Set to the all-new sonic backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and characters from the classic comics come to their aid as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand.
Rating
Violence: Yes (no gore)
Sex: Sensuality
Language: Mild
Well, Mr. Gunn managed to capture lightning in a bottle twice with this one. I loved the first installment, but found this one to top it. The characters are more finely developed and we get to see inside each of the Guardians and find out some of their secret longings. In this case, they are mostly coming to grips with the fact that they are “family”. Quill gets to finally meet his father, but that doesn’t turn out well. We can’t pick our parents, but we can pick our associates. I found this adventure to be full of hilarious moments that made me laugh out loud. I almost never laugh out loud, so this is a big deal for me.
Groot is in this just for the “cuteness factor”, but he steals every scene his is in. Rocket is as irascible as ever, but learns some important things about himself. Drax is by far the most hilarious as he tends to say things without filters, all the while being clueless. I know the movie was a bit long, but the time flies by with lots of action interspersed between exposition and character development. Favorite line: “Look Y’all. I’m Mary Poppins!”. Highly recommended for the whole family.
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The picture in WCG is often jaw droopingly wonderful. The only other movie I can think of that looks like this are a few scenes from Pacific Rim, but even that pales compared to this universe. The planet EGO is one of the most stunning CGI creations I have ever seen, with colors that explode and details of the palace interior that make my eyes ache just trying to see it all. HDR makes thing pop out well with super bright whites and inky blacks. Sound is great with lots of great music from the 70’s. The whole sound field is very aggressive and remarkably clear. Crank it up! I wish this film were released in Dolby Vision, but no one can complain about the HDR10. Streaming Vudu gives you this movie in DV, but with some compression inherent with streaming. Get the physical disc if you want to see all the details.
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Over 80 minutes of extras are included along with a BD disc. Making Of, Visionary Intro, Inferno Music Video (David Hasselhoff style), Gag Reel, 4 Deleted scenes and an Audio Commentary. My set came with a poster, too. Nice.
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Maybe it just not fashionable. I saw this movie in 3D at the cinema and was quite impressed by they way it was used. I would have hoped that some comment of the 3D version would be considered. Believe it or not there are still a lot of 3D fans out there.
Yes...I saw it in 3D and Imax in Reading, MA. It was indeed very good in 3D, and I don't usually care for 3D as it makes the picture appear darker. The glass tend to make me look dorkier, too, but that can't be helped. I am unaware of ANY 4K disc that also does 3D, and almost no UHDTV does 3D. Seems the industry has moved on to "better pixels" and WCG.The BD disc that came with this was also only 2D. Perhaps if the consumers were to rise up and DEMAND 3D...naw, it still won't happen. Sorry.
As someone who has had to wear glasses since 1972 to see anything properly, the next person to complain about wearing them for a couple of hours to watch 3D - well I'm just gunna hafta smack 'em. Unless the light variation is extreme the eyes adapt to relative brightness similarly as to cameras in ex[osier adjustment. Just have to walk out of the sun to the shade to see that.
Not all 3D movies are equal and I would not want to see most movies in 3D but we do see 3D in real life. How effective a 3D movie is depends on its implementation.
I am aware that for domestic systems there is no 3D 4K format. Full HD is more than good enough. At home I watch my 3D movies on a 12 foot screen using my Epson projector. Big, Bright and beautiful. In a domestic environment 4K really is an overkill - and I do own a 65 inch 4K television that of course also does full HD 3D. As an aside I actually shoot both 3D and 4K video as a hobby.
It would not hurt to NOT leave reference to the 3D version out of the review -4K or not 4K. There a re plenty of die hard fans out there.
The 3D version is not officially available in North America. I imported mine from the UK (haven't had a chance to watch it yet). I don't have a 4K rig, nor will I in the near future (absent lotto winnings), but I am quite satisfied with my 1080p rig (Epson 5030ub purchased last year at a blowout price--replacing a then 9 year old 720p Sony projector). I nearly went with a 4K TV, but eventually decided to hold back as I did not want to buy all the 4K gear to go with it (player, more expensive Netflix, new AVR, etc.). I've also come to enjoy the 3D capabilities of my Epson (surprisingly). As such, the lack of 3D with 4K TVs makes them less likely to replace my Epson--can only hope 4K projectors include 3D playback (even if only at 1080p).
As for the movie, it's awesome (and the whole family loved it at the cinema). Looking forward to doing a back to back viewing of the two (in 3D).