Luckily for us there is a latest installment in the series coming in the shape of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. As you can probably imagine, I couldn’t afford to miss out or wait to see it this time around. It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Marvel’s work and when it was announced that the bunch in this installment will be part of the much-anticipated Avengers: Infinity War flick, my excitement and intrigue was barely containable. Adding to that, Volume 2 of this series includes a fantastic cast that should further add to the argument of why it’s a must see. On paper it looks good but does it measure up?

Cast – Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Sylvester Stallone & Kurt Russell

Director – James Gunn

Genre – Science fiction film/Action

Running Time – 136 minutes

The Plot

Set to the backdrop of ‘Awesome Mixtape #2,’ Marvel’s 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 mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid.

The above doesn’t give you a proper idea of what to expect or what to make of the storyline this time around. The trailer might help change that but it probably won’t help convince most who are new to the trilogy to bother making the effort to watch it…

So why should you bother? Why you ask…well because it’s worth it and then some. I mentioned above that this movie is different from all other superhero movies, it has all the makings of a good movie, from action right through to funny moments that will have you chuckling throughout. One of the main things I mostly enjoyed though was its silliness, yes I can safely confirm that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is very silly, a good kind of silly that most if not everyone will enjoy, it’s perfect for the whole family.

It mostly doesn’t take itself too seriously and I for one enjoyed that and even though it’s way too stretched in terms of running time, no doubt you’ll enjoy watching every moment. With another installment confirmed to be in the works, you should do yourself a favor and go check this one out, and of course if you haven’t seen the first one then do so – it should help give you an idea of what all the hype is about. Is it perfect? No, but only a few movies are these days – I would have liked to see more action scenes but then again that’s just my opinion and to be honest overall package more than makes up for the supposed faults one might find.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a good superhero movie that is also perfect for the whole family. If you are an avid movie watcher and have a hit list (like me) of movies to watch and tick off then this should be part of that without a doubt. A 3.5 out of 5 rating is what it gets from me.

Given the chance to check it out a little bit earlier by MNet Movies, I couldn’t say no to an invitation to one of the biggest movies of the year. Many have asked this and probably still are – was there a need to do another one? How good is the latest offering in the franchise? Is this the last one or will be there be another offering in the series? Hopefully the analysis below will help answer most if not all of the above.

Cast – Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Kurt Russell, Scott Eastwood, Charlize Theron & Helen Mirren

Director – F. Gary Gray

Genre – Crime film/Thriller

Running Time –  2h16m

The Plot

Now that Dom (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) are on their honeymoon, Brian and Mia have retired from the game, and the rest of the crew has been exonerated, the globetrotting team has found a semblance of a normal life. But when a mysterious woman seduces Dom back into a world of crime that he can’t seem to escape, the crew will face trials that will test them as never before.

The plot above doesn’t give too much away and is too simplistic but when you mix it up with the trailer you can’t help but get giddy about the movie. But does it live up to the hype? Simple answer is an outstanding yes, the movie truly is a blockbuster worth checking out and lives up to the bill. The whole franchise has been taken to another level and has continued to evolve with each movie released in the series. Fast & Furious 8 is a well put together movie complete with non-stop action, crazy but impressive stunts and a bit of comedy here and there.

The movie truly is a blockbuster worth checking out and lives up to the bill.

Sure, the plot and how it’s set up might not be mind-blowing or original but its simplistic nature makes the whole offering easy to follow. The movie flows from one end to the other seamlessly and offers a bit of everything, Fast 8 might be the best in the whole franchise. There probably wasn’t a need to do another movie in the series however it’s still a winning formula and my money is on another one in the offing especially when you consider how it concluded which you’ll see for yourself.

In addition to the other regulars, our very own Charlize Theron joins the perfectly assembled cast in a slightly surprising role as the villain. When it was initially announced that she was set to become the villain, a part of me wasn’t too sure but, surprisingly, she pulls it off without any hiccups and is in fact one of the reasons why the whole offering is a fantastic watch. A great choice in character selection and very well executed.

Fast & Furious 8 is a great flick, I truly enjoyed it and no doubt just about everyone else will, regardless of whether or not you’ve been a fanboy/girl from the onset or not. It’s got almost everything you would want in a good action thriller and is guaranteed to have your attention throughout. A great watch, the movie gets a very cool 4.4 out 5 rating from me.

* Special shoutout to MNet Movies and Ster-Kinekor for a very cool screening, one of the best I’ve been to in a while!