Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Directed by: James Gunn | 136 minutes | action, science fiction | Actors: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Tommy Flanagan, Laura Haddock, Aaron Schwartz, Hannah Gottesman, Hilty Bowen, Ben Browder

With ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ (2014), comic book giant Marvel proved that it doesn’t have to rely on its most famous characters. The typical Marvel ingredients, a harmonious mix of action, humor and a touch of morals, can be used more widely. The world doesn’t stop with superheroes (teams) like the X-Men, The Avengers and Spiderman. In fact, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ transcended the limits of our planet, resulting in a classic yet fresh and visually appealing space adventure.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2′ continues in the same vein as its predecessor. The story again does not excel in originality or depth. But the immensely high joke density and the fantastically portrayed action make up for everything. That starts right away with the phenomenal opening credits, in which the team of universe guardians in the background of the image have to defeat an immense space monstrosity. In the foreground, next to the title role, the reincarnated baby and inevitable fan favorite Groot can steal the show. The smooth choreography, the signature sixties soundtrack and the optimal use of 3D and colorful CGI are to die for. The smile that has appeared on the face after only a few minutes will not disappear in the remainder of the film.

Although the space story completely opens the boundaries in the narrative and especially visual field, the Earth in Volume 2 is not far away. The leader of the superhero company, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), was born there. After his mother died, he was taken in by a couple of space pirates. He never knew his father. Until, on the run from a vengeful space people – something with stolen batteries – he is rescued by a man who claims to be his father. The stranger, named Ego (Kurt Russell), takes the team to his home planet to convince his alleged son of their family connection. They are warmly welcomed, although something seems to be not quite right. There is a tinge of danger around Ego. A danger that even Peter’s birth planet doesn’t seem safe from.

As mentioned, thematically, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ thin. Family is what you make of it. Your best friends can be more like family than those you share a bloodline with. And then it doesn’t matter if you’re white, black, green or purple. As meager as the film may be here, it doesn’t lose out on jokes and action scenes. The clever thing about this is that a fine balance is found between the two, which maintains a furious pace. Moreover, the film often allows the two, humor and action, to coexist, propelling the dynamics even further. Also, and cleverly enough, many of the jokes come from dialogue rather than situations. The second has an undertone of faint slapstick, the first can excel in ingenuity. And that’s exactly what leaves ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2′ over and over.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ offers cinematic entertainment of the best kind. The boundless universe guarantees an inexhaustible source of stories. Despite some minor shortcomings – the simplicity of the story, some scenes feel like a repetition of moves, the 3D effect sometimes goes wrong at the edges of the frame -, part three can’t come soon enough.