To be quite honest, I do not like superhero movies that much. Sure, they might be all the rage at this particular point in time, but there is such an overabundance of them, each filled with sci-fi monsters, explosions, and elaborate fight scenes that, sometimes, the whole formula just becomes a bit too repetitive for my tastes. However, people like what they like,

and that is okay. We cannot all like the same things. And, sometimes, even when we claim to not be too fond of one thing (as I have just done with superhero movies), there are times when exceptions within the body of that one thing can be found (as with how I feel about the Guardians of the Galaxy movies).

The first film in the franchise, released in 2014, was simply a fantastic departure from other superhero movies that I had seen up to that point. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about it: the characters, the humour, the actions scenes, the emotional content, etc. Then, as movies do, Guardians of the Galaxy came and went and I moved on with my life, reverting to not being impressed by most superhero movies and comic book adaptations. Then, a couple of years later, came the news that the sequel was being released, and I began to contemplate whether I should see Vol. 2, questioning whether it would be as good as its predecessor. I convinced myself that it would be an inferior film – only, after actually watching it, to be happily proven wrong.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is as interesting and entertaining as the first film. It continues the saga of the Guardians of the Galaxy (Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Baby Groot, played by Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, respectively) who invoke the wrath of the golden-hued race, the Sovereign, and their leader, Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki) before facing off against Gamora’s vengeful sister, Nebula (Karen Gillan). Later, the group meets Quill’s biological father, Ego (Kurt Russell) and his pet empath, Mantis (Pom Klementieff), as well as Quill’s adoptive father, Yondu (Michael Rooker).

If that sounds like a vast cast and very complicated storyline, then that is exactly right. The Guardians of the Galaxy universe is vast and new and old characters constantly appear, making the story richer in the way all of these various personas are incorporated into the plot and the ways in which new relationships are formed, forcing the characters to interact with each other in newer and subtler ways, which only enhances the audience experience of the film.
Take for example, the relationship between Gamora and Nebula – which, while only glossed over in the first film, is more explored and becomes more layered in the second. Karen Gillan’s performance of Nebula is strong, and her arc of being the villain who comes over to the good side is embellished by the fact that the character is not entirely reformed which adds complexity to the scenes where Gamora and Nebula try to overcome their past differences or when either one of them saves the other’s life.

The relationship between Ego and Quill is another interesting one. Ego, Quill’s ever-absent father, finally makes his appearance to both Quill and the audience. Not only do we get to see two really good actors play against each other, but we also get to see much of the emotional content that I was worried would be absent from this film. This relationship adds new dimensions to the way we see Quill, his mother, his father, and allows us to question the very notion of fatherhood and parents, especially when Ego is contrasted with Yondu.
Even the minor characters and their interactions are worth mentioning. Mantis, for example, and her conversations with Drax are one of the highlights of the film.

The humour is also always sharp and quick, and invokes laughter exactly when laughter is needed. Elizabeth Debicki is a very good actress and her portrayal of the haughty and high-strung High Priestess is very, very funny. One does end up hoping her role in the next film in the series is much larger.

Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is funny, action-packed and entertaining, while managing to continue exploring and developing its characters, its universe and its own mythos. These are all solid reasons why people should see this movie. Also, Baby Groot.