Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Movie Review

Guardians of the Galaxy is a truly fabulous Marvel movie that I would recommend for anyone!   The movie is a mix of sci-fi, great animation, several engaging stories & witty dialog.  There were several times in both movies, Guardians of the Galaxy & Guardians of the Galaxy 2, where I couldn't help myself and laughed out loud.  It is really wonderful to walk away from a movie feeling like you had a great time, not to mention the characters feel like friends. 

For Mother's Day, my son surprised me with the DVD of the original Guardians of the Galaxy DVD and movie tickets to see Guardians of the Galaxy 2.  We spent the afternoon together watching the Guardians.  We started with the DVD and then immediately went to the theater for the second movie.  What a wonderful day and the perfect way to celebrate! 

I highly recommend watching the movies back to back. 

The Plot of Guardians of the Galaxy

 

 Guardians of the Galaxy
(Plus Bonus Features)The original DVD introduces you to  all of the main characters and shows us exactly how several unrelated outlaws end up banding together to become the "Guardians of the Galaxy".  

The movie starts with Peter Quill as a child listening to 80's music while sitting in a waiting room at the hospital.  His mother is dying from a brain tumor and his whole world is about to be turned upside down.  When his mother dies, he runs from the hospital devastated by the reality of what just happened.  It is at that very moment that he is abducted by Yondu and his team of ravagers (thieves) from another planet.  We do find out later that they were hired by his father to retrieve him from earth when his mother dies.

We are quickly fast-forwarded 26 years to Peter as an adult and we discover that he has been raised by Yondu as a ravager.  Peter seems happy enough, but it is a time of unrest in the galaxy.  A peace treaty has been signed between the Kree and Xandar, but not everyone is willing to adhere to that treaty.  Ronan is a powerful Kree who wants more than revenge, he wants complete annihilation of all Xandarians.

Yondu's group of pirates have been  commissioned to "acquire" a precious orb.  However, Peter decides to go alone to steal the orb.   Once he has the orb in his possession, he does have to battle Ronan's warriors to keep it.   When Peter goes to the Broker to sell the orb and tells him about his battle with Ronan's army, the Broker no longer wants anything to do with the orb and forces him to leave his shop.

Peter meets Gamora, who has been sent by Ronan to retrieve the orb.  A tussle for the orb leaves both Gamora and Peter vulnerable to bounty hunters who want to capture Peter for the reward offered by Yondu for the betrayer, Peter.  And, this is how we meet Rocket (the raccoon to earthlings) and Groot (a live tree).  

They are all arrested by Nova Corps officers and sent to Kyln (prison).  Because of her association with Ronan, the prison is full of inmates who want to kill Gamora.  One of those inmates is Drax.  

Now, we have been introduced to the characters who become the Guardians of the Galaxy:  Peter Quill, Rocket, Groot, Gamora & Drax.  They form an alliance to break out of Kyln, but that alliance becomes a "family" who battle Ronan for possession of the orb and it's contents, an infinity stone.  Possession of that infinity stone ensures the salvation of the entire planet of Xander.

The Plot of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 - Currently in Theaters

 POSTER STOP ONLINE Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Movie Poster/Print (Regular Style/One Sheet Design) (Size 24" x 36")Check PriceGuardians of the Galaxy 2 picks up where 1 leaves off.  The Guardians are now an official team of Marvel defenders.   They have been hired to protect valuable batteries from an attacking monster.   Their payment for that job is given in trade form.  They are paid with Gamora's sister, Nebula.

Rocket can't seem to resist the temptation to steal a few of the batteries and the Guardians are pursued by the Sovereign.  They are forced to crash land after they are saved by a mysterious ship.   When the unidentifiable ship lands, Peter Quill finds himself face to face with his father, a man he has never met before.  Ego (Kurt Russell) invites Peter to his planet.  Peter, Gamora & Drax leave Rocket to repair their ship and go with Ego to his planet. 

A lot of secrets are revealed on Ego's planet and Peter has some difficult realities and choices to make.  

Both of these action packed movies are filled with witty dialog, lovable characters and scenes of strong emotions.  Guardians of the Galaxy 2 forces the Guardians to come to terms with a lot of their own personal relationships and the "people" who they really love.

One additional point of interest about Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is the introduction of Sylvester Stallone as Starhawk, the overall commander of the Ravagers.  

Great Actors in the Guardians of the Galaxy Movies

Peter Quill - Chris Pratt
Groot - Vin Diesel
Rocket - Sean Gunn (on set)  & Bradley Cooper (voice)
Gamora - Zoe Saldana
Drax - Dave Bautista
Yondu - Michael Rooker
Nova Prime - Glenn Close
Corpsman Dey - John C. Reilly (arrested the Guardians & Peter's Nova corps contact)
Ego the Celestial - Kurt Russell
Starhawk - Sylvester Stallone
Peter's Grandfather - Gregg Henry
David Hasselhoff - David Hasselhoff
Stan Lee - Creator of the Marvel characters - appears as random character in both movies

The Guardians of the Galaxy

  

 Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy 6-inch Rocket Raccoon Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy 6-inch Groot Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy 6-inch Legends Series Star-Lord Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy 6-inch Legends Series Drax Marvel Guardians of The Galaxy Gamora Figure, 6-Inch

Check Out More Movie Reviews at
ReviewThisMovies.com

Guardian of the Galaxy 2 Movie Review Written by:

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Movie Review

Expect the Unexpected!

We recently went to see "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and I was actually very surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie.  You see, I am a huge Star Wars fan.  The very first "Star Wars" movie came out when I was a teenager so you could say that I have grown up with "Star Wars".   Almost 40 years of Star Wars influence and I was not ready to let go of the original characters and embrace a new generation.

Daily, I am surrounded by Star Wars characters.  Yoda sits at my kitchen sink overseeing all my activities.  Darth Vader hovers by my the coffee pot and frequently speaks to me. Well when I push his little button, he speaks to me.  I also own a Ewok plush.  And to this day, Jabba the Hut totally grosses me out.  Oh, yes!  I even have Star Wars Christmas decorations.  Wanna see Yoda in a Santa suit?  Just come to my home next Christmas.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - My Biggest Surprise

 Star Wars: The Force Awakens Deluxe Figure Play SetBased on the trailers I had seen, It appeared that the new Disney made Star Wars movie was moving beyond my favorite things and characters.  I didn't think I could stand watching that happen.  When my son wanted me to go see the movie with him,  I decided spending time with him was more important than hanging on to the past.  However, I was in for a huge surprise!

Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) were back and even Peter Mayhew returned to play everyone's favorite Wookiee, Chewbacca.  I do want to make one note here.  There were actually two actors who played the part of Chewbacca in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens".  Joonas Suotamo stepped in to cover the action scenes for Peter Mayhew. 

In addition to these fabulous actors who made the characters come to life in the original "Star Wars" movie nearly 40 years ago, "The Force Awakens" also included C-3PO and R2-D2. 

Plus, the Millennium Falcon is back!

I missed Yoda, but otherwise it seemed like a wonderful reunion until the unthinkable happened.

 Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Plus Bonus Features)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Movie Review for Original Star Wars Fans

If you are an old Star Wars fan, by now you already know that this movie takes place decades after the original confrontation with Darth Vader, but there is a new Dark Side, just as there is a new generation that is strong with the "Force" fighting for the Republic. 

Sadly, just as Darth Vader was Leia and Luke's father, Kylo Ren is Leia and Han's son, Ben.  It seems to be a family trait to betray the Republic and move to the dark side. 

We were never meant to like Darth Vader, and we most certainly do not like Kylo Ren.  The atrocity he commits to "prove" himself will forever define him as the greatest villain in the "Star Wars" series of movies. 

If you are a huge original "Star Wars" fan, prepare yourself!  Things will never be the same again.

This Reviewers Opinion of Star Wars: The Force Awakens Movie Review

 

 Star Wars: The Force Awakens Visual DictionaryMuch to my surprise, I really liked the way they tied the old with the new.  There does come a time in life to pass the gauntlet to the young.  To let them have their own generation of heroes and villains.  I have no doubt there are more revelations and surprises for the "Star Wars" future films.

I also really liked the new characters.  I look forward to seeing Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron take on this new generation of the dark side.  Plus, it appears as if we will be seeing a lot more of Luke Skywalker as he assumes the tasks of Jeti mentor and instructor.  I anticipate really liking the mature Mark Hamill, perhaps even more than I did when he was oh, so very young.

I assure you, I will cheer wildly when they finally take down Kylo Ren.  I await the day when his empty helmet sits next to the disfigured Darth Vader headpiece in a lineup that demonstrates that good will conquer evil even if evil rules for a day.   

May The Force Be With You!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Movie Review by:

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Terminator Genisys Movie Review

Thirty years ago I was captivated by the original movie The Terminator.  It was one of the few science fiction action films that I really enjoyed.   I remember well being fascinated by Arnold Schwarzenegger even though he scared me half to death as the Terminator.   With his ability to maintain that stoic look on his face, he easily made you believe he was a cyborg bent on murder.

Ten years later when The Terminator II: Judgement Day came out in theaters and Arnold Schwarzenegger was allowed to be the "good" Terminator, I was truly spellbound.  It took me a bit to adjust to him being the good guy, especially since he maintained that stoic appearance, but I freely admit I much preferred him in that role.   I liked liking Arnold.

However, a few days ago I had the opportunity to see the latest sequel of The Terminator series and found it to be the best yet. Arnold Schwarzenegger is not only a protector in this latest film, but he has developed some human traits while living with humans even though he is still very much a cyborg.   He seems to have developed paternal feelings for Sarah Connor and his attempts to smile like a real human actually make you laugh.  I really like Arnold in this role.  How cool it is to look back across the last 3 decades and realize that I have gone from be scared witless by Arnold to loving his character in Terminator Genisys.

Terminator Genisys Synopsis

 Terminator Genisys (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD) [3D Blu-ray]Check Price As you would expect, there are some very obvious changes in the movies, but Arnold Schwarzenegger masterfully playing the part of a time traveling cyborg is consistent.

The plot is once again about individuals from the future traveling back in time to change the course of events.  This time, however, the mission is to stop Skynet before it ever starts there by eliminating the war between humans and artificial intelligence.  

Terminator Genisys has otherwise changed things quite a bit.  Sarah Connor is now a young, pretty, and competent warrior who was raised by "Pops", Arnold Schwarzenegger, since she was nine years old when her parents were killed.  The part of Sarah Connor, who was originally played by Linda Hamilton, is now cast with Emilia Clark, but the personality of Sarah Connor is different since her childhood is now different.  Surprisingly, it is not that confusing when you see the actual movie.

The human resistance leader, John Connor, still sends Kyle Reese, his father, back to protect and team up with his mother, Sarah Connor.  However, they really are more of a team this time instead of the hero who saves the defenseless woman by offering the ultimate sacrifice of his own life.  As a matter of fact, Sarah Connor, Kyle Reese and the Guardian aka the original Terminator, Arnold, make an awesome team trying to destroy Skynet before it ever starts.

There is a lot of action and blowing things up in this movie, just like it's predecessors, but the biggest difference for me is that the first few movies seemed more fantastical.   Where I was afraid of the Terminator in the original movie, with this movie I find myself more afraid of Skynet.  Perhaps that is mostly because I now believe the idea of artificial intelligence taking over the planet is not that hard to envision.  In fact, throughout the movie, I kept thinking about the Amazon Echo sitting on my table back home.  I felt a strong desire to unplug her and throw her away as soon as I got home.  As I write now, I am wondering if she is reading what I have written.   Yes, I am jesting, but it did cross my mind.

My Recommendation

I would definitely recommend seeing Terminator Genisys, even if you have not seen the previous movies.  Not only do I prefer the characters in this sequel, but I liked the clear shift of humans being smart and proactive enough to strike the origin of the problem instead of simply defending themselves. 

This movie could easily stand on it's own as a cautionary tale to all of us with a message to be careful of what we ask for and what we so easily embrace as the way of the future.  After all, we do want to preserve our human future over advanced technology.

One note:  There was another Terminator movie sequel, Terminator Salvation, that did not feature Arnold Schwarzenegger at all.  He was governor of California in real life and unable to work as an actor during his terms in office.  I do not personally consider that a viable Terminator movie because, as far as I am concerned, Arnold Schwarzenegger IS the terminator and without him, the movie is an empty shell.

 The Terminator Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Director's Cut Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Terminator Genisys

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON: