I can't help but feel that there is a deeper, better movie underneath Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2

So, let me preface this post by saying that the second Guardians movie was a lot of colourful, wacky fun that is a great way to spend a couple of hours.Having said that, I feel as though the surface level humour and silly theatrics belie a movie that had the potential to be a deep, reflective character study. The character development is top notch--especially Rocket and Yandu's--but it feels, dare I say, wasted by everything else going on around it. If the movie had perhaps focused less on the levity, the characterisation would have connected on an even more profound level.Really, more than every other Marvel film besides Civil War, the constant quipping and witty remarks really dampen the tension and keeps the emotional moments from connecting the way they should. Take for instance in the beginning of that final fight, when Peter tells Ego, "You shouldn't have killed my mom and squished my Walkman." On the surface, there is nothing essentially wrong with the statement, but a little dissection reveals something that is pervasive throughout the movie: Moments of dramatic impact are diluted by the need to insert a laugh or two in every moment. It's especially jarring here given how much Peter's story centers around his mother and what sort of hang-ups he has around her death. It's supposed to be a moment of true character elevation, but is severely compromised by the insistence of having some levity in the moment.Obviously, Guardians of the Galaxy is on the less serious side of a movie universe that already has problems with maintaining dramatic tension, but it really does ratchet up one of the few truly valid complaints about the MCU. It's still a thoroughly enjoyable movie, but it just should have been more. via /r/movies http://ift.tt/2vOcdPH