Recently saw Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2 and it was just as enjoyable and fun to watch as the first one. I’m a big fan of the larger Marvel cinematic universe, but the Guardians of The Galaxy storyline is one of my favorites.

Spoiler Alert

I love the sci-fi mixed with humor theme’ing — even if Drax’s laughter feels forced at times. There is also the camaraderie, stunning visuals, and the of course the epic soundtrack. If you’re a fan of the last Guardians movie, there’s no reason to think that you won’t find this one just as good.

We have to start at the end and roll it back a bit to highlight one of the deeper themes in the movie. Peter’s (Star Lord) coveted Walkman gets busted and Kraglin (Yondu’s right-hand Ravager) gives him a “new” music player as a replacement. The epic joke is that he got a Microsoft Zune. Kraglin shares that Yondu always expected Peter to come back, so he picked it up for him while at a space junk sale. After being in awe that this new player can hold “300 songs?!” he scrolls through the menu and, like he did at the end of the last movie and fires up a track — “Father and Son.” from Cat Stevens

Let’s unpack the deeper theme of “Father and son” from the movie…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-7c4VNGOgU

From the last movie, we know that Peter loses his mom and is haunted by the tough reality that he doesn’t know who his father…later to find a new family in his fellow Guardians. This time around, Peter gets to meet his father Ego (played by Kurt Russell), who is a Celestial that can manipulate matter and extend consciousness. There’s a moving scene where Peter, having discovered that he shares the same Celestial power as his father, harnesses the power to form it into a ball that he throws to his father. Ego then tosses the ball back to Peter, and the camera pans out to a scene of a father and his fully grown son playing catch for the first time. The moment might be a bit cliché, but it highlighted a stark contrast for Peter to the “family” interactions he’d known with his adoptive father, Yondu.

Every son, and I mean EVERY son, has it hard wired into their DNA to want to be with, be accepted by and to know their dad.

We learn that Ego sent Yondu to retrieve Peter after the death of his mother in the last movie. However, after learning that Ego had killed his other children after realizing they didn’t share his powers, Yondu made the decision not to turn Peter over to him, and instead raised him as one of the Ravagers. As all of this is unfolding for Peter he also learns about Ego’s diabolical plan and he was the one who created the cancer that killed his mother. He also learns that sometimes family may not just be you’re biological parents, but others who care for you very much and put your well-being first.

While Yondu jokes that he kept Peter around because he was “skinny” and could fit into small spaces, making him a valuable asset as a thief…it becomes clear that Peter means so much more to Yondu, when he sacrifices his own life to save his adoptive son’s. At this moment, Yondu makes a declaration that hits right to the heart…

This statement is so important, so powerful and so true. A parent may not always be the person whose DNA you share…but the person who raises you, mentors you, cares for you, who is there for you, and is willing to sacrifice for your well-being. Peter was so focused on being reunited with his biological father, that he didn’t realize the father figure he was so yearning for was right there in front of him the whole time.

Yondu loved Peter like a son and didn’t turn him over to Ego because he knew what Peter’s fate would be. Instead…he kept him, trained him and showed him how to live and survive. We all desire a fully present father figure in our lives, but sometimes that relationship we desire might be right there in front of you the whole time.

You just have to be willing to see it!