Stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Kurt Russell, Micheal Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Sean Gunn with Ben Browder, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel Directed by James Gunn Just to quickly get it out of the way, Guardians of The Galaxy Vol 2 is a riot of a film, a romp of an adventure right from the get-go. The opening is such that you really won’t know what to look at with a battle royale going on in the background while little Baby Groot (still voiced by Vin Diesel) frolics about in the foreground to catchy pop music. Sure, the overall plot may seem to be non-existent for a moment, but rest assured, the Guardians live up to their name and ultimately save the galaxy once again - like there’s any doubt. Suffice to say, if you enjoyed the first go around, you’ll find this one just as enjoyable. Now, go off, watch it and then come back and we’ll get into it a little more in depth. So… some spoilers ahead, yeh? . . . Vol 2 picks up on a few threads left from the first movie, particularly regarding the mystery father of Peter Quill a.k.a. Star Lord (Chris Pratt). When Yondu (Michael Rooker) originally picked up Peter from Earth, it was to deliver the young boy to his father as a job, something Yondu didn’t do, holding on to Peter for years and eventually making him one of the Ravagers. Peter’s father finally catches up here, and it turns out Ego (Kurt Russell) is not only Peter’s father but he’s also a Celestial (those super big powerful beings glimpsed in the first movie). For most of the movie, the Guardians are split into two groups with Peter, Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Drax (Dave Bautista) journey with Ego and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) to Ego’s world where we learn about Ego, his connection to Peter’s mom and some father/son bonding. Meanwhile, Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), Baby Groot and a captured Nebula (Karen Gillan) have to deal with a Ravager mutiny as Yondu loses control of his crew. Plot wise, it’s the Quill story that feels like its treading water for a while and it almost seems like there is no actual plot where they are concerned, just melodrama, while the Rocket half is practically one escapade after another. The cast are obviously having fun, so much so it looks like others want to get in on the fun too. We appear to have a load of guest stars with Sylvester Stallone getting a billing in the main titles (but is really a glorified guest star, but still a nice addition), and most others are fun surprises. Russell gets the de-aging treatment this time (see Micheal Douglas in Ant-Man or Robert Downey Jr in Captain America: Civil War) and their technique is getting better and better. Russel looks really good in the 1980 sequence, almost as if RJ MacReady (from The Thing) got a shave and started smiling a lot. Director James Gunn is obviously having fun with the characters and the universe as a whole, dropping in lots of references for the fans. He also manages to ramp up the galaxy, giving us some spectacular vistas, set-designs, lots of aliens and their worlds, along with some new creatures as well. Yes, it’s a visual feast that is worthy of an IMAX 3D presentation if you can afford it. And as before, his numerous song selection works wonders for the overall soundtrack. So, lots of fun to be had but it might also depend on mood, but the humour and hilarity is infectious enough for a good time. The action is nicely crafted with some outrageous bits (like the opening), and there are a few mid credits scene, some of which tackle a couple of dangling plots lines and one obscure reference possibly setting up the next movie. Still, it is James Gunn doing what he does best and making it work beautifully. Rating ****/5 Meanwhile... follow the links for reviews of... The Fate of The Furious (Fast and Furious 8) [posted April 15, 2017] Ghost in the Shell [2017] (Posted April 1, 2017) Find the best online deals here. | Barnes and Noble | Google Play Store | Book Depository Discover more about the books here.
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