It’s now tradition that a Marvel movie kick off the summer movie season. The question always remain on how good it will be. This one is a good outing. Comic book movies have really become a genre onto themselves and they are not always easy to judge. Just because one has a strong box office does not necessarily mean that it was a quality film. Marvel took a big risk when they made the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie as the title did not have the same recognition as Captain America or Iron Man. The gamble paid off and that was largely due to the writing and direction of James Gunn by giving the audience a wild romp that had not yet been seen in the Marvel Universe at that time.

Vol 2 surpasses the first movie. For one, it is very funny throughout. More than anything else, you will hear a lot of laughter in your theater. Second, the picture carries a strong message about family. Not just about our blood relatives, but also to those people who are closest to us in out lives. Other movies have certainly explored this theme, but it is not one you’d expect from a super hero movie. The Avengers are a team, the Guardians of the Galaxy are a family!

The visuals and special effects are pretty astonishing. It’s even worth seeing the movie in 3D to help take in all the eye candy Gunn and cinematographer, Henry Braham provides us on this ride. The movie doesn’t always work when it tries to be sentimental, but it ends on a strong note giving a good kick off to the 2017 summer movie season. We’ll have to see if that momentum can be sustained.

3 Swords