Recently I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 at the cinema, and (as you can expect from its performance at the box office and the general online reaction) I loved it. Yes there were issues- some clumsy exposition at the beginning and a certain character name that was a bit on-the-nose with his relation to another character- but overall I was so much more impressed than I thought I would be. Baby Groot was hilarious and adorable, and all the characters were compelling and really made me care about them. The music was great as expected, and the themes explored were really nice to see in a superhero film- the overall theme (no spoilers for now) rooted this story of fantastical aliens and saving the galaxy in something very human and relatable. One thing I thought the film did masterfully though was guiding my emotions, and even combining several ostensibly incompatible emotions at once. In one scene, the comedy was as apparent as the tension, with neither being ruined by the other, which was very well done. I'm going to go into more detail now about exactly how the film did these things, so SPOILERS FROM HERE ON IN. Combination of comedy and tension Now I know you've seen the film, you should remember how in one scene, while Yondu and Rocket were trapped Baby Groot had to retrieve Yondu's fin from a drawer without waking any of the sleeping Ravagers, and kept bringing back anything and everything that was not the fin. This was a scene filled with adorable comedy (arguably Baby Groot's primary role in the film), but also managed to combine it with narrative tension. I think that one way it did this was by having the characters play up to the comedy and completely ignore the danger they were in and the possibility that the Ravagers would wake up. Having the Ravagers still very much in shot, especially Taserface asleep next to the drawer, keeps them in the audience's sight and mind, making them frustrated at the situation and Groot's inability to find the fin. We worry about the characters and what's going to happen, keeping us engaged and hooked even as we laugh at what is basically a sketch featuring a tree toddler. The combination of comedy and tension occurs at several other points in the film too, such as the "does anyone have any tape?" exchange. Repetition of motifs and narrative elements to create meaning This was a technique used twice in this film to different effects. The first example was Baby Groot failing to understand simple instructions, which we saw in the scene I just talked about. In this first instance, it was used for comic relief and tension. However, it also served to set up an association in the audience's minds. From this scene we learn that Groot is basically a toddler, and fails to comprehend or retain simple instructions. So when the time comes later in the film, at a point of high narrative tension, for Rocket to give Baby Groot a bomb with a "death-button" on it, we immediately have the association in our minds to tell us to worry because we know what's going to happen- Baby Groot is going to mix up the instructions. Being able to figure this out for ourselves without realising that that's what we're doing makes sure that we're invested, and just makes us feel clever! It means we're already on edge before they even show us Groot mixing up the buttons. The other example is a bit sadder, and is about Yondu's death. In an earlier scene we saw many dead Ravagers that had been released from the ship and had essentially frozen in space. This was really quite a dark and hard-hitting image, and ensured that later on we again had a mental association ready to let us anticipate what was about to happen. As soon as we see that Yondu has no spacesuit, we understand that he is about to die, we know how he's going to die and what it's going to look like, and we understand the sacrifice that he's making for Peter. The fact that it's making our brains work in recalling earlier information means that we are engaged, and increases our emotional reaction. Not giving us what we expectMany people have been expecting Peter and Gamora to become a couple since the first film. It makes sense, and I think that's definitely been the intention of the filmmakers from the start. In superhero films, however- actually, in films in general, there's often a big dramatic moment where a couple gets together. At a moment of high narrative tension, they share a big dramatic kiss, before one going off to continue with the plot. There have definitely been several opportunities for that in these films, particularly this one, but it has been avoided, which I was very glad to see. But since the association has been put into our heads by film culture that that is what should happen, we start to expect it, and are surprised when that isn't what we get: when we get a subtle hug instead, for example, like with Peter and Gamora. This makes the couple, and the film, more unique in our minds, making us that little bit more invested. Of course, that's just my reactionYou or someone else might have completely different reactions to those scenes- I'd be interested to know if you did and why exactly that was. Many things can impact an emotional reaction to a film- the mood you're in when you watch it, where you watch it, who you watch it with, whether things in it link to things in your own life etc. But there are ways in which a screenwriter or director can guide that reaction, which I think Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 did brilliantly.
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