“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” Puts Family First

Though its thrilling space battles and futuristic technology make it the ideal action or science fiction movie, what really makes it stand out is its focus on family.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” directed by James Gunn, is the 15th movie of the Marvel franchise. It had high expectations to live up to, thanks to the popularity of its prequel and the two Marvel movies that preceded it, “Captain America: Civil War” and “Doctor Strange.” With stunning visuals of the intergalactic world, witty banter, and the unforgettable soundtrack known as “Awesome Mix Vol. 2,” the film will definitely be ranked along with the others as a success.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is about the Guardians, Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Baby Groot, continuing their journey throughout the cosmos. Along the way, they run into Ego, a god who claims to be the father of Star-Lord, or Peter Quill (Chris Pratt). When Ego is revealed to be their true enemy, the team manages to work out disputes and grow closer in order to take him down.

Though its thrilling space battles and futuristic technology make it the ideal action or science fiction movie, what really makes the film stand out is its focus on family.

The movie shows perhaps the most interesting relationship between two female siblings in a Marvel movie. Sisters Gamora and Nebula were nemeses, to the point where neither one would hesitate to kill the other if needed.

The circumstances of their rivalry (with their father replacing a part of Nebula with machinery every time she lost in combat to Gamora) make it a situation many can relate to. At its core, the problem boils down to Nebula feeling outshined by her older sister and unappreciated by her father. Those with older siblings would definitely be able to form some sort of emotional connection to this, giving a powerful emotional payoff.

As an act of vengeance, Nebula vows to kill Gamora and her father for the pain she went through. She steals a ship in order to hunt Gamora down and they engage in an almost deadly fight once she finds her. After their battle ends in a draw, Nebula says one of the most powerful lines of the movie: “You always wanted to win. I just wanted a sister.”

Through this line, Nebula changes from an enemy to a victim in both Gamora’s and the viewer’s eyes. Gamora’s understanding of Nebula’s true feelings allows the two to finally reach an armistice and work together as an unshakable team, with each one willing to save the other’s life without hesitation. Their sweet hug toward the end of the movie represents the union of a family, in which Nebula finally gets the sister she had always wanted.

The conflict between the Guardians themselves is a bit cliché; Marvel already used the “unable to work as a team” plot tool in both of their “Avengers” movies. The argument between Peter and Rocket about who is the best pilot fails to stir any sort of emotion within the viewer, instead looking more like a typical bout over dominance between two males. Drax’s obnoxious personality, Rocket’s refusal of letting anyone get close to him and the team’s general inability to understand one another cause an amount of feuds that is borderline tiresome.

Even the revelation of Ego’s sinister nature, which is the main plot line of the film, feels overplayed. Dozens of movies, a notable example being “Star Wars” regarding Darth Vader, have used the “character’s long lost relative is actually evil” theme.

It’s the growth of each Guardian that makes the movie special and allows them to become more of a family rather than a simple team. Rocket finds it within himself to admit he cares for his teammates. Drax is the one who declares them a family. During the final battle, each Guardian is unwilling to leave any member behind, even if it means death. Their character developments weave together to create a beautiful story of a family that refuses to leave anyone behind.

The driving force of the entire movie is Yondu. Despite being a former enemy and almost maniacal when it comes to using his trademark red arrow to murder his own traitorous crew members, who tried to stop him from reaching the Guardians, he ends up being the most significant hero of all.

Yondu is the one who looks out for Peter the most. His true intentions of raising Peter himself instead of returning him to Ego turn out to be honest and noble, and he ends up being the one to teach Star-Lord how to master his newfound celestial power. Yondu’s character arc of him growing from a hated villain to a valiant father figure and Guardian results in one of the most riveting villain-turned-hero stories in The Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is unable to recreate the original fun and greatness of the first. However, by choosing to make it a tale of family, it strengthens the emotional impact on the viewer and proves itself to be a worthy cinematic piece without needing to use the fame behind its prequel or the Marvel brand.