The Sunday Mail
Tinashe Kusema Big & Small Screen
IF simplicity is an art form, James Gunn is the Gustav Klimt of our time.
Many people won’t know it, because they don’t know him, but they have been thrilled by Gunn’s filmmaking. Much like Klimt and his paintings, one might say.
After slugging it out as a maker of B-list stuff for some time, Gunn gave the world “Guardians of the Galaxy” in 2014. It was a simple, fun and well-written sci-fi comedy, whose part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe bigger picture has been the subject of fierce debate since.
Earlier this year, most of the stars of “Guardians of the Galaxy” appeared in a promotional video for “Avengers – Infinity War”. The film began shooting in January and will hit the big screen sometime next year.
But hey, I am getting ahead of myself. “Guardians of the Galaxy – Volume 2” opened worldwide about two weeks ago and I could not pass up the opportunity to feast my eyes on it. The film opens where the last one ends, with the Guardians trying to walk the straight and narrow. Needless to say this is something that Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) cannot do for long.
And so the Guardians are on the run once again. So what is artistic about mechanically engineered racoons, aliens and space pirates? Well, to be honest, as single elements – nothing.
The premise of the movie is silly, way too fictional and even kids can resist suspending reality long enough to think of it as typical sci-fi junk. But when all its elements are put together, melded with great one-liners and some very fine acting, you get your unexpected masterpiece.
And a masterpiece it is. There is a reason why it has grossed over US$130 million at the box-office in just a fortnight, and that reason is not that the majority of movie-goers are morons.Gunn has put together a brilliant movie led by Chris Pratt (Quill), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Dave Bautsita (Drax), Cooper (Rocket) and Vin Diesel (Baby Groot). Oh, and Gunn also wrote the script.
The chemistry is wow, for lack of a better word.The only shortcoming is the lack of a convincing villain, but there are enough powerful performances, sub-plots and emotional snags to make this 186 minutes of pure entertainment.
Baby Groot is the film’s MVP. lts music and themes/costuming totally rock, evoking ’80s pop culture. Let’s hope Gunn has a part to play in the two upcoming “Avengers” movies and continues to be at the helm of further offerings in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise.
