Tim Lammers reviews ‘Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 2’

(If you want some spoilers for those scenes, or if you’ve already seen the movie: Read Decoding the secrets of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 post-credit sequences.) Some of the humor in the movie was semi-vulgar, but nothing that wouldn’t go over the heads of younger viewers. The lovable Drax makes up for the fact Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord deals with Daddy issues for most of the film and Groot (although adorable) is sidelined compared to last time.

2 focuses on answering the question that it’s predecessor set up: who is Star Lord’s dad?

And while we appreciate the film’s willingness to delve into such themes as family relationships and childhood trauma, there are far too many stretches of pure action that, despite being technically impressive, are mind-numbing as well.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is written and directed by James Gunn and stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as Baby Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Tommy Flanagan, Laura Haddock, with Sylvester Stallone, and Kurt Russell. First off, there’s no MacGuffin.

Like the first film, Volume 2 also relies on evoking a fair amount of nostalgia with a brilliant soundtrack. The story up to that point is driven entirely by the characters. “Like, wow, it was disappointing because I thought Drax was going to be so much more”, said the actor.

We also get a amusing scene featuring Kraglin trying to control Yondu’s arrow (which hits Drax in the neck), and Stan Lee clowning around with the Watchers. This sequel gives them the chance to shine. As a sci-fi comedy, it works and these characters get embedded into our psyche making audiences crave for more, hence, expect the third installment at some point. They become an emotional investment.

The worst part about “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is that it would be pure magic if only it weren’t preceded by the incredible “Guardians of the Galaxy”.

Aside from writing an entertaining and stellar script, Gunn also returns to direct in a beautifully original fashion.

“The Guardians of the Galaxy” are back in a big way, fighting side-by-side, bantering like a comically dysfunctional family and wearing their hearts on their sleeves.

So moviegoers who head out to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 should do not forget to stay all the way until the end and enjoy all five after-credits scenes, with a glimpse of the third movie in the series. There is a lot of death.

Both hard-core comic fans and more casual movie fans will be happy with the results, though parents may cringe to find “Vol. 2” a bit more crude and violent than the first film.

Guardians Of The Galaxy are now famous after their first brush at saving the galaxy. I would recommend seeing the film in 2D, because the effects when seeing it in 3D were nearly overwhelming at times. However, the real credit in this film goes to the supporting Guardians.

If not a space attack, then an asteroid field is the next best visual obstacle course for a space adventure and the guardians have to contend with one too.