2006) and Super (2010)) but above all as a true film enthusiast capable of tackling ambitious projects and imposing His own cinematic language. In this first part, punctuated by an excellent soundtrack composed of classics of the 70s and 80s, one discovered thus this team united in spite of itself to fight against a powerful enemy (Ronan).

Star-Lord, Groot, Drax, Gamora and Drax were going to make a film as the best anti-hero team to put their priori aside and form a real team. Dave Bautista (Drax the Destroyer), and for the voices of Rocket Raccoon and Groot, the actors Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel had a great interest in the cast including Chris Pratt (Peter Quill / Star-Lord), Zoe Saldana Revealed to be particularly effective. The global success of this first phase would necessarily give life to a sequel which had to have the same efficiency and above all to satisfy a very strong expectation.

Let us be direct, whereas the first part had marked our memory of a passionate Marvel universe (comics, series, cinema), we feared a second aspect much less original content merely to apply and reuse the many qualities of the first component for GOTG2 to make of it a successfully but cruelly lacking succession. However, the final result exceeds all our expectations and imposes itself as a total artistic success. Worn again by James Gunn's screenplay and achievement, The Guardians of Galaxy 2 is not just a sequel, it continues to bring many elements to the main characters including Peter Quill by introducing into the story his Father (Ego, Kurt Russell) and also numerous secondary characters to give a real magnitude to this second opus. We discover the characters of Mantis (the French actress Pom Klementieff) but also Stakar (Sylvester Stallone) and we find with an intact pleasure these famous guardians of the galaxy but also secondary characters of the first strand taking a greater importance here as Nebula (Karen Gillan), Yondu (Michael Rooker) and especially Baby Groot who replaced the character Groot and imposed himself with Rocket Raccoon as the two most endearing characters of the whole Marvel universe.

It is easy to understand the desire of the director and screenwriter James Gunn not to disappoint the many fans of the first part and especially to avoid proposing a succession of spectacular scenes at the expense of the psychological aspect of the characters. On the contrary, the scenes of the film follow one another at a spectacular speed and the omnipresent humor imposes it in our eyes like the film of this year and especially the best to date of the cinema universe Marvel (the fifth to date ). From the very first scene, the emphasis is on the fact that Guardians of the Galaxy is not just a simple blockbuster but a way to simply propose a great science fiction film, action and A successful adaptation of a universe Marvel comics become since the first film well-liked by moviegoers (director Steven Spielberg quoted him as a stated fan himself). How to resist a film with very many qualities in terms of special effects, its casting, photography but also again its music. We would love that the next Marvel adaptations expected in the coming months like Spider-man Homecoming can be as perfect and especially create such an emotional connection between the spectators and exciting characters.

The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 testifies once again that contrary to the DC Comics adaptations that the main quality of an adaptation is not to want to propose a succession of scenes of action as spectacular either they but more a true universe. While Justice league seems to exist only to be a decoration of the Avengers in the cinema, The Guardians of Galaxy 2 prefers to focus its attention on giving a real thickness to its main characters and to create a universe marked by an ubiquitous music. The result of the second film is an exemplary success and above all to prolong the pleasure taken in the first part and to find in addition a Baby Groot which imposes itself as one of the most beautiful creations of the Marvel Universe. While in the first part Rocket Raccoon was our favorite character, in this second part our preference will be on this duo baby Groot and this one. This duo is not only irresistible but also unforgettable.

To say that one trembles of impatience to discover the third part is a little saying and knowing that it will be scripted and realized by James Gunn one can already reserve our place for one of the highlights of 2020.

review: Mulder
translation : Novias

Novias's Mark:

ALERT SPOILERS

The movie opens with Star-Lord/ Peter Quill's mother Meredith and his assumed father (digitally younger looking Kurt Russell) sharing a kiss and a secret of a seed that has taken root in Missouri behind a Dairy Queen. Cut to 34 years later.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 launches right back into its brand of action comedy as the group is preparing to defend an extremely powerful deposit of batteries from a tentacle multi-dimensional monster which feeds on such energy sources. The outrageous opening clash is undeniably carrying the same vibe and absurd hilarity of GOTG Vol. 1. We reconnect with our misfit heroes who seem to be working as mercenaries. After their victory in the first Guardians installment over Ronan, a villainous vendetta fueled Kree fanatic, Quill (Chris Pratt) and his extraterrestrial gang use their status and skills to make a living all across the galaxy. Still bumping heads from time to time Quill and Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) have the must tension as they fight for an undefined and most likely unrecognized role as leader of the group. The climatic introduction battle is pure heartwarming with baby Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) dancing around to ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" as the rest of the Guardians fight the multi-dimensional monster. Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) volleys himself directly inside the monsters mouth explaining that it's skin is too thick to penetrate from the outside. His rash actions are too quick for Quill, Rocket or Gamora (Zoe Saldana) to stop before he is already inside unleashing a flurry of slashes with his dual wielding blades. Quill notices a wound on the monsters next and exposes this weakness by having Gamora rip it open with her own sword. With the monsters death Drax stumbles out from its oozing intestines claiming his victory to which the rest of the group simply looks onward.

After the fray the Guardians meet with the High Priestess of the Sovereign, Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki) who had contracted them to defend the batteries in exchange for payment in the form of Gamora's sister Nebula, (Karen Gillian). (Nebula had escaped during the invasion of the Nova Empire's capital Xander in GOTG Vol. 1) As the group leaves the exchange with the Sovereign, Rocket informs Drax that he has stolen a couple of the batteries they were paid to protect. Once off the planet they are immediately meet with a barrage from the Sovereigns remote operated armada. They try to flee while Quill and Rocket fight over who is best suited to pilot them through a dimensional asteroid field. Despite sustaining heavy damages to their ship, (the Milano) all the trash talk and shenanigans the Guardians realize there are 50 more of the Sovereigns armada already charging them. Viewing the hopelessness of the space battle swaying against the Guardians they are nevertheless saved in the nick of time by a mysterious figure. Their ship makes it into a portal jump that teleports them across space and they crash down on another alien world. Soon after the man that had single handedly destroyed the rest of the Sovereign armada appears before the Guardians stepping out from his ship and announcing that his name is Ego (Kurt Russell) and he is Quills father. Mantis (Pom Klementieff) is Ego's socially awkward companion who also introduces herself to the group as having empathetic abilities.

Gamora and Quill slip away from the others to discuss the likelihood that this all may be a trap but Gamora convinces Quill to give it a chance. Rocket, Groot and Nebula stay behind to repair the ship to which Rocket is extremely displeased with. Another thread throughout the film besides Quill's desire for a father and family is Rockets denial of his place within the group which leads to, Yondu Udonta (Michael Rooker), and his connection to Rocket's own feelings of loneliness.

Yondu is aimless and depressed with his Ravagers crew contemplating a mutiny for what happened with Quill and the guardians in Volume 1. While drowning his sorrows in robotic alien women and intoxication he is met by an old comrade Stakar Ogord (Sylvester Stallone), who has exiled Yondu from the Ravagers for trafficking children.

Quill, Drax and Gamora arrive on Egos planet (that he created) he is mesmerized by all he sees but it still cautious if this man really is his father. Ego explains his background, of being born into existence millions of years ago and his endless search for purpose until he finally met Quill's mother and found hope in her pregnancy. Ego tells Quill that he is a Celestial and that Quill also possesses the same powers of his father and that in time he too will be able to create astonishing things. Quill then creates an orb of energy from the Light at the center of the planet that him and Ego then play a game of catch with. Elsewhere Mantis demonstrates more of her empathetic powers to Drax and hesitates about telling a dark secret Ego is hiding.

Back to Yondu and his Ravagers who were hired by the Sovereign with the task of capturing the Guardians and returning the batteries. They find Rocket, baby Groot and Nebula still repairing the wreckage of the Milano. Rocket does his best holding off wave after wave of Ravagers but Yondu steps in with his whistle controlled Yaka arrow and captures them. As Yondu describes other plans instead of turning Quill over to the Sovereign it doesn't sit will with most of his crew. The situation quickly escalates and eventually leads to Nebula shooting Yondu's fin off disarming him of his Yaka arrow. The scene cuts to the leading mutineer Taserface (Chris Sullivan), who taunts Yondu by tossing one of his loyal Ravager crew members into the cold depths of space revealing dozens of others loyalist who met the same demise. Yondu has no audible response just a vacant expression of indifference with a hint of his earlier directionless depression. Nebula takes a ship and heads to Ego to kill Gamora for what happened to her as a child. Rocket and Yondu are thrown into a prison cell together while baby Groot is tormented by the drunken violence of the mutineers. Eventually Yondu and Rocket team up in the hopes of having Groot steal a prototype fin for Yondu to control a new Yaka arrow. A silly yet short montage of Groots failed attempts to retrieve the arrow are not only funny but a clever way to illustrates Groots inability to comprehend the simplistic of instructions. After this, Kraglin (Sean Gunn), who had also questioned Yondu's leadership, brings the prototype to Yondu and pleads with him that he didn't think Taserface would kill his friends when they overthrew Yondu as captain. What takes place next is nothing less than an onslaught of Yondu'a revenge on the remaining Ravagers via his Yaka arrow piercing through the entire ships hull. Rocket, Groot, Yondu and Kraglin than make 700 portal jumps across the galaxy to Ego's planet. Rocket tries to mask his real concern for Quill but Yondu exposes Rockets true feelings as well as his own worries for Quills safety.

Ego has convinced Quill that he can be trusted and when Mantis realizes this she goes to Drax to tell him everything that is really going on. Gamora and Nebula have a deadly fight which eventually has Gamora saving her sister and Nebula allowing Gamora to live.

Ego shares his vision with Quill that he calls "The Expansion" and it has Quill virtually hypnotized by its objective beauty of interconnectivity and annihilation. Ego explains how he planted seedlings of himself across thousands of plants as well as thousands of women in an attempt to share his Celestial power. He tells Quill how all the children failed, how Yondu was the one to bring them all to him and eventually causes Yondu's exile from the Ravagers. All of this seems fine enough with Quill but the downfall of Ego is when he admits to having put a tumor inside the head of Quill's mother. At this heartbreaking moment Quill's cosmic blacked eyes wash over reverting to his eyes of sky blue once he realizes the person he loved most was killed by the man in front of him. Instantly and without any remorse Quill opens an assault of gun fire on Ego that removes chucks of his flesh formed body.

The skirmish between Quill and Ego leads to Quill's swift incapacitation by his fathers Celestial power. More mayhem ensues as the others join up and Gamora explains the massive tomb with all of the bones of Quills sisters and brothers. They gather together inside the ship that Yondu and Rocket arrive in and head towards the center of the planet where Ego's Light and power reside. The Sovereign armada also appear in Egos orbit and begin to descend down into the planet to engage in battle with the Guardians. Yondu and Rocket dispatch their forces easily enough but not without causing horrendous screams from the High Priestess foreboding a future evil and enemy.

Rocket and Quill send Groot enter a small cavern to only which he may fit and Rocket gives him a makeshift bomb designed from the Sovereign batteries. Rocket is weary of having Groot set the explosive but has no other choice as Groot runs off manically with the bomb while him and Quill argue. Quill, Rocket and Yondu put up a valiant fight as Gamora, Nebula, Drax and Mantis try to reach the surface where Kraglin waits. As Yondu is being crushed and suffocated by rocks he tells Quill he never used his head to control the Yaka arrow but his heart. This is his last effort to empower Quill with the strength and courage he needs to release his potential control over Ego's Celestial power. Quill begins to remember his loving memories of his mother and sweetest moments with Gamora, Yondu, Rocket, Drax and Groot. These memories give him the will power to harness Ego's Celestial power and the tide rises on Quills side. As he battles Ego, Groot plants the bomb, Gamora, Nebula, Drax and Mantis reach the ship, and Rocket, Groot and Yondu exchang a tender moment of Yondu being welcomed into the family. Rocket understands that Yondu is offering his sacrifice for the chance to save Quill and he reluctantly accepts.

Quill over powers Ego right before the bomb detonates and as the destruction of the planet crumbles around him Yondu grabs him as they ascend into space. Yondu then places an oxygen device that turns into a suit to protect Quill as they enter the outer orbit of Ego and Quill has to watch as his surrogate father dies by the cold vacuum of space. This is the hardest death for Quill to experience and it is visible by Chris Pratt's stellar portrayal.  Quill and the Guardians, including Nebula, Kraglin and Mantis, hold a funeral where Quill admits how Yondu was his father all along, beyond blood.

Ravagers show up to honor Yondu as he has redeemed himself in their eyes. The Guardians all look onward lovingly as each of the ships launch a wonderful collage of firework-esque explosions as is apparently Ravager funeral customs. The film ends having solidified each of the guardians feelings for one another and their irreplaceable positions in the pieced together family.

Arclight Pasadena, the 5th May 2017

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