Hooked Again, 'Guardians 2' Does Not Disappoint

Rating: 9/10 (3 June 2017)

No sane person expected Guardians of the Galaxy to succeed at half the rate it did, but it won a legion of fans and earned more than enough box office dough to earn a sequel. Though not quite as magically magnificent as the original, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (GotG2) lives up to the hit that was the original, and in some ways, is even better.
Director/writer James Gunn undoubtedly has proved himself to be one of the most passionate, driven directors in the superhero film genre, and that passion shines through to the film. Gunn deserves all the praise he can get, as GotG2 again delivers a wildly exhilarating, heart warming, hilarious and down right entertaining experience.
Vol. 2 is very much a character-driven film, with the character development in full effect, diving into more backstory and focusing heavily on chemistry. The main narrative revolves around Star-Lord and his quest to discover his true parentage, and while jumbled and somewhat disjointed in the second act, provides enough of an emotional weight to keep you intrigued.
But it's the characters, fueled by their spectacular writing and chemistry, that take center stage, allowing the audience to connect, laugh with and care for them, and this again calls back to Gunn's amazing passion for creating a rich, extensive franchise. Star-Lord and Gamora share terrific scenes of their "unspoken thing", Drax and newcomer Mantis mesh so hilariously together, and what else can be said about my favorite characters, Rocket and the adorable Baby Groot, who together again form the film's best duo. Yondu is a much better character this time around, Nebula gets more screen time and even with Marvel's "villain problem", the main antagonist Ego is a different take on your classic villain, very much enjoyable. There is enough humor to go around 3 times over, which is mostly great, but sometimes does get repetitive and dull, with some humor on occasion feeling overly forced. Even so, every character compliments each other in some way and the interactions are so entertaining and often laugh-out-loud funny, that you can't seem to get enough of it. The overall story of Vol. 2 isn't anything groundbreaking, but the characters that inhabit the narrative steal the show, and that is GotG2's greatest strength.
Along with its set of phenomenal characters, GotG2 excels in the visual and audible department. The CGI is breathtaking, Vol. 2 is a delight to look at, colorful, exotic and explosive. Behind the gorgeous visuals is the soundtrack, which again provides the movie with a unique pop and attitude that makes it so special. The action sequences are varied and entertaining, the atmosphere dazzles, and the amount of fan service and to the greater MCU is off the charts. Much like the original, if you're looking for pure entertainment, GotG2 doesn't fail to deliver.
I can't forget to mention the cast that portray the characters I spoke so highly of. Marvel's star power is unmatched, with the likes of Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Disel leading the pack, followed by Kurt Russell, Michael Rooker and many more, who all represent their respective characters to a tee.
Guardians of the Galaxy was able to able to reach out to fans with its unique set of characters, adventurous and sci-fi setting and hilarious dialogue , all backed by an awesome soundtrack. Luckily for fans of the first, aside from some hiccups in pacing and the amount of humor, Marvel's 15th entry into the MCU once again delivers on every aspect that made the first one a success, getting you hooked on a feeling, and high on believing.
9/10