Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Directed by: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Kurt Russell, Pom Klementieff
Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios
Run time: 136 minutes
Release Date: May 5th, 2017
Synopsis: Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.
As much as I was looking forward to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, I did have my reservations toward the film because I wasn’t sure if this sequel would live up to the special nature that the first Guardians of the Galaxy film set up. But after watching the film last night those feelings have been assuaged. It doesn’t better the original film but it is a more than equal film to the first film. Some of the jokes may seem a bit forced, but a lot of the film just feels so organic and natural that I don’t see how fans of the first film could not like this film.
Just to be clear, I am not going to list any spoilers here, so this review may be on the lighter side of reviews. But this is going to be as honest a review as I can make it without giving anything away. And real quick, before I forget – yes, there are FIVE credit sequences you need to stay and watch after the movie ended. So be sure to stay until the end to see them all; they are all worth watching.
To be clear, what drives this film is an equal part combination of the story and the soundtrack. Oh yes, the soundtrack for this film plays a very important part of the film, especially since each song in the film fits each scene they are featured in. As such, the story seems to be revolved around the songs a lot and it would be almost be empty without the songs involved… and vice versa. Aside from musical or dance films, very rarely if ever does a film rely so heavily on the music being featured in it, but never have I seen it done so in a super hero film. But just as the first film did, the sequel does just as great a job, if not better. You might even say that the soundtrack for the film is itself a character in the film.
Story and music aside, there is some amazing acting in this film. Chris Pratt and Kurt Russell absolutely nail their roles in the film. The dynamic between Zoe Saldana and Karen Gillan is believable. Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff are adorable playing off each other. And Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, and Michael Rooker make for some interesting team ups. They tapped into their roles from the first film and increased their delivery for their characters in this film. Even some of the newer additions to the film (yes, even Sylvester Stallone) manage to excel in their roles. But Guardians of the Galaxy extra Sean Gunn, whose roles was expanded for Vol. 2, went the extra mile and really shined the most in his role.
I really want to say more about this film in this review, I want to go deeper into the story and the cast and the music and the credit scenes… but in doing so I don’t know if I would spoil some of the scenes a bit too much of film for you and that would just be wrong. This is a film that any action, sci-fi, or super hero film buff should see. So, I don’t want to be the ass hat who ruins any of film for you out there. Just go out there and watch Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and you won’t be disappointed.
