GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2

My son and I were invited to an advance screening of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 by Marvel Studios before the movie officially opened to the public.  We're both big sci-fi fans and seeing the movie together made for a great father-son outing.  Going to see Star Wars at the theater with my dad as a kid was what made me into a wide eyed fan of futuristic space fantasies and taking my son to see the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie spurred a similar love of cosmic adventures with him.

He's been asking to go see this movie since its trailers started coming out. So what did he thing of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.?  I asked him after the movie concluded what he thought of it and received a one word review ... "AWESOME!"

Picking up where the original movie left off this sequel continues the adventures of Star Lord and his eccentric band of misfits who after having saved the planet Xandar have been able to line up some lucrative mercenary work.  The story starts with these Guardians of the Galaxy in the midst of a gig for a race of arrogant aliens known as the Sovereign who have genetically modified themselves to "perfection."  The Sovereign don't want to risk injury to any of themselves in confronting an inter-dimensional monster that is feeding off their planet's power sources so they call in Star Lord (aka Peter Quill), Drax, Rocket, Gamora and a baby version of Groot that sprouted from the splinters of that hero's sacrifice in the first film.  Of course things quickly go amiss!

The movie has an incredible soundtrack based upon the Awesome Mixtape #2 that was a present from Quill's deceased mother had given him at the time of her death that he had long ignored until finally unwrapping it at the conclusion of the first movie.  The soundtrack along with the movie's visual elements and script provide it with a campy '70s / '80s vibe. The film is a wacky space adventure which is meant to be fun to watch and doesn't take itself too seriously.  Director James Gunn does an excellent job of incorporating classic science fiction elements from comic strip, pulp fiction, television and movies such as Buck Rogers, John Carter of Mars, and Flash Gordon while still providing a unique sense of originality to the Guardians of the Galaxy movies.

People have asked me if Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 is better or worse than the first film.  I wouldn't say this sequel is better or worse that its predecessor but rather it is an enjoyable show to watch in its own right.  As a negative, the movie at some points has a slower pace and the plot drags on compared to the constant fast-pace of the original.  On a positive note this is because the film has more of a focus on developing the characters and immersing the audience into their lives.  Gunn doesn't want audiences to just be excited about the action scenes in the movie but rather have an emotional connection with the characters so people have a personal attachment to this franchise and wants to keep following its adventures.  There of course is a Vol. 3 in the works plus the Guardians will be teaming up with Earth's Mightiest Heroes in the next Avengers movie.

There are two underlying themes to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 --> family and redemption.  The movie really delves into how though people may not be biologically related they can still consider one another family.  It also explores the difficulties of maintaining a family dynamic when dealing with a variety of dysfunctional elements within the group.  A number of the characters in the movie also have moments of redemption.  Whether it is making up for past misdeeds, healing a relationship or changing a behavioral trait there are a lot of situations where characters are redeeming themselves in this movie.

Baby Groot is the star of the show!  "I am Groot" is still his catchphrase but he's a miniature version of the tree-like alien character from the original movie now.  His hilarious antics are sure to put a smile on your face and there are a lot of scenes where you just find yourself saying aw! You'll want to check out this young version of Groot now because by the time the next movie comes out the character will most likely be gigantic in size again.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 is full of the wisecracking and physical comedy that made the first movie standout.  David Bautista had perfected a deadpan delivery for his lines as Drax the Destroyer that will leave you in stitches laughing at his awkward lack of a filter and strange way of looking at life.  Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper, provides the foul mouth of a stand up comedian contributing to the movie's PG-13 rating.  This rowdy racoon instigates a lot of the situations that will get you chuckling.  This is the type of movie filled with action sequences and comedic situations where you don't think a lot about what is going on regarding the plot but just enjoy the ride!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2is rated PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence, language and brief suggestive sexual content but I have to say that there wasn't anything in the show that was concerning for my eight year old son to see.  To be honest, kids will be exposed to more troubling content watching many of today's prime time network sitcoms compared to anything contained in this movie.  That being said there really should be some parental discretion to determine if the movie is appropriate to see for children younger than elementary school age as it does have scenes that could be too scary or intense for them that include monsters and people dying.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval because my son and I really enjoyed watching it...simple as that!  This franchise is the Star Wars for a new generation of science fiction fans and I applaud James Gunn for expanding upon the current fad in comic book super hero films to create something that not only enhances the Marvel cinematic universe but is really special in its own right.  Go out and see this movie while its still in movies so you can really take in its high octane stunts and special effects that truly stand out on the big screen. I guarantee you'll be leaving the theater with a smile on your face!

For more information about the movie, please visit marvel.com/guardians.