The Least Little Spoilers for an Outstanding Movie!

Rating: 10/10 (8 May 2017)

Prior to seeing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, I said that it would have a hard time equaling the perfect blend of humor and action that the first Guardians achieved. After seeing Vol. 2, however, I have to say that it achieved a perfect balance of humor, action and even tear-jerking drama. Although I would hardly have believed it possible, I enjoyed Vol. 2 a bit more even than the first Guardians movie.
Chris Pratt does such a brilliant job of conveying dry, understated humor that it's easy to take for his performance for granted, but when I, and the rest of the theater, laughed over and over, it served as a good reminder just what great comedic talent he brings to what are genuinely serious superhero movies. Not to be outdone, Kurt Russell—a talented actor of whom I just haven't seen enough in recent years—did a brilliant job of making Star Lord's father completely believable, even relatable, at the same time he turns totally creepy on us.
I have to give a shout out to Zoe Saldana, who some of you might know as Uhura in the Kelvin timeline Star Trek movies. It's hard for anyone to reprise the role brought so lovingly to life by Nichelle Nichols in original Star Trek, and I didn't even recognize Zoe under all that green makeup in the first Guardians movie. Knowing who she was in Vol. 2, however, I was impressed by her range as an actress, as she made Gamora completely and unrecognizably different than her Uhura.
Another talented actress I didn't recognize under all her makeup (or prosthetics) was Karen Gillian, who some of you might know as the red-haired beauty who played Amy Pond in 36 episodes of Doctor Who. Once again, her range as an actress made her character, Nebula, completely and utterly different from her Amy.
Sean Gunn, perhaps a less-familiar actor, unless you, like me, happen to enjoy both superhero movies and "chick" shows, brought the same sort of lovably bumbling humor to the character of Kraglin in the movie that he brought so enjoyably most weeks on the Gilmore Girls TV series. Gunn's performance contributed greatly to the movie's ability to make the entire audience laugh even when Chris Pratt wasn't on the screen.
Once you've seen Vol. 2—and definitely not before—take a gander in the Internet Movie Database at the movie's cast, and you may be surprised to see several other talented actors playing roles either openly (but not advertised beforehand) or hidden behind makeup or CGI. Some of them you'll have already happily recognized during the movie, but the list of others that you probably didn't recognize might well delight you as did me. Let me warn you again though: if you haven't seen the movie yet, do NOT look at IMDb.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the movie's absolutely outstanding use of 1970s music. Someone on the production crew grew up at the same time I did, and I have to give him or her credit for choosing some great songs from our youth that fit the events of the movie perfectly. The first movie had good period music too, but I have to say that when it comes to the appropriate use of 1970s music, the filmmakers might accurately have titled the Vol. 2 movie Guardians Beyond.
If you do go see Guardians Vol. 2—and I've tried my best to gush about the movie without giving away a single darned spoiler—make sure you sit through the closing credits to the very, absolutely final, last second. Don't just wait patiently, either, for during-credits or after-credits scenes, but really, really, really try to pay attention to both the words and the images in the credits themselves, and you will be richly rewarded with even more humor.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 represents another unqualified cinematic triumph for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and sets the stage for what could well end up being at least two more. As a major DC Comics fan for more than half a century, I have to say that I wish the DC Expanded Universe movies had even a quarter as much talent putting together live-action DC superhero movies. Is there any chance that Warner Brothers might borrow some of the leading creative lights of Disney's Marvel Studios for at least one superhero movie?!