Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

[Bill1978]

7 hours ago, Joe said:

For some reason, this comes out on Tuesday in Australia. that's odd, because movies normally come out on Thursdays. Of course, next week I can't see it until Thursday anyway. Annoying.

I'm guessing it has something to do with wanting to take advantage of the ANZAC Day Public Holiday. Not that I was aware that people wanted to head to the cinemas in drove on ANZAC DAY, like they do on Boxing Day. So yeah it is kind of a strange gimmick, because it's not like it is a movie linked at all to the ANZAC story.

[Joe]

1 minute ago, Bill1978 said:

I'm guessing it has something to do with wanting to take advantage of the ANZAC Day Public Holiday. Not that I was aware that people wanted to head to the cinemas in drove on ANZAC DAY, like they do on Boxing Day. So yeah it is kind of a strange gimmick, because it's not like it is a movie linked at all to the ANZAC story.

That's a fair enough guess. I would go to a movie on Anzac Day. Normally I would do so in a heartbeat. But this time I can't.

[johntfs]

I think it's funny that the movie most likely to knock Vin Deisel's FF8 out of the top spot is Vin Deisel's other movie, GotG 2.

[Silver Raven]

There are supposedly five post credits scenes.

[Joe]

That's four too many. There's a whole movie to stick scenes into, but they really wait for the credits?

[Kel Varnsen]

It would be hilarious if one of them was a bloopers reel. Especially if they made Vin Diesel recording bloopers into actual Groot bloopers. 

[SnoGirl]

I wonder how many of the post scenes have other Avengers in them versus just the Guardians. Or if it'll be other players from the movie...

[Morrigan2575]

Sadly, Jeremy Janns rated it, "a good time if you're drunk". 

[JustaPerson]

But it have an 86% on rotten tomatoes (43-7) right now. We'll see I suppose. 

[Morrigan2575]

I'm still going to watch it, I'm just lowering expectations 

[Bruinsfan]

The Rotten Tomatoes score just means a lot more critics liked it than disliked it though, it doesn't get into how much they liked it or why.

Don't really care though, all I require of this movie is the murderous space racoon blowing stuff up, with bonus baby tree.

[JustaPerson]

That is true, although there's still the critic's consensus: 

Quote

 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's action-packed plot, dazzling visuals, and irreverent humor add up to a sequel that's almost as fun -- if not quite as thrillingly fresh -- as its predecessor.

[Which Tyler]

Are sequels ever as fresh as their predecessor? it would seem like a contradiction of the word "fresh" if they were.

[frenchtoast]

I think Captain America Winter Soldier holds up as well as Captain America First Avenger. I love both, but I think Winter Soldier is the better movie. And there are some good sequels. Raiders of the Lost Ark is great, but I also love Last Crusade. Empire Strikes Back is a better than A New Hope. Wrath of Khan is better than The Motion Picture. I liked X2 as much as the first one. Are sequels always as good? Probably not. Many times it is just an excuse to make more money. But I don't take always take it as an absolute maxim that the sequel is less than the first. But then I like seeing the characters that I loved in the first place all together again. So I'm pretty sure I may see whatever storytelling flaws there are and will still have a good time.

[Joe]

So I saw it today. It was pretty good, but not as stellar as I was hoping. A little too much clowning around when I wanted a little more seriousness. YMMV, of course. I won't go and see it in the cinema again, but I'll probably watch it on DVD when I can put the subtitles on. Some of the dialogue was drowned out by the action. And yes, there are five inter/post-credits scenes.

Spoiler

However, this does nothing to set up Infinity War. Thanos is mentioned a couple of times, and Nebula plans to go after him at the end. But I thought he would get at least some screen time. Somehow his plans cross over with the Guardians. But nothing. Funny, I normally like things to stand alone. This time I'm a bit down about the lack of crossover. Maybe I'm just one of those people who isn't pleased by anything. :)

 

[Which Tyler]

21 hours ago, frenchtoast said:

I think Captain America Winter Soldier holds up as well as Captain America First Avenger. I love both, but I think Winter Soldier is the better movie. And there are some good sequels. Raiders of the Lost Ark is great, but I also love Last Crusade. Empire Strikes Back is a better than A New Hope. Wrath of Khan is better than The Motion Picture. I liked X2 as much as the first one. Are sequels always as good? Probably not. Many times it is just an excuse to make more money. But I don't take always take it as an absolute maxim that the sequel is less than the first. But then I like seeing the characters that I loved in the first place all together again. So I'm pretty sure I may see whatever storytelling flaws there are and will still have a good time.

But that's about being "better" not "fresher".

Plenty of sequels are better, or just as good, I can't think of any that are fresher (not that I'm thinking particularly hard about it).

[rmontro]

5 hours ago, Which Tyler said:

But that's about being "better" not "fresher".

Plenty of sequels are better, or just as good, I can't think of any that are fresher (not that I'm thinking particularly hard about it).

Well, Winter Soldier was able to stay fresh because the first one was a World War II movie, and the second one was a political thriller.

And the third one was an Avengers movie.

[ApathyMonger]

I thought it was a lot of fun. A bit long, but I didn't mind that much.

Spoiler

I'm not sure the whole "Ravager Funeral" bit at the end was completely earned, especially when dozens of Ravagers were unceremoniously killed earlier in the movie. It looked nice though.

I liked that they went into the Nebula/Gamora relationship more. Gillan was a bit underused in the first movie; I was glad she got more to do. It'll be interesting to see how she's used in Infinity War.

It's also the best movie I've seen that also features the characters dancing during the end credits (including, weirdly,

Spoiler

Jeff Goldblum

, who isn't in the movie).

[Silver Raven]

Where is everybody seeing this?  It hasn't come out in Sacramento yet.

[ApathyMonger]

Just now, Silver Raven said:

Where is everybody seeing this?  It hasn't come out in Sacramento yet.

It's out in most of the world this week. US next week.

[Hybridcookie]

I saw it last night and I really liked it. I agree it was a little long, but I didn't mind too much. It was very bright and colourful

Baby Groot got a reaction every time he came on screen, he was just so cute.

I really liked the opening scene, and I thought Pom Klementieff was great as Mantis and he interactions with others were entertaining.

Sean Gunn actually had one of my favourite moments.

I want to see it again at the cinema

Then again, I have generally unpopular Marvel opinions - I don't really like any of the Captain America movies and I loved Age of Ultron.

Edited April 29, 2017 by Hybridcookie

[Ceindreadh]

Seriously fricking awesome movie! Yes, there's a few post credits scenes - and a few 'in credit' jokes - but honestly, the closing credits felt way shorter than average. I splurged for the IMAX showing and didn't think it wasted. 

Might even go for a second viewing. 

[Which Tyler]

Looks like we're off to guardians tomorrow; is it worth the extra 50% for 3d IMAX?

[Joe]

3 hours ago, Which Tyler said:

Looks like we're off to guardians tomorrow; is it worth the extra 50% for 3d IMAX?

IMO, no. Regular was fine for me.

[ainon]

16 hours ago, Which Tyler said:

Looks like we're off to guardians tomorrow; is it worth the extra 50% for 3d IMAX?

I saw it on regular 2D on opening night, and then again today with another group of friends on IMAX 3D. The latter was gorgeous and took advantage of the format to fill the entire screen. Yondu's flying arrow sequences (and Yondu's victims being felled) definitely worked way better on the IMAX screen. Then there was Ego's planet, with the vast, colorful landscapes and his grand exteriors, and whatever pollen or dust it was floating in the air, and Ego's massive, colorful main chamber, and Ego's dioramas - all great details worth seeing.  

My favorite was the movie's opening fight sequence. On 2D I think the focus was on the foreground and Baby Groot. Watching on the IMAX screen I realized the blurry background events were actually still visible enough to follow fairly well, which greatly added to the hilarity of the whole sequence. 

[Danny Franks]

This was great. Funnier than most comedies, action sequences that mainly entertained me (and usually get pretty bored with action sequences), and a surprising amount of emotional depth. And, of course, packed with more great little references and gags than anyone could remember. "It's what people on Earth are listening to now. It's called a Zune." Heh. 

The set up with them all getting irritated and snappy, confined so closely on the ship, felt authentic. And it played really well into the theme of family. The sibling-like relationships of the crew (except for Peter and Gamora, obviously), the parental roles they all played to Baby Groot, the actual parental roles of Ego and Yondu and, of course, the two sisters, Gamora and Nebula.

I really like Nebula, both as a character and as an eye-rolling foil to the rest of them. I wish she'd stuck around at the end, although she'll obviously be back in Volume 3. But her revelations about Thanos and Gamora, and her wish that Gamora had been willing to actually be her sister, we're painful. Thanos really did a number on them both, and Zoe Saldana and Karen Gillan knocked it all out of the park.

Love Rocket, so much. But I love it even more when people make him the butt of the joke. I lost count of the different animals he was labelled as, but I think my favourite was "triangle faced monkey". He is a little asshole, a lot of the time, and tough to live with. But he's the man for a hastily constructed weapon of death.

Drax being used nearly entirely for comic relief was wise. Dave Bautista's deadpan reactions and line readings are great. And his string of different ways to call Mantis ugly had me rolling. Speaking of, she was a great addition. Charming, funny performance. Also she called Rocket a "crappy puppy".

I was waiting for the reveal about Ego, and him wanting to turn the whole universe into himself was fairly trite, as a galactic threat. Because of course he does. I figured out that he'd killed Peter's mother just a few seconds before he admitted it. That was a dark direction to take, as was the reveal that he'd killed hundreds of his own children, searching for one who could control the power.

Wasn't really feeling the whole Yondu thing, to be honest. It felt undercooked, and done in the name of wanting a big, emotional payoff. But it's not the destination that matters, it's the journey. And I'm grateful to him, if only for that glorious sequence of him and Rocket trying to get Baby Groot to bring them the new fin.

As for not setting up Infinity War? I couldn't give a shit. The larger Marvel movie universe is collapsing under its own weight, with the last Avengers and Cap movies being huge disappointments for me, and the new Spider-Man looking like anything but required viewing. So I'm more than happy for Guardians to have stuck to its own thing.

Oh, and my favourite cameo/minor role? John Crichton himself, Ben Browder, as High Priestess Ayesha's second in command, at the beginning.

Edited May 1, 2017 by Danny Franks

[SeanC]

So...it was good. But this is a definite step down from the first one. In particular, whereas the first one I thought had pretty much perfect tonal balance (I consider it one of the all-time best superhero movies), this one is kind of all over the place. It shifts from very serious to very comedic on a dime, and there are some pacing issues with the dramatic stuff.

The stuff with the temptation of Star-Lord feels way too rushed, and then Ego shifts to monologuing about all his evil deeds for no reason whatsoever.

The comedic stuff was mostly good, though there are definitely jokes where it feels like they're being excessive with the jokes. Yondu's arc, after a slow start, was pretty effective, and I was overall quite happy with what they did with Gamora and Nebula.

[benteen]

I thought it was good but not as good as the first movie.  It felt very aimless at time, especially in the middle.  Some of the humor felt too forced too.  But it was a funny movie and I was impressed with just how character driven it was.  Thought Kurt Russell was a great addition and I loved the Ego storyline.  Thought Yondu got a surprisingly great storyline as well.  Some great cameos as well.

[InsertWordHere]

I love this bunch of a-holes so much. I had warm fuzzies for pretty much the entire movie, except for the Groot abuse by the mutineers and when Ego admitted to giving Peter's mom a brain tumor because she was distracting him from his goal. I do love that Peter immediately shot him after that admission with zero hesitation. 

I really liked Yondu's storyline, but I did think they went the too obvious route when he and Rocket got into their little spat and realized they were just like each other. I really didn't think they had to spell it out quite so much. I also wish they hadn't cut the reactions when Ego announced himself as Peter's dad and that they had later shown the reunion of the Guardians and Peter considering how upset everyone was when they thought they were leaving him to die. 

What Thanos did to Nebula when she lost a fight to Gamora was super messed up.

"I'm Mary Poppins, y'all!"

[benteen]

Quote

"I'm Mary Poppins, y'all!"

That was so funny.  I think the scene that made me laugh the most though was Groot admitting to Drax that he stole the batteries and Drax's reaction.

I was reading about more of the cameos and there were a ton in this movie.

[Demented Daisy]

Really disappointed.  Mileage varies and everyone is entitled to their opinion, but these were the problems I had with the film:

1. Rocket steals from the people who hired them.  The female leader of the planet spends the rest of the film trying to get their goods returned and she is portrayed as a villain for doing so.  
2. Either stripper or prostitute fembots, I couldn't figure out which.
3. Quill gets angry with Gamora for, essentially, friendzoning him.
4. One of the sources of comedic relief is a male character constantly berating a female character for her hideous appearance, even going so far as to almost becoming physically ill when he imagines having a sexual relationship with her.  One of the biggest laughs in my theatre was when he said that she was beautiful... on the inside.
5. Nebula has hated Gamora for years because Thanos made them fight each other and Gamora always won.  Thanos then punished/improved Nebula.  But she always blamed her sister instead of her father.
6. Peter Quill's mother was 'fridged.

The treatment of the female characters in this film was horrible.

[benteen]

I didn't think about it but yeah, Peter Quill's mother would qualify as a fridging.

[Jediknight]

On 4/30/2017 at 6:59 PM, Danny Franks said:

I was waiting for the reveal about Ego, and him wanting to turn the whole universe into himself was fairly trite, as a galactic threat. Because of course he does. I figured out that he'd killed Peter's mother just a few seconds before he admitted it. That was a dark direction to take, as was the reveal that he'd killed hundreds of his own children, searching for one who could control the power.

And he smashed the Walkman.  He killed Peter's mother, and destroyed the one thing he had left of her, the thing that meant the most to him.

I liked the movie, not as good as the first.

[VCRTracking]

I saw it doday and thought it was even better than the first movie and it might be one of my top 3 Marvel movies. What I liked most was how it not only continued the fun from the first movie got deeper into the characters and there were some real emotional moments that made me tear up.

Ego might now be one of the top villains in the MCU. The fact that he can be so charming and likeable one moment and then suddenly be chilling and calmly monstrous the next.

So many great jokes. The Sovereign controlling their fighters resembling an arcade. Howard the Duck's reappearance. The payoff to the ripe fruit Nebula wanted. Everything Drax says. "Taserface" Yondu leaving Peter a Zune!

"I'm Mary Poppins y'all!"

Baby Groot of course was adorable Can't wait for Teenage Groot in Vol 3.

I didn't find out until reading a review that the characters Sylvester Stallone, Ving Raimes, and Michelle Yeoh were playing along the crystal guy were supposed to be Starhawk, Charlie -27, Aleta and Martinex from the original Guardians of the Galaxy incarnation.

7 hours ago, Demented Daisy said:

Rocket steals from the people who hired them.  The female leader of the planet spends the rest of the film trying to get their goods returned and she is portrayed as a villain for doing so.  

She's not the leader. She's the head priestess and she answers to a council, as seen in one of the five credit tags. It wasn't just Ayesha that was seen as the villain but her entire culture. Yes they were in the right but they were also "conceited douchebags". They artificially bred their race to be genetically perfect so they had a superiority complex over others. Doesn't make them evil just jerks. They won't even put their own lives on the line to save themselves. Having the Sovereign controlling their fighters by remote was a nice way not to have the main characters not kill any of them.

 

7 hours ago, Demented Daisy said:

Quill gets angry with Gamora for, essentially, friendzoning him.

He gets angry at her for questioning Ego's motives. Ego had by that time won Peter over. Peter was the one who was suspicious at first and she was the one who said to give him a chance and suddenly she was telling him how this didn't feel right?

7 hours ago, Demented Daisy said:

One of the sources of comedic relief is a male character constantly berating a female character for her hideous appearance, even going so far as to almost becoming physically ill when he imagines having a sexual relationship with her.  One of the biggest laughs in my theatre was when he said that she was beautiful... on the inside.

Well she IS beautiful on the inside as well as out! C'mon, this is the same guy who thought Yondu was Peter's dad because they "looked alike". If Mantis was actually unattractive then it would be cruel but she's so clearly not. That was what was funny. Also she didn't find him attractive either and was just as forthright about telling him. I'm glad they showed Gamora told her she wasn't hideous and I hope being around other sane people Mantis will realize she's not.

7 hours ago, Demented Daisy said:

Nebula has hated Gamora for years because Thanos made them fight each other and Gamora always won.  Thanos then punished/improved Nebula.  But she always blamed her sister instead of her father.

You must have missed the part where she was also planning to kill Thanos and left at the end to that instead of joining Gamora and the Guardians.  She was angry at both but especially Gamora because they were in the same situation and never even considered letting her win even when it would stop her suffering. I like that instead of her hate being out of jealousy that Thanos favored Gamora her over as it appeared in the last movie, it was that she was genuinely hurt that she didn't have her sister's love.

Oh and the Stan Lee cameo was awesome. A perfect explanation on how this one man seems to be everywhere in the MCU!

Edited May 6, 2017 by VCRTracking

[peridot]

Baby Groot was so adorable, I loved that he randomly kept kicking and punching Drax. 
Drax is such an asshole, but I couldn't stop laughing.

I wasn't expecting Ego's confession about what he did to Peter's mom, and he just did it so nonchalantly, too.

I loved this movie!  It was a lot better than the first.  It had a lot more adult humor than I was expecting.

My theater cracked up when they did referenced the 360 hero-view from the Avengers, and a huge boulder knocked out Mantis. 
She's one tough cookie.

[MadyGirl1987]

On 5/5/2017 at 0:56 AM, InsertWordHere said:

when Ego admitted to giving Peter's mom a brain tumor because she was distracting him from his goal. I do love that Peter immediately shot him after that admission with zero hesitation. 

I loved Peter's facial reaction to that. It was instantly "you done messed up..."

Loved this film. Thought it was very funny and well done. Anything with Baby Groot was gold. Loved the team up between Rocket and  Youndu. The effects, which I don't always notice, were top notch. Especially with Ego's Planet and Youndu's upgraded arrow.

Moody teen Groot was hilarious and hope we see him in the Avengers and that he isn't full grown then...

Edited May 6, 2017 by MadyGirl1987
Spelling

[thuganomics85]

Not as good as the first film, but probably still in my top five of the Marvel films (likely fourth, behind The Avengers, the first Guardians, and my personal favorite, Captain America: Winter Solider.)

It did feel like more a standalone film compared to the most recent ones and really didn't connect to the rest of the universe, but I didn't mind. It was just great seeing these characters again and they are still as fun and entertaining as always.  Easily one of the funniest comic book films ever (maybe even more the first one, although I still think that was superior in other ways), and a lot of great action to it as well (especially Yondu vs. the rest of the Ravagers.)  And it was beautiful to look at as well.  It's safe to say that Marvel hiring James Gunn to helm this franchise was one of the smartest things they have ever done, and hopefully he's still got a few more left in him.

The returning cast pretty much fit right back in. Chris Pratt brought his normal goofball charm, but I did think he handled the dramatic scenes with ego well as well.  Bradley Cooper was having a ball with all of his one-liners and Vin Diesel still manages to make each "I am Groot" mean something different.  And whatever filter they used to make him sound like "Baby Groot" was hilarious.  Dave Bautista was the MVP for me, and I continue to be surprised how much he has improved as an actor.  Still think Dwayne Johnson is the best "pro wrestler turned actor" but Bautista is right behind him.  Michael Rooker was a blast as always.  Finally, I'm glad Zoe Saldana got more to do this go around.  Bringing Gamora and Nebula's relationship up into the forefront was a great idea, and I thought Saldana and Karen Gillan had some of the best scenes in the film.

Pom Klementieff was charming as Mantis, and I didn't mind Drax calling ugly, because I think they had established with him thinking Yondu was Peter's biological child, that he really can't be trusted on that level.  Sly Stallone's appearance was a bit random, but I guess he is being setup for future installments (did like seeing him and Rooker share a scene, because of Cliffhanger.  Just need to get John Lithgow here too!)  Liked the cameos, including Ving Rhames, Michelle Yeoh, and gold John Crichton... I mean, Ben Browder!  Elizabeth Debicki did her best with a paper-thin role.

If nothing else, this film gets credit for finally (finally!) having a villain that comes close to Loki with Ego.  While is overall motivations where by the numbers (taking over the universe), his relationship with Peter and how I think he truly did love him in his own twisted way, easily makes him stand above the rest.  And Kurt Russell was fantastic.  He really came off like something (a planet!) that really didn't understand what he was doing was wrong, and couldn't figure out why Peter was so upset over him killing his mother and even shooting him.  He really made Ego come off inhuman and larger the life, but also grounded him.  So, congrats on that, film!  The Marvel Film Universe now has two villains I remember! (really, the third will probably be "Mads Mikkelson with way too much eye-liner.")  They all are almost blending in together.

The main negative I had was that they didn't build up (or show) the relationship between Peter and Yondu, to make me buy his sacrifice and why everyone was so effected by it.  I was still sad to see him and Michael Rooker go, but it didn't have the impact it probably could have had we spent more time with them in the past.  Still, the Ravager funeral worked.  I blame the Cat Stevens song.

Didn't mind that the five after credit scenes were mainly filler.  The actual credits themselves were my favorite ever.

My crowd seem to really enjoy it.  Biggest laugh came from Baby Groot showing Rocket and Yondu that severed finger.  Best reaction was the gasps when Ego tells Peter about his mom, followed by the "WTF?!" laughs, after he was shot and he turned into David Hasselhoff. Can't think of many movies that would have The Hoff delivering a "bad guy" speech for a few seconds!

Edited May 6, 2017 by thuganomics85

[VCRTracking]

All the Hasselhoff references made me laugh. As someone who grew up loving Knight Rider as a kid and then watched Baywatch ironically it was a nice.

2 hours ago, MadyGirl1987 said:

I loved Peter's facial reaction to that. It was instantly "you done messed up..."

The reaction in my theater and from me was gasps. I suspected something was going shady with him. Like maybe he unintentionally caused her cancer because he was an alien but that he deliberately gave her the tumor....

Edited May 6, 2017 by VCRTracking

[Traveller519]

This felt a lot like Spider Man 2 to me. Probably a better crafted movie than the original, telling a story that bore a lot of weight to the hero(s), but doesn't quite get the same boost of wonderment from introducing us to the characters.

I really enjoyed that they let the Guardians have their own story instead of just doing Infinity Stone set-up, and they really flushed out the their universe. While "the Galaxy" is busy and filled with planets and people, it also feels very lonely for all of these characters, who do need to lean on one another as this surrogate family. And we saw how that extends beyond our five misfits.

I was amazed they let Yondu die. I figured they were going to let his Kree heritage (I did like how we addressed Yondu and Nebula being of Kree origin, and not just random blue aliens) allow him to temporarily survive long enough to he rescued. While it didn't feel like we lost a long loved character it had weight because it felt like we lost him before we got to explore his character with the team. It's lost potential.

I'd been worried the movie was going to be too joke heavy. So I really appreciated the emotional weight it carried. They probably sacrificed a bit of that with Peter to get Yondu and Rocket's respective stories so well done, but overall I'm pleased. 

[Grace19]

I'm glad you guys like it, I can't wait to watch it, I miss these a-holes.

[Hybridcookie]

Watched it again last night, and I still loved it. It's such a pretty and colourful film.

Baby Groot is so cute and I really loved Sean Gunn in this. he was so annoying in Gilmore Girls and he was just 'there' in the first one, but I thought he was great in this.

I was able to notice the cameos this time - Ben Browder as one of the gold dudes (I was amazed when I saw his name in the credits the first time, 'cause I didn't notice him, but watching it again I can't believe I didn't know it was him. And Molly Quinn (from Castle) as Howard the Duck's date

[Joe]

2 hours ago, Hybridcookie said:

Ben Browder as one of the gold dudes (I was amazed when I saw his name in the credits the first time, 'cause I didn't notice him, but watching it again I can't believe I didn't know it was him.

Yeah. I remember thinking that that guy looked like Ben Browder. Then I looked up the cast on IMDB, and it was him! James Gunn actually said he was influnced by Farscape. And as I said elsewhere, you can see the parallels in the cast. Contemporary human in space. Warrior woman. Big warrior guy. Small thieving loudmouth. Mobile flora.

[Lugal]

I liked it.  I thought it was just as good as the first one but different.  I thought everyone did a great job.  Despite everything, Peter finally had a game of catch with his father.  Kurt Russell was good as Ego, he had the right combination of charm and menace.  Also loved that Peter shot him without hesitation, when he found out Ego killed his mother (and really with human lifespans, Ego, who's lived millions of years, couldn't have just waited a few more decades).  I liked how they really connected everyone, Gamora and Nebula, Rocket and Yondu.  Drax was sort of out of the loop a little bit, but he got some of the best lines in the whole movie.  Baby Groot was adorable, and teenage Groot looks like fun.  I like how they made his voice up and down like a teenage boy's.

I liked how the Sovereign ships sounded like 80's arcade games, and the Zardu Hasslefrau cameo.  Not only did Yondu found Peter a Zune, but how impressed Peter was that it holds 300 songs.  Even the tape gag actually worked for me.  "Did you ask Nebula?"

I just love watching these a-holes go on their adventures through space, and made me realize how much I missed a good space opera.

"I'm Mary Poppins, y'all!"

[benteen]

They didn't play as big a part as I thought but I liked the Sovereign and found them entertaining.  They were funny.

[Morrigan2575]

I loved this movie. I was really worried after some of the initial reviews came out. I have no idea what Jeremy Jahns was taking about. I didn't find the move disjointed at all, it flowed quite well. I also didn't have a problem with the Sovereign popping up. It's weird, he made it sound like they had these random pointless scenes and, yet every time they appeared it was to service or further the story. 

I loved Ego as a villain although I called it almost as soon as he appeared (in present day). There was something too "good" about him.  I do think he turned out to be a great villain. 

I'm curious about the Stallone appearance and the end credit scene. You don't cast Michelle Yeoh, Ving Rhames and Stallone in cameos for nothing. Are they planning a Ravagers Spinoff? Just setting them up for Vol 3?

I loved the post credit scenes although they gave me exactly what I didn't want. I remember thinking during the movie, please don't let Vol 3 feature Angsty Teen Groot. LOL

I also have to give props to the opening credit sequence,  I think it was as good, maybe even better, than Deadpool's.

I loved bringing Nebula back, i really didn't care about her GOTG but, i did feel for her in that one Thanos scene. Getting more of that, in Vol 2 and exploring her issues with Gamora really worked. I loved that the two sisters worked it out.

Loved am the Rocket and Yondu pairing it really worked to highlight both characters and give Rocket some growth. I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried during Yondu's death and funeral scenes. I always thought that Peter/Yondu had father/son relationship in the first movie so this worked for me.

I especially loved everything Baby Groot. I'm 100% that I will be extremely unhappy with any future versions because Baby Groot was so damn perfect.

I also loved the introduction of Mantis, she was a great character. I loved how genuinely good and innocent she was. I didn't have a problem with Dead calling her ugly because the joke was on him. Everyone could see she was beautiful and Gamora even told her she wasn't ugly. The joke was on Dead being an idiot and it works.

Drax was great in this movie, he had me laughing several times. I think they've managed to find the perfect niche for Dave Batista's acting. 

Edited May 6, 2017 by Morrigan2575

[Danny Franks]

14 hours ago, MadyGirl1987 said:

Moody teen Groot was hilarious and hope we see him in the Avengers and that he isn't full grown then...

That actually disappointed me. Yes, Teenage Groot was a great gag, but I think Baby Groot still had a lot more mileage in the franchise. Both in terms of onscreen stuff, and in terms of merchandising appeal. Teenage Groot doesn't appeal to me nearly as much, and that gag about him being moody and having a messy room is pretty much all I can think of in terms of what they could do with the character.

4 hours ago, Joe said:

Yeah. I remember thinking that that guy looked like Ben Browder. Then I looked up the cast on IMDB, and it was him! James Gunn actually said he was influnced by Farscape. And as I said elsewhere, you can see the parallels in the cast. Contemporary human in space. Warrior woman. Big warrior guy. Small thieving loudmouth. Mobile flora.

It looked like him, but as soon as he had a few lines, I knew it was him, because he was using a voice very similar to the one he used when he was masquerading as a Peacekeeper, in Farscape. Interesting that James Gunn has specifically referenced that show, and I agree that you can see some similarities in the makeup of the respective casts. But Rocket is infinitely more useful than Rygel. In fact, I'd say Rocket might be more like Chiana, in terms of being a mercenary with abundant survival skills.

7 hours ago, Hybridcookie said:

And Molly Quinn (from Castle) as Howard the Duck's date

I did not notice that cameo. Saw Howard, but barely looked at his date. I'll have to check that out again, because I'm eager to see what Molly Quinn does with some adult roles, even if they are just cameos.

I know Nathan Fillion had a cameo that was cut, and I imagine there were a few more as well.

11 hours ago, Traveller519 said:

I was amazed they let Yondu die. I figured they were going to let his Kree heritage (I did like how we addressed Yondu and Nebula being of Kree origin, and not just random blue aliens) allow him to temporarily survive long enough to he rescued. While it didn't feel like we lost a long loved character it had weight because it felt like we lost him before we got to explore his character with the team. It's lost potential.

Throughout his sacrifice scene, I was actually saying to myself 'please don't miraculously have him survive' because they'd already done that with Peter giving his breathing mask to Gamora in the first movie, and having Yondu survive would have cheapened the sacrifice utterly. So I'm glad they stuck with him being dead. Having said that, I wasn't wild about him as a character anyway, and I did think his journey was a little rushed and not particularly earned. I also didn't really like how the Ravagers were changed from a band of bloodthirsty pirates to an actual organisation with different chapters, a more heroic aesthetic (at least in terms of Stallone's character) and a sense of brotherhood and tradition that was at odds with how they came off in the first movie.

[scarynikki12]

During the end credits, was that Jeff Goldblum dancing in one of the bubbles?  If it was, I wonder if that's a hint that Ragnarok will be the movie that connects the Guardians to the main part of the Marvelverse for Infinity Wars.  Not that they need to, as I can see them showing up after Thanos steals the stone from Xandar and teaming with everyone then, but Marvel likes to establish connections ahead of the Avengers movies so I wouldn't be surprised.

I had no idea that was Molly Quinn!  I knew Seth Green was Howard but knowing that he was on a date with Alexis Castle is hysterical.  I don't want a Howard The Duck movie but these little cameos are perfect for the character.

[VCRTracking]

19 minutes ago, Danny Franks said:

I also didn't really like how the Ravagers were changed from a band of bloodthirsty pirates to an actual organisation with different chapters, a more heroic aesthetic (at least in terms of Stallone's character) and a sense of brotherhood and tradition that was at odds with how they came off in the first movie.

They were basically a motorcycle gang  in space which isn't really different from the first movie. The Hell's Angels have different chapters all over the country The big giveaway was one of the Ravagers was played by Tommy Flanagan "Chibs" from Sons of Anarchy! The SOA might do some shady stuff like deal drugs and run guns but they don't cross the line into stuff involving kids. There was also a Viking feel to his funeral.

 

19 minutes ago, Danny Franks said:

That actually disappointed me. Yes, Teenage Groot was a great gag, but I think Baby Groot still had a lot more mileage in the franchise. Both in terms of onscreen stuff, and in terms of merchandising appeal. Teenage Groot doesn't appeal to me nearly as much, and that gag about him being moody and having a messy room is pretty much all I can think of in terms of what they could do with the character.

He might be back to full adult Groot by the time the Guardians show up in Avengers Infinity War and this was just a quick shot to show his transition besides being funny.

Edited May 6, 2017 by VCRTracking

[anna0852]

22 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

He might be back to full adult Groot by the time the Guardians show up in Avengers Infinity War and this was just a quick shot to show his transition besides being funny.

That's what I was thinking. Remember, Vol 2 is taking place only a couple of months after Vol 1, even though the movies are 3 years apart. Infinity Wars will put Baby Groot and presumably Teenage Groot several years in the past.

[Morrigan2575]

27 minutes ago, scarynikki12 said:

During the end credits, was that Jeff Goldblum dancing in one of the bubbles?  If it was, I wonder if that's a hint that Ragnarok will be the movie that connects the Guardians to the main part of the Marvelverse for Infinity Wars. 

That was him and I was confused by his appearance since he wasn't in the movie. 

I checked online and the Crystal looking Ravager was Michael Rosenbaum, i did not recognize the voice. I also looked it up and that team was the original GotG from the 1969 and 1975 lineup. Hopefully that's more than a simple Easter egg and they actually include that team in future movies.

I laughed at Howard the Duck's cameo but, didn't hear his voice.

I also just remembered how sad it was that no one in my theater reacted to Adam in the cut scene.