The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a monumental success for all involved. Comic book and superhero fans have marveled (pun intended) at their favorite characters recreated on the big screen. Names like Tony Stark and Steve Rodgers were merely just illustrated characters which resonated amongst many fans. So, it isn’t a surprise that film adaptations were highly successful.

But then there was this other movie. A movie which featured a weird cast of a tall tree, talking raccoon, green woman, blue warrior and a human (who isn’t exactly normal).

Oh, and the movie took place in space. Or “galaxy” for a better term. Surely this movie wouldn’t work? Well, it did work. And I mean really worked. "Guardians of the Galaxy" saw tremendous success both in box office numbers and critical ratings. So, a sequel was a must see.

The sequel follows the journey of Peter Quill and the Guardians. Peter grew up without a father and lost his mother at a very early age. So, the absence of his parents really affected him emotionally. However, this will all change when he meets a mysterious “man” – Ego. He announces to Peter that he is his father.

Does the movie deliver?

Short Answer: Yes."Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2" checks all the points on making a great sequel.

Director James Gunn understood what ultimately made the "Guardians of the Galaxy" a success – the characters. Better yet, the chemistry amongst the characters. Each character had substance and purpose in the movie. And all were utilized very well.The biggest issue with a huge cast is the amount arcs that come with it. However, each arc in the movie provided us with both story and character development.

On top of that, we see the team grow and become more accustomed to each other.

While the writers deserve credit, so do the actors. Each actor delivered in their roles, allowing us all to fully invest in each character. All actors (and voice actors) continue where they left off from the last movie. It honestly is difficult to pinpoint which actor performed best because they all did their part.

They all deserve acknowledgment. Although, one actor worth noting is Kurt Russell. With most of the cast returning from "Guardians of the Galaxy", it was a monumental task to fit in with the rest. And Russell succeeded, holding his own. With this being Russell’s introduction to the MCU, we hope that now more A-list actors jump on the opportunity to participate.

Another aspect worth mentioning in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2" is the visuals. With the movie set in space, Gunn had a limitless range to work with. And he very much succeeded in doing so. The universe was beautiful in every sense of the word. One aspect that really stood out was the grand scale. Gunn excellently portrayed space and the universe to be vast.

This provides us with the feeling that there still is very much a lot still to see.

Continuing with Gunn, his direction in the movie was immensely impressive. He mixed epic sequences with slow motion scenes and numerous shots which resonate off the screen. An IMAX viewing will truly represent the amazing work put in by Gunn and the visuals team.

Is the movie better than the first?

Now, this is the main question on everyone’s mind. "Guardians of the Galaxy" was a perfect mix, so it was worth wondering if "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2" will be better. The answer: Yes and no.

Yes, that can seem confusing but that is the best answer I can give. Yes, because we are given the same experience we loved from "Guardians of the Galaxy", but bigger.

We see the same quirky humor and more of it. All the characters provided their own humor of some sorts which makes this perhaps the funniest MCU movie to date.We get more epic fight and battle sequences. They’re grander and will resonate with you. We get more of a story - learning about Peter’s father and his ventures. However, this isn’t the only story we follow.

The theme of the overall movie is family. We see the family dynamic between Gamora and the returning Nebula. The two daughters of Thanos who had a troubled childhood. Drax and the newly introduced Mantis. Both have lost their family. Rocket and Yondu. They both refuse to love and push away their “family”. And then we have Groot, who is the baby of the family.

So, whilst having everything that made "Guardians of the Galaxy" great, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2" added one more element – emotion. Yes, the first movie had it too but this movie centered on it. The life of the movie was the emotional connection between the characters. And there were many moments which tug on your heart strings.

Now, how can the first movie still be better? Well quite simply, because it came first. I know that may not be a good reason but one thing "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2" could not do is replicate the surprise of the first movie. "Guardians of the Galaxy" flew under the radar and surprised everyone with its success. And because of that success, the sequel was overly hyped.

Don’t get me wrong, it lived up to the hype. But the ultimate surprise of the first movie is truly what made it great. Imagine repeatedly listening to a song you really love. And then you find a remix to that song. You may like the remix, but the original will still stick with you. However, over time you may grow to love the remix. And that’s what "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2" needs – time.

Speaking of songs, “Awesome Mix Vol 2” doesn’t have the same impact as the first mix. However, it’s still awesome (as the name would suggest). Much like the first movie, the soundtrack was used tremendously. They even used it to their advantage to add to the story. The Guardians franchise continues to have one of the best soundtracks.

Conclusion

Overall, if it wasn’t clear already "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2" was a great watch. Everything that you want in a movie is presented. Whether it would be humor, action or even emotions – the movie delivered. And Marvel fans will be amazed by the after-credit scenes as usual (with five post credit scenes I might add). "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2" is another win for Marvel Studios.
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