Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 Trailer, My Thoughts

The Mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe marches on! After the events of the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, the Galaxy's Mightiest Heroes embark on a new adventure! However, this new adventure threatens to spell the end for the team. Filmed in November 2021-May 2022, this film marks the capstone to James Gunn's trilogy focusing on the Avengers of the Cosmos. This film is scheduled to be released in May 2023, and it will be the 32nd film in the MCU. Let's look at the trailer!

Yeah, we had our silly fun with the Holiday Special, so let's get our hearts ripped out now.

Hey, cool new suits! Straight out of the comics!

I love the bait-and-switch. It seemed like they were going back to Earth, but they really are on an alien world. Wait, why does it look an Earth village?

Hey, a bat girl in a move that will get released!

Dang it, Drax...

...is that a baby Rocket?

Ah, I see the Guardians got their spacesuits from the Super Sentai Fashion House. 

I imagine that Peter and Gamors trying to rebuild...restart? things will be one of the sub-plots of this movie.

Yeah, Rocket's going to be the center of this film.

And there's Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary. You know, tying him to Halfworld and Rocket's creation is...actually pretty brilliant. Think about it. The man's whole gimmick is that he's basically Marvel's answer to Dr. Moreau. In the comics, he's most known for creating a group of animal-human hybrids known as the New Men. In the comics, some of these New Men became known as the Knights of Wundagore, whose purpose is to make sure the demon Chthon remained trapped within Wundagore Mountain. So, yeah. It's pretty clever the MCU makes a connection like this.  

Seeing Nebula be happy makes me smile.

Hey, it's Lady Lylla! Yeah, Lylla first appeared in Incredible Hulk #217 (February 1982) and then go on to be a main character of the 1980s Rocket Raccoon miniseries. She was an otter woman...and was Rocket's main squeeze.

Hey, Adam Warlock! How ya doin', buddy?! Yeah, it looks like we're going to see that plot thread from Vol.2 followed up on...

Yeah, Peter's right, Drax. That is kind of sad. And hilarious.

I loved this trailer. I get the impression from it that we'll be exploring Rocket's origins. It also has a feeling of finality to it, as if we're going to see the Last Days of the Guardians of the Galaxy. If Gunn's track record is anything to go by, we'll be getting plenty of laughs...and also a lot of tears will be shed. Can't wait for this one! 

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Marvel Super-Heroes Presents #18 (January 1969)

When you think of the Guardians of the Galaxy? Who do you think of? Star-Lord? Rocket Raccoon? Gamora? Nebula? Groot? Drax? Mantis? Well, that's understandable. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has solidified then as the Guardians in the mainstream. And those characters themselves were rather obscure before the MCU made them big.

The Guardians of the Galaxy, however, did exist in another form. There was a version that debuted in 1969. This version was originally conceived by Roy Thomas. His concept was a group of superpowered guerilla fighters that fought to free the USA from an allied takeover by Russia and China. Stan Lee (then Marvel's editor-in-chief) approved the idea, but Thomas would give the idea to Arnold Drake, as Thomas himself was unable to write it. Drake and Lee conferenced, and the idea got changed into an intergalactic adventure, freeing Earth from alien occupation.

Their debut actually sold well, but they would not appear again until Marvel Two-in-One #5 (June 1974). The writer of that comic, Steve Gerber, was fond of the Guardians. He would use them again in his Defenders run (which also established that the Guardians' adventures were not only set in an alternate timeline from the mainstream Marvel Universe, but also set in the same timeline as Killraven). They would go on to star in the Marvel Presents series, until the series was cancelled. They would make appearances in various titles throughout the 1970s, but they would end up sitting out the 1980s. With the popularity of Star Trek: The Next Generation in the 1990s, the original Guardians would get their own self-titled series that lasted over 60 issues, and they would appear in the MCU film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

So, let's look at their humble beginnings in Marvel Super-Heroes Presents #18!

The cover is a Gene Colan and Mike Esposito piece. It's a basic cover, showing the original four Guardians: Vance Astro, Charlie-27, Martinex, and Yondu. The Guardians' appearances on this cover is fascinating to me. They look more like prototypes of the Guardians. Astro's suit is purple instead of the blue-and-white he would be associated with. Charlie-27's look would change over the years. And Yondu is orange. It feels...bizarre. The cover itself is not very dynamic, and it doesn't really preview the action we'll get inside.

"Earth Shall Overcome!"
Writer: Arnold Drake
Penciler: Gene Colan
Inker: Mike Esposito
Colorist: Stan Goldberg
Letterer: Herb Cooper
Editor: Stan Lee
Editor-in-Chief: Stan Lee

The story begins in the year 3007. War between nations on Earth has become a thing of the past. The Earth is now a peaceful planet. It also has spread humanity throughout the galaxy, forming the United Lands of Earth Federation, or U.L.E. Federation for short. We look in on space militiaman Charlie-27. He's a 5th-generation Jovian, or native of Jupiter. He's spent the last six months out in space, and he's heading to his home planet. However, his arrival is not greeted with cheering crowds and hugs from his family. In fact, a pair of hostile aliens is waiting to give him a much more...fatal welcome home.

Charlie-27 dispatches the two aliens, known as the Badoon. He realizes they've invaded the planet, and heads towards the headquarters of his commanders. He finds it completely deserted.

He heads towards his home, and he finds his father being on a transport that's heading towards a labor camp. The militiaman follows the vehicle and discovers that the labor camp is a mine. The Jovians are forced to mine for a material called "Harkovite". Thing is, the stuff is radioactive. You need to wear protective gear to mine it. Without it, the radiation will kill a miner in days.  

Charlie is caught by a Badoon guard, but the guard gets beaten down for his trouble.

The fight gets the attention of more Badoon guards. They shoot at Charlie, but he escapes thatnks to a teleporter. The teleporter takes him to Pluto. Charlie notices that much like his base back on Jupiter, the teleporter depot is deserted. He takes the opportunity to grab some supplies, including food. Mmm, food...

Charlie fears that like Jupiter, Pluto may have been invaded by Badoon as well. His fears are confirmed as he crosses paths with a pair of Badoon that also have their own version of a tracking/attack dog with them.

Charlie is in big trouble, but luckily, he has a new ally that helps him out.

Meet Martinex, Pluvian scientist. He reveals that his people had been evacuated, but he stayed behind to blow up some strategic complexes so the Badoon would have...problems. The two flee, but not before Martinex sends some robot mannequins to engage and distract the Badoon. The two take another teleporter to Earth, hoping to find some help there. But the Earth has a Badoon problem of its own.

The Badoon have captured a Centuarian warrior named Yondu and a thousand-year-old Earthman named Vance Astro. Using a memory probing device, the Badoon (and the reader) learn Vance's origins. In the year 1988, Vance Astro was an astronaut. He was sent on a rocket flight to the nearest star, which would take him centuries to make, hence his body being encased in a special suit. The rocket arrives on a planet...only to find he had a welcoming party waiting for him. In the thousand years since his travels, humanity has spread out to the stars. 

In the centuries since his spaceflight, humanity found new ways to travel the stars much quicker. It left Astro feeling like his mission was all for nothing. All his friends and family are dead. Drang, the leader of the Badoon, wants Vance to work for him willingly, hence why he hasn't been made into a slave like the rest of the Earthmen. Vance prepares to agree, and the Badoon try to get him to kill Yondu. However, it's a trick.

Yondu uses whistling to control his yaka arrow, and it's used to help them escape. Vance takes himself and Yondu to a teleporter station with his psychokinetic powers. Martinex and Charlie-27 arrive on Earth at that same station.

In the Marvel tradition, the two improvised tag teams end up brawling with each other. The four then are teleported to another world, where they agree to find a free colony of humans. The story ends with them singing a version of the old protest song "We Shall Overcome" as a message: Earth Shall Overcome and be free once more.

This...was an interesting comic. The panel layout had to be one of the more unique ones I had ever seen in a late Silver Age comic. Made scanning a nightmare. The panels are angular and jagged, which fits the more action-oriented story shown here. One interesting detail of this story is that it establishes that, at least in the case of the Jovians (Charlie-27's people) and the Pluvians (Martinex's people), there were still others of their kind out there, as we did see Jovians in a labor camp and Martinex claimed Pluto was evacuated. Later stories would say that Charlie-27 and Martinex were the last of their kind. The story does have that Early Installment Weirdness vibe to it.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2013 trade paperback Guardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrow's Avengers Vol. 1. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Trailer, My Thoughts

What happens when a bunch of alien quasi-heroes led by an Earthman encounter Christmas? You get the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special! 

James Gunn, the writer and director of the previous Guardians of the Galaxy films, developed the concept for this special during his time working on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and it was filmed during the production of the upcoming film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. this little special is meant to be the conclusion of Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In this little special, the Guardians learn of Christmas and seek to find the perfect present for Peter Quill, the Star-Lord. Let's look at the trailer!

Nice to see we'll be seeing more of these Special Presentations. The first one, Werewolf by Night, was really good. Gotta watch it again sometimes.

Kraglin's going to end up getting an Earth wife, isn't he? 

Aw come on, Nebula! Christmas is a time for family...oh.

Can't blame him, really.

Nice to see that Drax found a way to wear shirts.

Gamora and Drax in Hollywood. They're so going to find themselves in a monster movie.

I love that in the MCU, people are so used to the insanity of superheroes that they just casually party with a couple of obvious aliens. That's awesome. Also, Mantis in sunglasses is adorable.

Oh, kidnapping Kevin Bacon. This is gonna be hilarious.

This looks like it will be a very cute little "short story" as it were. Part of what made Marvel's heroes so revolutionary was the emphasis on the people in the costumes rather than the costumes themselves. Considering Gunn's involvement in this, I can imagine that this little special will not only bring the laughs, but it will be incredibly heartwarming as well. Bring it on! 

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Avengers #167 (January 1978)

When you have a whole bunch of characters that are supposedly set in a shared universe, it makes sense that they would eventually meet and team up. And some times, some of those characters would form teams and some of those teams will join forces. The Avengers is one of those teams. The group has had their adventures chronicled for the past 50 years, but it's only in recent years that the group has gained mainstream prominence thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Another Marvel super-team that has gained prominence thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the Guardians of the Galaxy. Like the Avengers, the Guardians have been around for decades as well, first appearing in Marvel Super-Heroes #18 (January 1969). However, the Guardians that people may know of today...were not the original team in the comics. In fact, the original team was quite different in roster and concept. Yes, like the more famous modern team, they were a group of space-based heroes, but they hailed from an alternate future of the Marvel Universe.

In the 1970s, Marvel was going cosmic. Marvel's original Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell, was having his own adventures, and the Avengers were dealing with the long-running war between the Kree and the Skrulls. Later in the decade, the X-Men would start having adventures in the stars as well.

This story I'm going to look at here is the first part of a story that has become known as The Korvac Saga. It's, in my opinion, a very underrated story. A tale of cosmic scope. A tale of a man who wanted to become a god. And the only thing that could stop him was a titanic team-up between Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and the Galaxy's Greatest Guardians. So, with that out of the way, let's take a look at Avengers #167!

The cover is awesome, a George Perez piece. It's intricate and detailed. You got the Beast nailing Charlie-27 right in his big Jovian chin, and the members of their respective teams preparing for a fight.

"Tomorrow Dies Today!"
Writers: Jim Shooter and Roger Stern (Stern credited as "Sterno")
Penciler: George Perez
Inker: Pablo Marcos
Colorist: Phil Rache
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Editor: Archie Goodwin
Editor-in-Chief: Archie Goodwin

The story begins with three of the members of the Avengers at the time (Wanda "Scarlet Witch" Maximoff, Hank "Beast" McCoy, and Steve "Captain America" Rogers) leaping into action.

I wonder how many of those consoles Beast wrecked with his bouncing.

I love Beast's Avengers portrayal. It seemed among Earth's Mightiest, he was able to actually have some fun and let loose a bit, unlike the X-Men. The three Avengers arrive at the communications center, which is being manned by the Vision. Nick Fury is on the horn. It seems that SHIELD's space station has gotten itself a new neighbor.

"HOLY SHEEP! WHO GAVE THE ISS STEROIDS?!"

A very BIG new neighbor. And it literally just popped out of nowhere. Fury is worried that this big station is going to crash into SHIELD's space station, and he wants Earth's Mightiest to check it out. Luckily, the Avengers have a bit of a head start. You see, Tony Stark is on the station doing a bit of consulting. Fury evacuates him (Remember, Fury is unaware Stark is Iron Man here). We next go to a diner, where Simon "Wonder Man" Williams and Thor are having lunch.

"Trust me, Thor! The Mjolnir Mashed Potatoes are delicious!"

Yeah, they're just sitting having lunch in a diner. I don't know why, but I love it. I love it so much. Thor has a bit of an issue. You see, a strange force has been summoning the God of Thunder to help the Avengers in their recent fights with Graviton, Ultron, and Count Nefaria (In issues #159, #162, and #165), and he's confused about it. Simon is admittedly not much of a help on that subject, as temporal physics are not his specialty. The superhuman stuntman/actor figures as long as Thor is here, maybe he can ask for some advice.

You see, Simon is one of the most powerful Avengers the team has ever had at this point, but he's struggling with feelings of inadequacy. It's been a thing for Simon for decades. But it has to be tabled as they're summoned for Avenger duties. Tony Stark also arrives, finally able to suit up. With the team together, let's go investigate that space station!

"Uh...anyone know where the bathroom is on this thing?"

It's pretty clear that this station was built with some pretty advanced technology. Far more advanced than anything even SHIELD has got. The Avengers split into teams for exploration purposes: Thor and Iron Man, Cap and Wonder Man, Vision and Scarlet Witch, and Beast on his own. Beast sneaks around, and is grabbed by an orange-gloved hand.

"Boy, this is one ugly cat."

Meet Mercurian super-agile sharpshooter Nikki Gold and Jovian military powerhouse Charlie-27, two members of the original Guardians of the Galaxy. Yes, I said original Guardians of the Galaxy. As I said, the original Guardians first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #18 (January 1969), co-created by Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Arnold Drake. Well technically, Nikki there is not an original member either. She first appeared in Marvel Presents #4 (April 1976), created by Steve Gerber and Mary Skerenes. They look at Beast like he's some kind of exotic creature, and naturally, the blue-furred brainiac doesn't take kindly to it. Beast and the Nikki/Charlie-27 tag team get into a brawl, but it's broken up.

"Who are you? Are you selling Space Scout Cookies?"

Meet the other members of the original Guardians: the crystalline fire-and-ice-wielding Martinex T'Naga, space archer Yondu Udonta, cosmic seer Starhawk, and time-tossed astronaut Vance Astro. Beast is still angry, but Thor is able to keep him from doing something stupid. Captain America recognizes the Guardians, having met them in Marvel Two-in-One #5 (September 1974). The Guardians are able to reassure the Avengers that the SHIELD station is in no danger from theirs. The two teams get to know each other, with Thor recalling a team-up with them against the menace of Michael Korvac in Thor Annual #6 (1977).

The events of that annual is why they're here. You see, Vance Astro was originally from the then-present, but is currently still a young boy. Korvac has gone back to the time of the Avengers to kill the younger Vance. If he succeeds, Vance won't grow up to become an astronaut, and eventually form the Guardians in the future. Which would allow him to rule the future unopposed. Basically, Korvac is the T-1000, and young Vance is John Connor.

"Why are their heads floating around me?! CURSE YOU GUARDIAAAAANS!"

At this point, it was assumed that the Guardians' future was the future of the Marvel Universe. Eventually, it would be shown that the Guardians are actually from an alternate timeline. In their timeline, the world was conquered by Martians...who killed off most of the active superheroes and villains around at the time. So let's have a little fun, huh? In Park Avenue, something way the opposite of a potential temporal crisis is going down: A fashion show! Yes, one Janet Van Dyne-Pym, aka the Winsome Wasp, is holding a fashion show! Among the attendees, besides her husband Hank of course, is one Kyle Richmond (aka Nighthawk). The rich superhero notices a quiet blond man sitting next to him, wearing a tux.

One of the models, a blonde bombshell named Carina Walters, struts down the catwalk wearing a jumpsuit. She seems to get the blond man's attention, although Kyle thinks she may not be into him. The show seems to go well, until naturally, a supervillain shows up.

Meet Alexander Gentry, aka the Porcupine! He was planning to get himself some free cash and valuables from the hotel safe, but also figured "Hey, there's a fashion show with a bunch of rich people here, that means they got jewelry! And money!" He proceeds to rob the rich people there, but runs into three problems: Yellowjacket, the Wasp, and Nighthawk. The three heroes take care of Porcupine and his goons.

Meanwhile, the mysterious blond man approaches Carina while she's helping out a woman who fainted. The two look into each other's eyes, and something happens. The two feel an instant connection. She takes his hands, and the two vanish. Meanwhile, the three heroes took care of the Porcupine and his goons. The trio are told about Carina's vanishing, but they think she'll turn up. Nighthawk compliments Jan for the exciting fashion show, and the story ends with her basically telling Nighthawk to shut his piehole.

I am a sucker for this era of Avengers. The Korvac Saga is one of my favorite Avengers storylines, and this issue is a great start for it. It sets up the eventual battle with Korvac. We have the classic cliché of Beast picking a fight with the Guardians as soon as he meets them, but this story at least tries to give him a good reason, considering their mocking his appearance and all that. The story is basically set up, but it's some enjoyable set-up. There's a ton of story packed in this issue. A little mystery, a surprise guest appearance, usage of continuity, and plenty of action. I love it!

If you've read my blog, then you know I love George Perez. I love his artwork. I could look at it all day long. And it's only appropriate that he get to be the artist of a comic that features lots of characters. There is quite a lot of well-done detail in panels, and some strong storytelling.

If you want to read this for yourself, I got it from the 2003 trade paperback Avengers Legends Vol. 2: The Korvac Saga. The saga was also released in trade in 1991. The 1991 trade included an epilogue written by Mark Gruenwald and with art by Tom Morgan. The 2003 trade does not have this epilogue. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you enjoyed it, spread it around! See you next time, when the Secret Wars rage on...

Infinity War Trailer, My Thoughts

Next year, we will be celebrating the tenth birthday of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In 2008, the Golden Avenger, Iron Man, made his live-action film debut, to massive critical and fan praise. In a post-credits scene, Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury uttered two sentences that drove fans into a shocked frenzy.

"Mr. Stark, you have become part of a bigger universe." "I'd like to talk to you about the Avenger Initiative."

Like many comic fans at the time, when I heard that, my jaw dropped. I remember seeing this scene in a drive-in with my dad, and I was shocked. They had bigger plans. MUCH bigger plans. They were not just hoping to do a sequel to Iron Man, they wanted to use this movie to launch what many people would have thought was insane: A cinematic universe. A series of films that were interconnected, that had one goal: To bring Earth's Mightiest Heroes together in live-action film for the first time.

Fast-forward four years. The Avengers made their feature film debut, becoming the biggest-grossing film of 2012, grossing one and a half billion dollars at the box office. In a mid-credits scene, we see The Other tell a figure that to fight the Avengers was to court death. And the figure's response? Thanos grins. This was big. Phase One of the MCU was over. This was the beginning of Phase Two. It's goal...an epic battle with Thanos, the Mad Titan himself.

Over the next six years, the MCU would continue to grow. The Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, the Winter Soldier, Spider-Man, and on the way, The Wasp, and the Carol Danvers Captain Marvel will be making their film debuts, alongside Black Panther's solo movie. The Cinematic Universe would grow to television, focusing on SHIELD, the Inhuman Royal Family, Cloak and Dagger, the Runaways, and the Defenders.

The films spent the last six years building up to a big brawl with Thanos. And now, in 2018, the Infinity War will arrive. And here's the trailer.

The trailer begins with a call-back to the first Avengers movie, Nick Fury's explanation for why he formed the Avengers. It's uttered by various characters.

I wonder whose hand Tony is holding there?

And we see Bruce Banner back on Earth...with Doctor Strange and Wong meeting him. Hmm, I wonder...did at some point between Thor: Ragnarok and this movie, Bruce Banner and Hulk come to some kind of concession regarding their shared existence? I bet Strange is thinking the universe is going on a massive bender right now.

Hey, I like the Vision's new more human appearance. I hope he uses the alias "Victor Shade". He used that name for a while in the comics. Thor on his spaceship. And Natasha Romanoff is a blonde now. That makes sense she'd change her hair, she has been living in exile since the events of Captain America: Civil War.

Peter Parker is heading to school, and his arm hairs stand on end. This must be the MCU's take on his Spider-Sense. He sees a big metal ring. Yup, New York is going to get invaded again. Hopefully, they learned from last time and got some good evacuation plans set in.

Loki's got the Tessaract! He also appears to be stepping over bodies, maybe the ship he and the other Asgardians got attacked? Would make sense, considering Thor: Ragnarok. I hope Korg, Miek, and Valkyrie don't die.

Here's Thanos! He forgot his hat, he was probably coming by to see if anyone has seen it.

Really liking Spider-Man's armor there. Also like that it pays homage to Ben Reilly's Spider-Man costume.

Black Panther calling for an evacuation. Yeah, considering how advanced Wakanda is, I would not be surprised if they have procedures in place for alien invasion. Bearded Cap.

Big brawl in Wakanda, folks! Step right up! See the Battle of the Century! Black Panther's Pulverizers vs. a Child of Thanos!

Oh my God, Thanos is going Homer Simpson on Spidey!

Ouch, Vision is going to be in for a world of hurt. Not surprising, since he has an Infinity Stone in his head.

Tony Stark just got punched so hard that I was surprised he wasn't knocked back to 1955.

Oh MAN, that scene of the heroes charging in Wakanda was awesome! And I liked the appearance by Danai Gurira as Okoye. I just realized something. Black Panther is going to be set after Infinity War. It makes sense. The trailers made no mention of the Avengers hiding out in Wakanda during that movie, so we can assume that Black Panther's solo comes afterwards so they don't have to explain what happened to them because this film will.

THOR MESTS THE GUARDIANS! I like that Mantis gave Thor a little wave. That's adorable.

I LOVED this trailer! I saw it several times today. Ten years ago, nobody thought something like this would happen. Now, it's become a reality. Although, I can't help but wonder. After Thanos...what's next?

Guardians Inferno Music Video

James Gunn is insane. Seriously. The man is insane...and brilliant. Check this out.

Directed by David Yarovesky, this video is gloriously insane. It feels like somebody took Solid Gold and put it through a 1970s filter. It captures the look of the era very well, thanks to it being filmed with actual 1970s tube cameras.

It's gotten millions of views, and it is easy to see why. The song is funky, and it's awesome to see the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 all embracing the disco look. And of course, David Hasselhoff. Everything is better with the Hoff.

This video is awesome. It's just brilliant.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Review

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is at it again! Its fifteenth film (Yes, you read right, 15. This thing is well on its way to having as many films as the James Bond franchise) is out in theaters, the second adventure of their cosmic protectors: The Guardians of the Galaxy! Vol. 2 is here!

It's been a couple of months since the events of the first film, in which the Guardians of the Galaxy saved the universe from Ronan and his Infinity Stone. Since then, the Guardians have become heroes for hire, helping anyone out who could pay them.

They were hired by the Sovereign to protect a set of batteries, but things go wrong. As a result, the Sovereign wants the Guardians' heads, and they end up in a new adventure where they meet Star-Lord's father: Ego the Living Planet.

I absolutely love the first Guardians film, and I was so excited to see this one. It was quite simply...awesome. This film was a worthy follow-up to the original. It had a ton of action, funny jokes, and moments that brought tears to the eyes. I have no real complaints about it, although I do want to warn that some of the jokes here in this one are a bit on the raunchier side than in the original film. Just a warning, no spoilers.

Also, there was a post-credit scene that made me smile, and will make you smile as well if you're a fan of the original 1960s-1990s-era Guardians team.

If you like adventure with classic tunes that'll make you laugh and bring tears to your eyes, this film is the thing for you. If you liked the original, you'll love the sequel.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Trailer, My Thoughts

It's here! It's finally here! The trailer to the sequel of the MCU's first jump into the cosmic realm, Guardians of the Galaxy, is here! I was so excited to see this trailer! And here it is for all of you to view.

The trailer begins with Star-Lord at some platform thing, holding a gadget. We do get a closeup of what he's holding, and it's essentially a tricorder made from one of those 1970s electronic football games that Mattel made back in the day. Seriously, it is! Look at it!

That actually does make sense, considering in the MCU, Peter Quill was taken from Earth as a child in the mid-1980s, so it's not too unfeasible that he may have had one of these. Drax gets out his knives, and Gamora readies a futuristic rifle. It's nice that the creatives remember that Gamora is skilled in a very large variety of weapons, as she was raised to be an assassin.

The gang then encounter a monster OH MY GOD THAT'S A BABY GREAT OLD ONE! DO NOT LOOK TOO MUCH AT IT OR YOU WILL GO INSANE. Some funny banter between Peter and Gamora. And Drax, being Drax, decides, "Imma charge it, laughing a maniac, and stab it. Stab it a lot. With my knives. Metaphor."

Then Baby Groot, in his little adorable uniform, connects a wire, and we start hearing Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain." I'm guessing this song will be on Awesome Mix, Vol. 2.

Next, we see the Guardians standing before a golden woman. For those not versed in Marvel's Cosmic side, this is Ayesha, aka Paragon, Her, and Kismet, portrayed by Elizabeth Debicki. In the comics, she was an artificial being, created by the same group that created Adam Warlock. Based on what we see of her and what she says, it looks like this version of her will be a powerful cosmic ruler. Maybe she's the head of the MCU's version of the Universal Church of Truth, perhaps? Sure sounds like she's on a holy crusade...

Nice job with the insult, Rocket. You messed up.

The bit of banter between Peter and Rocket was funny. Rocket has a point, Quill. They'll pay more now for the Guardians' services. You're worth it.

Aww, Gamora is learning to dance. That's awesome.

Drax is great. "DIE SPACESHIP!" And poor Baby Groot. Mama Gamora can't play with you now, little dude. She's gotta blast some bad guys. And Nebula must've spent some time with the Guardians between movies. Would explain why she's trying to blast Gamora, screaming about idiots.

 We also get a little heartwarming moment with Drax referring to the Guardians as a family. Considering what he went through, it's sweet to see that he's found a family again.

And seeing Kurt Russell at the end was SO COOL.

This trailer was a blast to watch! I want to get that mix of "The Chain" with the added violin! Where can I get that?! I can't wait for this movie! It's going to be so much fun!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Trailer, My Thoughts

With how successful the Guardians of the Galaxy's film debut was with critics and fans, it was not surprising that a sequel would be in the works. The Guardians' fans eagerly awaited any tidbits of new information on the upcoming film, from footage of Zoe Saldana and Karen Gillian training together, to the announcement of Kurt Russell being cast.

Recently, Guardians fans got a special treat: A trailer for the sequel. Here it is!

The first thing I noticed was the return of Blue Swede's "Hooked on a Feeling". I have heard an acquaintance of mine comment that it would've been nice to hear a snippet of some music from Awesome Mix Vol.2.

Minor spoiler for the first movie, at the end of it, Star-Lord finally unwraps his late mother's final gift, and it was revealed to be another cassette tape, the second Awesome Mix. I understand why he thought that, but perhaps "Hooked on a Feeling" was used to hide the music from the second tape, and the new songs on the soundtrack will be revealed when the film finally comes out.

I did get a chuckle out of the panel that said "Spacesuits For Emergency. Or Fun." I heard this sequel would be darker than the original, but this moment gives me some hope that the humor that helped make the first film so great won't be completely ditched.

We get some brief teasing shots of Drax. Gamora, and Star-Lord. We then get an amazing shot of Gamora unsheathing a sword and charging into battle. We also get some shots of the members of the Guardians, including Yondu. We also get a brief shot of Nebula. Evidently, she's gotten some more cybernetics in her head, based on what we can briefly see. She had to have a new hand for sure, as she cut off hers to escape Gamora in the last movie.

We do get some great dialogue from Drax, where he remarks that there are two kinds of people: Those who dance, and those who don't. In  a bit of a clever moment, when Drax says "those who dance", we see Star-Lord (He danced to distract Ronan), and when he says "those who don't", we get a shot of Gamora (who said in the last movie she doesn't dance). A very clever subtle call back to the last movie. And it is nice to see that Drax is as blunt as ever. I laughed when Drax hugged Star-Lord.

We also briefly get to see Rocket Raccoon shoot something. And Baby Groot. Who is adorable.

I really enjoyed this trailer. It was wonderfully put together, and a joy to watch. It gave some laughs, and it made me excited. I LOVED the first Guardians of the Galaxy, and I have always wanted to see a sequel, but this trailer has gotten me more hyped. I can't wait for it to come out next year!

Guardians of the Galaxy Review

Yesterday, I went out to a theater and got to see a film I had been eagerly anticipating for quite some time: The newest Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Guardians of the Galaxy.

I'm Hooked on a Feeling...

In short, I loved it. The film was genuinely fun, with great action and awesome characters. It was a bit silly at times, but that only made it a nice breather after the MCU's last offering, the darker Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The film centers around Peter Jason Quill, the self-proclaimed Star-Lord, an intergalactic thief who finds himself having to join forces with the beautiful and deadly Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the revenge-crazed Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), the good-hearted tree-like Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), and the angry loudmouthed Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper), to take on Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), who is after a powerful stone that would give him the power to destroy planets for his own monstrous agenda.

One of the best aspects of the film is, in my mind, the soundtrack. I'm a huge fan of old-school pop culture, including music, so the film's soundtrack was right up my alley. It was neat hearing such classic songs like David Bowie's "Moonage Daydream", Rupert Holmes's "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)", and the Runaways' "Cherry Bomb" in a film set deep in space.

As for performances, the most surprising to me was Dave Bautista as Drax. His Drax was surprisingly funny, being a bit of a, as TV Tropes would call it, Cloud Cuckoolander, yet also being a violent maniac obsessed with revenge. He had some surprisingly funny lines. I expected Rocket to be the source of some laughs, and he was, but Drax was funny as well. Chris Pratt's Star-Lord was reminiscent of Han Solo, which I thought was awesome. Zoe Saldana's Gamora was focused, intense, and awesome. Bradley Cooper's Rocket was cynical, angry, and sarcastic, but also hinted at deeper issues. Vin Diesel's Groot was, despite only saying generally "I am Groot", expressive, and amazingly understandable. Lee Pace's Ronan went into ham territory at times, but it only made him more amusing, and really helped show how crazy and monstrous he really was.

The effects and fight scenes were also fun to watch, and the film had lots of fun nods to the mythos of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the post-credits scene gave a few seconds of glory to a character I never thought would be seen on the big screen.

Do I recommend this film? Oh yeah, I recommend it. I cannot wait for the sequel!