Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Daddy issues on a galactic scale

Following on from his 2014's surprise smash hit, James Gunn has knocked it out of the park once again with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. If the first Guardians film was based around introducing the social outcasts who would band together to save the galaxy, the sequel is all about how each one lives with their social differences to then save the galaxy once more despite clashing egos from time to time. (see what I did there?)

Taking place only a few months after defeating Ronin and saving the galaxy from certain destruction, Starlord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Baustista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel) find themselves aiding a group of self proclaimed superior beings called the Sovereign before, in classic anti-hero fashion, stealing from behind their backs and thus being forced to flee. After recapturing Gamora's grudge holding sister Nebula (Karen Gillan), our Guardians come into contact with a being known only as Ego (Kurt Russell) who claims to be Peter's long lost father! Before long our heroes uncover a plot to destroy the entire galaxy and they must team up with each other, putting aside their differences to do what they do best, insult one another to the point where they realise that they are in fact all freakish outsiders who deserve each other. Oh and prevent a psychotic being from destroying the galaxy.

From the get go, we are presented with a hilarious sketch of Baby Groot having a groove to Mr. Blue sky whilst his fellow Guardians battle a seemingly invincible creature. His moments in the film take on the leading comedic role as his comic innocence as well as his infant like mind outshine each of the other characters. 'Cute' is the first word that comes to mind when you see his little face react to every single character interaction. This is why Vol. 2 is so much funnier than its predecessor as new characters we had no idea who could be so hilarious introduced in the first film are given more screen time. We learn about Nebula's reasoning behind her hatred for both Gamora and Thanos, leading to further anticipation to what will transpire in Avengers: Infinity War. Yondu (Micheal Rooker) is also roped into guarding the galaxy which, again, gives fresh perspective on a character once thought to be quite calculating in the original. He is a witty, caring and at times, brutal addition to the team who has by far one of the most emotional scenes in any movie in the MCU.

The soundtrack, Awesome Mix vol.2, does not bang as much as the first unfortunately. Where it is still a fun mix of classic songs from the 60s and 70s, there is just something about the first awesome mix that made it special blend of anthems that defined a generation. It is still in keeping with the love Peter has for the memory of his mother which is a consistent theme throughout the film. Ego's connection with Peter's mother does however add another layer of love to the soundtrack as he shares his love with Peter by reciting certain songs with him.

Where some take issues in this film with either its use of humour, pacing, or the run of the mill storyline of a dad who abandoned his unborn child is then reunited to show how much he loves his son, I find few faults in this film. Not only is this a hilarious action filled thrill ride with the best Stan Lee cameo appearance ever, it is an emotional film which expresses how different the Guardians are to the likes of the Avengers, or any heroes for that matter. They are clearly flawed in their separate personalities but that is what makes them the guardians they are. Together they are a force to be reckoned with against the best villain in the MCU since Ultron. Oh and if you haven't seen it yet, do stick around for the 5 after credit scenes as they are something really freakin' special. Except they don't use the word freakin'...

9/10