So the Guardians of the Galaxy now work as heroic mercenaries. Peter Quill/Star Lord (Chris Pratt), Rocket Racoon (Bradley Cooper), Baby Groot (Vin Diesel), Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Drax (Dave Bautista) open the film by slaying an inter-dimensional monster. The "Abilisk" was after the Anulax Batteries, the power source of the snobbish, chrome Sovereign race. Nebula (Karen Gillian), Gamora's estranged evil sister, was also after the batteries. The Sovereign proudly hand Nebula over to the Guardians once they deal with the Abilisk. Rocket helps himself to some of the batteries and the Sovereign notice. Their drones shoot up the Guardians' ship and make them crash on another planet.
The Guardians meet Ego (Kurt Russell), the Avatar of a living planet and Star Lord's mysterious father. Ego and his ward, Mantis (Pom Klementieff) take Star Lord, Gamora and Drax to visit himself, while the others repair the ship. Unfortunately, the B-Team is found by the Ravagers, Star Lord's old space pirate crew. Fortunately, Yondu (Michael Rooker), the Ravager captain and Star Lord's stepfather, is a cool guy. But the Ravager Taserface (Chris Sullivan) isn't and mutinies with Nebula's help.
Meanwhile, the A-Team is living nicely on Planet Ego. But Gamora realizes something's amiss. Ego's up to something with Peter and the Guardians will have to join with their new allies to stop it.
It's a busy plot but it's not incomprehensible. You'll remember everybody and their part in the story. They're all a fun bunch of galactic misfits and deities. They have deep issues, whether it's with family or their stolen stuff, to work out during the film's 135 minutes. And it's a funny and compelling ride. Best of all, the film knows how to bring even the smallest plot points full circle. Even a funny jab from the first movie takes on a dark meaning.
Let's expand on the characters. The established Guardians are great; their chemistry and characterization worked here as the last movie. Yondu is still a cool old guy. Nebula's a sympathetic character even if she's quite antagonistic. Kurt Russell as Ego seemed like a cool old guy until we find out his secret. Mantis is endearing. Sylvester Stallone made a welcome cameo as the Ravager Starhawk. And who can forget Marvel's fowlest character, Howard the Duck, who has a nice background cameo in one scene?
And Stan Lee was there too.
The technical Marvels deliver again as usual. There's a wonderfully eclectic bunch of Aliens and Planets created by the Production Designer Scott Chambliss and Visual Effects department. Ego himself is a visual Marvel; wait till you see inside him. Costume Designer Judianna Makovsky dresses the galaxy in a wonderfully fancy display. The Makeup department standout with the chrome Sovereigns and Ego's rugged appearance. The music, whether Tyler Bates' score or the old standards, is pretty good.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is just as funny and exciting as the first movie. The story makes it a meaningful ride through the cosmos. Once you're done, you'll want more. Sure enough, they'll be back for Avengers: Infinity War next year and the inevitable Vol. 3 sometime soon.
The film gives us five prerequisite credit scenes. Two of them expand on Lee and Stallone's cameos, two more are funny bits and another promises another foe for the Guardians on the pipeline.
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