James Gunn returns with a bang in 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' and it's even better than the first. The sequel sees the Guardians stumbling upon an ancient being known as Ego (Kurt Russell) who holds the secrets behind Starlord (Chris Pratt) and his destiny and fighting off everyone and everything that attempts to kill them along the way, including Gamora's sister, and a powerful race known as the Sovereign. Director James Gunn has always had a obvious and strong talent for writing quotable dialogue and great humor, starting with his earlier horror films such as the 2004 'Dawn of the Dead' remake and the criminally underrated 'Slither' and with 'Guardians' and its sequel, it seems that the man has finally risen out of the cult film world and has gained the recognition he deserves.
I think the reason behind his talents his that he knows exactly what to give his viewers at any given moment. Whether that be a funny little dance number by Baby Groot above or knowing when to let loose with some crazy action sequences. His casting decisions are also a big positive here, with Chris Pratt always delivering some great lines and having a lot of heart. Oddly enough though, despite the sequel centering around his character so much, it really doesn't seem to give him a lot of film space during the two and a half hour running time. This is mainly due to so much being crammed into the film, albeit in a spacious and well maintained way. This movie could have easily felt bloated and have too much going on all at once, but Gunn manages to space everything out rather neatly and gives everyone a little bit for themselves and other than Baby Groot (who just needs to be adorable) everyone grows a little in character as well, which is very difficult for a large roster of actors to pull off right.
The film really doesn't offer much beyond the usual superhero film checklists however, with these Marvel and DC Comics films it's more about doing those tropes correctly while sprinkling something in that can keep it unique or interesting until the next film and 'Guardians 2' does this well enough, even better than the original in fact but I wouldn't be going in expecting much change from the first other than the usual polish a well done sequel may have. 'Doctor Strange' last year had some large roadblocks keeping it back from being in the same league as 'Guardians' and it comes down to many factors which we won't discuss in detail here, but for me it comes down to character, humor, and action with a Marvel film. Those three checks need to maintain a good balance to win in my book and I'm happy to say that the scale has tilted back.
Summer 2017 has finally arrived and it's a hell of a start to say the least. 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' is a great transition into the future 'Infinity War' films, which are sure to be some of the most insane superhero flicks yet. This movie is a perfect catalyst to start off Phase 3 and it's the best movie I've seen in months. Check this one out for sure. P.S. wait through the credits for FIVE mid credits sequences. They're great for a laugh.
(A-)
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