Marvel just doesn't miss. The first Guardians was expected by many to be a bomb. It was anything but. Now James Gunn brings his cosmic cast of lovable outlaws back for volume two. Sequels are always tough to do, but this one really doesn't miss the mark. Sure it is some of the same type of jokes and outlandish cosmic fun, but do we really want anything different from Guardians of The Galaxy? Not at all.
The team is hired to save an alien world from a galactic threat. Upon completing their mission they are given Nebula (Karen Gillan) so that her sister Gamora (Zoe Saldana) can deliver her to prison. After Rocket (Bradley Cooper) decides to do something questionable, they are again on the run. The guardians must find away to make things right, save the universe, and discover the mystery of Peter Quilll's (Chris Pratt) parentage.
Kurt Russel is fun as Quill's father. I won't spoil the movie, but it is fun to see him interact with the previous cast. His natural sarcasm plays well with not only Pratt, but also Drax (Dave Batista). Drax is definitely a comic element. While he is a lethal warrior, he is also the source of levity in tense situations. Regardless if it is with Rocket, Quill, Gamora, or the newcomer Mantis. Batista has made th role his and deserves more praise than he will most likely seen. It is great to see Michael Rooker's Yandu get an expanded roll. He and Rocket are fun to watch while they are on their own adventure. We also get to see how he fits into a more expanded cosmic universe.
The underlying theme in Volume 2 is family. The way all of these character fit together. From baby Groot to Gamora, we get invested and care about their journey. Guardians does a great job of giving us what we expect and have come to love about these characters. It also takes us on a completely new adventure. The CGI can be overwhelming at times and the dialogue is a little cheesy, but it has heart. It is both character and story driven. If I had to choose one flaw, it would be the soundtrack. I prefer Awesome Mix 1 over Awesome Mix 2. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is getting bigger and the Guardians are taking on us on a tour. Grab a ticket, get some popcorn, forget life for two hours, and enjoy the ride.
