Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Title: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Release Date:  5 May 2017
Director: James Gunn
Production Company: Marvel Studios
Summary/Review:

Here’s the rare case of a sequel being a VAST improvement on its predecessor.  Vol. 2 actually gives time between the massive action set pieces for the characters to breath, and we get to learn a lot about them and see them grow.  This movie does a lot with relationships, Quill and Ego, Gamora and Nebula, Drax and Mantis, and Rocket and … well, everyone who makes him question being part of a team/family, that help flesh out all of these characters.  And Yondu, who seemed like a blue-faced parody of Michael Rooker’s character on The Walking Dead in Vol. 1, steals the show as Quill’s real “daddy.”  As for those action sequences, they are much better choreographed, and the visuals in the movie on the whole are stunning. There are bust a gut laugh moments and gravitas galore. And Baby Groot is so cyoot!  Let’s hope the trend continues and that Vol. 3 is even better.

Rating: ***1/2