Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Kurt Russell

Directed by James Gunn

What is the movie about?
Having established themselves as the Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Baby Groot (Vin Diesel) are hired by the Sovereign race to protect priceless batteries in exchange for Gamora's sister Nebula (Karen Gillan).  However, when Rocket steals the batteries and insults their race, the Sovereigns set out to destroy the Guardians.  Meanwhile, Peter meets a mysterious man named Ego (Kurt Russell), who claims he's Peter's real father. 

Who is involved in the movie?
Chris Pratt stars as Peter/Star-Lord, the leader of the Guardians and the only half-human on the team.  As before, he delivers sarcastic remarks at lightning speed and also shows a deeply human side especially in interacting with his father.  He delicately balances the humorous an affectionate in a way that leaves the character even more endearing.
Zoe Saldana stars as Gamora, Thanos's daughter and Nebula's sister who holds deep feelings for Peter.  For Saldana, the true performance comes when she's interacting with Nebula, as they were once bitter rivals but ultimately form an uneasy alliance and starts the long journey to reconciliation.
Dave Bautista stars as Drax, the no-nonsense warrior of the team who still finds jokes going way over his head, and he once again gives a laugh-out-loud performance as the man who's brutally honest to everyone, despite the consequences.  He steps up his performance from the first film and remains as entertaining as ever.
Bradley Cooper voices the CGI character Rocket, the sarcastic, independent raccoon who harbors deep emotional issues regarding his own existence.  Even though on the outside he seems confident and cocky, there's a bruised animal inside and Cooper portrays it brilliantly.
Vin Diesel voices Baby Groot, the lovable baby tree that's as skilled a fighter as anyone, but is so darn cute it's hard to imagine him being a real force of nature.  Baby Goot's presence is the heart of the movie, the character that will drive young children to want to see it, and once again he's just so darn cute!
Michael Rooker plays Yondu, Peter's surrogate father who raised him to be a thief.  His character is more explored here than the first film, and Rooker plays to his strengths of being a tough, hard-as-nails fighter who also has a deeply human side to him.
James Gunn returns to not just the director's chair, but also co-wrote the script.  He brings his excellent directing abilities to the table as well as writing a top-notch science fiction adventure.

Why should you see this movie?
The Guardians begin arguing, and Nebula looks on them with disgust.  "All you do is yell at each other.  You're not friends," she spits out.  Drax looks at her, "No.  We are family."

Thus is the main theme of James Gunn's epic Marvel masterpiece, "Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol.2."  When the first film debuted back in 2014, hardly anyone thought it would be a success.  The movie was based on Marvel's second-tier heroes that no one outside the faithful fandom had ever heard of, and it included a talking raccoon and a tree that could only say "I am Groot."  Not only was the film a success (to put it mildly; the film grossed over $300 million domestically), but it opened the door for other characters such as Ant-Man and Doctor Strange to get their own movies, as well as guaranteeing a sequel.  After years of eager anticipation, the film earned the prestigious honor of being the first summer blockbuster to debut, and what a debut it was!

Even though it's been three long years since we've seen the team, it seems like just yesterday we were enjoying their exploits as we find them together still in the middle of saving the world yet again.  The natural charisma and chemistry between Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Baustista, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel is the glue that holds the film together, and provides some of the best, gut-busting humor I've heard in a long while.  Not only is this due to their chemistry, but the brilliant writing of James Gunn, who blends humor and passion, light-heartedness and deep emotion like a master juggler, making us cry tears of laughter one minute and tears of sadness in another.  It's beautifully complex writing for a Marvel family film that tugs at the heart and tickles your funny bone at the same time.

Secondary characters from the first film get more prominent roles here, especially Karen Gillan and Michael Rooker.  As Gamora's sister Nebula, Gillan gives her a more emotional core than her previous outing and, while she still wishes to see her sister's destruction, shows a very different emotional side than her first outing.  Yet it's Michael Rooker's Yondu who gets a massive transformation - as well as more than ample screen time - from a rather soulless Ravager to a truly paternal character for Peter, as well as still maintaining his warrior spirit and wielding the most awesome weapon in Marvel cinema - his telekinetic arrow - especially in one jaw-dropping scene.  

Not only do we get to reunite with our lovable intergalactic guardians, but we're introduced to quality supporting characters who light up the screen.  Kurt Russell is a great addition as Ego, who claims to be Peter's father and delivers the same mix of humor and seriousness as the rest of the cast.  Newcomer Pom Klementieff plays Mantis, an alien empath who resembles a mantis and who seriously lacks social skills.  Sylvester Stallone also has a part to play, but giving anything away with his character would seem like a spoiler.

On top of the ever-amazing cast, the film also boasts some over-the-top animations and effects that draw you in like never before.  Outer space never looked so beautiful and terrifying as the Guardians rip through wormholes, battle hordes of spaceships and hop from planet to planet.  In fact, Ego's planet was comprised of over a trillion polygons, and is considered to be the biggest visual effect ever made (thanks to imdb for that bit of movie trivia).  Throw in several butt-kicking action sequences (including the aforementioned scene involving Yondu, his arrow, Rocket and Baby Groot, as well as the opening sequence where Baby Goot is hilariously dancing as the other Guardians battle a huge alien creature) and you've got a stellar space adventure.

However, you can have all the effects and action, but the film would be nothing without a solid script.  That's where the issue of family weaves its way like Yondu's arrow weaves through countless enemies.  The first film was about bringing the Guardians together, and this film is about cementing their relationship and establishing them as more than just friends - but a family.  There's several interactions throughout the film that really hits home the theme of family:
-The most obvious is Peter's reunion with his father, the man he literally spanned the cosmos to find, and now that he has he has to decide whether to stay with him or go with his nuclear family.
-The relationship between Gamora and Nebula is explored deeper than before, and we finally learn why Nebula harbors such deep-seeded resentment toward her sister. 
-Drax and Mantis bond over their shared lack of people skills.  Drax is brutally honest ("This gross bug-lady is my new friend!") and Mantis has been isolated her entire life so she has had very limited interactions with other beings ("I’m learning many new things. Like, I’m a pet. And ugly!").  They work extremely well off one another, and you can tell there's emotional ties between them even if they never say it.
-Rocket connects with Yondu is a deeply emotional way as the two realize they're a lot more alike than they thought, as both men have very tough outer shells but inside are deeply emotional beings.
-Peter and Yondu also share a deeply personal moment where Yondu finally tells him how he really feels, since all Peter thought of him beforehand was a mercenary who only kept him around "because he was skinny and could fit into small places."

The only issue I had with the film is how the team gets split up.  For the majority of the middle of the film, the Guardians are split - Peter, Gamora and Drax are with Ego and Mantis on his planet while Rocket, Baby Groot and Yondu are on their own.  This is the small part that separates the family, yet in a sense it only strengthens their bond when they reunite later.  Still, their stories are separately entertaining, humorous and emotional, but I just wish they were together more often.

So when you mix amazing actors, stunning effects, knockout action, that kicking 80s soundtrack, and a story that perfectly blends comedy and drama, you get a film like "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" which, even though it's not as great as the original, can still hold its own.

Plus I bet you'll never be able to say Taserface without laughing.


When should you see this movie?
Whenever you want to see an action-packed space adventure filled with humor, heart and stellar effects.

Where does this movie fall on the grading scale?
A+