Movie Review: "Guardians of the Galaxy" by Stephen Signor

Run Time: 2hr. 17min.

It’s no secret I am not a fan of sequels but I waited with much anticipation when this second installment was announced at San Diego Comic-Con, just a week before the release date of the first “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014). It was well worth the wait. 

No time was wasted introducing this cast of misfit but resilient group of galactic warriors during the first 10 minutes of the film. Steeling the moment was of course Baby Groot, voiced again by Vin Diesel who incidentally, for the first time, also provided motion capture for his character. 

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. It is here they must fight to keep their newfound family together, while unraveling the mysteries of Peter Quill's true parentage.

That mystery becomes obvious when on Earth during 1980, Meredith Quill (Laura Haddock) is listening to the radio while riding in a car with her then boyfriend (Kurt Russell). Russell has appeared in many Disney films over the past fifty-one years and this will be the first in 12 years and a first for portraying a superhero, excluding “Sky High” (2005). Fast forward 34 years; the arrival of Ego in human form (Russell) solidifies the claim of being Quill’s father. 

Ego is always depicted in the comics as a living land mass that has the power to control his surroundings. It would only make sense for a massive amount of digital resources and work to go into creating his cinematic debut. Ego's planet, VFX is comprised of a trillion polygons, and is considered to be the biggest visual effect ever made. Impressive!

He is joined by a new character Mantis, played by Pom Klementieff (2017’s “Newness”). Her character added a new and refreshing element to the mystery of this well thought out and executed plot that has old foes becoming new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics, coming to our heroes' aid, as this Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.

The bottom line is that, once again the physical antics along with the dialog and over- the-top battle scenes, deliver success to this sequel. As for a third installment? The answer becomes clear while the ending credits are rolling. Do not leave the theater.