Blu-ray Review: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 (2017): A Call To Arms In Defense Of Family

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 Blu-ray Review

Guardians Of The Galaxy (2017) Blu-ray Review, a movie written by James Gunn, based on the Marvel comics by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, directed by James Gunn, starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper. 

Release Date: August 22nd, 2017.

Plot

“The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage.”

Disc Specifications

Run Time: 136 min

Format: Blu-ray and DVD with Digital Download, AC-3

Region: A/1

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Language: English 5.1 (DTS-HD High Res Audio), French (5.1 Dolby Digital), and Spanish (5.1 Dolby Digital)

Subtitles: English (SDH), Spanish, French

Rating: Rated PG-13

Video

The visual presentation of the blu-ray is beautiful. This movie has an extremely saturated color palette, which thoroughly pops on a 1080p-capable television. The DVD version is included in this package, but watching this on Blu-Ray is definitely suggested. If the saturated, extra contrasty color palette of classic Marvel comics is your thing, the video quality is beautiful.

Audio

I have no complaints, here. I was unable to use a proper surround sound speaker set-up, but never had an issue hearing things clearly or frustratedly fiddling with the audio settings. I was using a simple Bravia television. The dialogue is clear, the music swells properly – no issues on my end.

Blu-ray Bonus Content

Bonus Round: The Making of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 – This is a four-part behind-the-scenes look at the general making of this movie. Let’s break it down, shall we?

First up, “In The Director’s Chair With James Gunn.” We get carried through a few moments of production with the help of a few talking heads of the main cast and crew (including producers such as Kevin Feige). It’s pretty entertaining, and shows us glimpses of how some of the stuntwork and special effects efforts came together. But it’s only 8 minutes long, so don’t expect anything too revealing. This is mostly marketing, after all.

Up next we have “Reunion Tour: The Music Of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2,” which is exactly what it sounds like. The creators talk about some of their favorite songs, the kind of attitude and aural aesthetic they were seeking for this film, and that’s that. Again, this is too short to get in depth. This isn’t like a David Fincher Making-Of, unfortunately. Oddly, this is almost exactly 8 minutes long, too – almost as if these packages are cut with absolute regard to standards that have nothing to do with going in-depth.

Thirdly, “Living Planets And Talking Trees: The Visual Effects of Vol. 2” pretends to explain anything in detail about the SFX work this film required. We see some concept art, the crew working on set, and the effects come together on computer screens – but nothing of value is conveyed. Guess how long this segment is? Almost ten whole minutes. This was almost in danger of being a substantial Special Feature.

“Showtime: The Cast Of Vol. 2” may be the most fun part of this quadrilogy of fluff. At least we get to see some of these actors on set, having fun, and having them speak about the process to us. Of course, there are only niceties here, and charming little moments to look at. It’s a light, quick, meaningless little marketing kit. Something to watch while you’re eating noodles or something.

Audio Commentary by Director James Gunn – I’m halfway through this, and it’s exactly the type of commentary I look for. I thoroughly appreciate a director taking us through production (pre and post included), giving us details of how he conceived of a scene, before it changed on-set, and was then turned into something else entirely in post. Gunn is a smart guy, and it’s clear from this commentary that he’s really invested in this franchise he was handed. He works hard, and deserves it.

Gag Reel – These are always a pleasure to watch, especially when the cast of the film has as much genuine and endearing chemistry as this one does. I chuckled and was reminded that making movies is a joy (when it isn’t).

Deleted Scenes – There’s four of these, but none are ideas as entertaining as one in which we see Groot as a pampered adolescent, depressedly playing video games in his room with Star Lord admonishing him. This is the good stuff. Of course, with timing constraints (this movie is already over two hours long), it’s a clear contender for the sacrifice pile.

Film Review

James Gunn’s Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) surprised me. I’ve tuned out of the Marvel Comics movies. I suppose it was the famous ‘comic book movie fatigue’ we all heard so much about, as early as Iron Man 2’s (2010) time. Well, it finally got me around the time that Ant-Man (2015) was released, and I sort of dropped out of the constant need to stay updated on these movies. “I get it,” I told myself. And to be honest, I still feel that there’s some truth to that attitude. Most of these movies are simply entertaining for two hours, and that’s that – there is no wisdom there, no actual emotion, nothing with real stakes. I grew tired of that.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 made me laugh my ass off – numerous times – and actually made me emotional at the end. The film is, at its best, about the families we make instead of the ones we often feel thrust upon us and stuck with. The movie lets us know that it’s ok to be scared, that your friends will stick with you if you handle that fear badly. It’s ok to feel as though that step-dad or father figure you encountered along your life means far more to you than your biological dad. We’re all dealing with issues that aren’t easy, but as long as you find the right people to surround yourself with – you’re going to be alright. There’s something profoundly beautiful in that, that even in a ‘basic’ comic book adventure movie with extremely saturated colors and fantastical elements as part of its foundation, it really manages to put that main ethos into the forefront.

There are moments when Drax (Dave Bautista) says things like “It would make my nether regions engorge,” without a semblance of self-awareness, or when Star Lord (Chris Pratt) realizes that he’s “going to make some weird shit” as soon as he’s told he’s a God, that really stick with you upon finishing the movie and walking away with it. Groot (Vin Diesel) looking at Gamora (Zoe Saldana) in the middle of a firefight, adamantly telling her that he is, in fact, Groot, and demanding a response from her, is so charming and loving that it pulls us into this family dynamic with ease. We want these characters to stick together, to be there at the last second and fight for each other in the face of cynical evil. There’s a perennial message in this movie that you can’t help but cheer for.

The narrative itself isn’t anything special. Our band of heroes is on another adventure, and this time the focus is finding Star Lord’s father, portrayed by Kurt Russell. He’s a perfect fit to portray Pratt’s dad, and he does a solid job. There’s a reversal in Act 2, and things continue as you might guess they do, for the entire run of the movie. But that’s ok – it’s the character dynamics, the relationships and how those are expressed, that is the main nutrition of this meal. This is an odd thing for me to admit, but Gunn and team really pulled that off. I usually require a bit more. But this was simple, well-executed fun, in a visually and aurally pleasing manner.

I had fun, and would recommend owning this on blu-ray. Of course, there will inevitably be a Marvel Comics blu-ray boxset (maybe even 4K), that will include this, but for now – the quality is insanely pristine, the special features a nice bonus, and the movie itself a really fun ride.

Rating

Rating: 8.5/10

Disc Acquisition

You can purchase Guardians Of The Galaxy here.

Leave your thoughts on this Guardians Of The Galaxy Blu-ray review, the Blu-ray disc set, and Guardians Of The Galaxy below in the comments section. Readers seeking more Blu-ray reviews can visit our Blu-ray Reviews Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, and Facebook.