Friday, May 5, 2017

Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2


  The Guardians of the Galaxy; those madcap misfits that cruise the stars for fun and glory returned to the big screen today. All of the major players return as Peter Quill/ Star Lord (Chris Pratt) finally learns who his father is. Turns out, it's not the fanatical J'Son of the Spartax Empire but instead Ego, the Living Planet, played by veteran actor Kurt Russell. 
     Meanwhile, Rocket Raccoon, (baby) Groot, and the space pirate Yondu (Michael Rooker) find themselves in the middle of a mutiny sparked by the deadly Nebula (Karen Gillan). Will the daughter of Thanos get her revenge on her sister Gamora, portrayed by Star Trek's Zoe Saldana? While Rocket and friends get out of the mess they are in? And what is Ego's true motive behind his long overdue reunion with his son?

     Guardians Volume 2 was a fun ride but it doesn't quite match up to the original. The soundtrack filled with tons of 70s and 80s hits was just as good as in the first film. The humor was actually better than in the original (Dave Bautista's Drax was a real hoot!) and it's a visually stunning film. But the plot just wasn't as good as the first film. Thus, it's not another Empire Strikes Back.
      Sadly, with the very adorable and oh so marketable Baby Groot- this film actually comes really close to becoming another Return of the Jedi. But thankfully, it doesn't pander too much in that direct. But man, every young girl in the theatre just oohed and aahed with every scene that feature the lovable tree-being. You would have thought Orlando Bloom was Groot it was that much of a love fest...
      The first half of this film looked like it was going to be a sappy love story or film about father son bonding like the scene when Star Lord finally plays catch with his father. Yes- family is a big theme in this flick. But for a solid hour, I didn't have a clue where this was going and was really afraid this was going to be a dull interlude between the first film and the purported 'Epic' third act due in 2019. 
      Thankfully, the second act really cranks up the plot, action, and adventure. I don't want to give too much away about the plot, but if you are familiar with the character of Ego the Living Planet then you have a pretty good idea what's going to happen. So in other words, while exciting to watch, if you are a Marvel Comics expert, you know how everything is going to end and it's not something that will vest too much interested- meaning I wasn't on the edge of my seat wondering what's going to happen next.
       That being said- I do wonder how events of this film will pan out in next week's episode of Agents of SHIELD. 
       Also, if you've ever wondered if Stan Lee is Uatu the Watcher in all of the Marvel films, you get your definitive answer in two great cameo scenes. But believe me when I say if you blink you will miss at least 1 of them.
      Lastly, as we all know, this being a superhero feature, the kids are going to want to see this. Let me warn you- there's a couple of scenes in which Ego explains the birds and the bees to his son. Not graphic, but it could spark some 'Where do babies come from' conversations. The violence is pretty mild as is the language. But there are several penis jokes as well. So, if you have little ones, this could be an interesting car ride home.

     A very enjoyable movie that doesn't surpass the original. But at least it isn't a complete repeat of the first blockbuster either.

     Worth Consuming!

     Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

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