STORY

In ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ the newfound team’s adventures continue as they fight their way to unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage.

REVIEW

With the exception of ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has notoriously struggled with their sequels. Be it Iron Man, Thor, or even The Avengers – none of the follow-ups managed to capture their predecessor’s magic. It’s not too surprising then that writer & director James Gunn tries to regurgitate the lightning–in-a-bottle success of the first film, by replicating some of the comedic elements that worked for it. Which isn’t entirely a bad thing – as this is arguably the most vibrant and whimsical comic book film we’ve seen in a while, and that’s precisely what it should be.

The movie’s ability to exist on it’s own two legs as an engaging, science-fiction story is it’s strongest point. This might come across as a disappointment to fans expecting a setup to upcoming films – ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Thor: Ragnarok’, but keeping the proceedings self-contained to this ragtag bunch of anti-heroes is hardly a detrimental factor. In fact, it allows for a more personal look at each of these previously obscure characters, and delves into their individual psyches.

Since we’re relatively familiar with some of their idiosyncrasies, Gunn allows them to run wild to humorous effect, while revealing crucial aspects of their respective backstories. ‘No small parts’ is appropriate here, which is testament to Gunn’s ability as a writer and director to juggle a number of outlandish personalities – both old and new. He also extracts strong performances from a diverse bunch of actors, and all of them bring their A-game to the table as their prominent chemistry with each other is on full display.