Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) ****

James Gunn is back, writing and directing the sequel to the successful 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney, it is the fifteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Vol. 2’s impressive cast includes Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Sylvester Stallone, and Kurt Russell.
This film mixes a bunch of genres, including superheroes comics, Sci-Fi, fantasy, romance, action and comedy. Yet if only one genre was to be picked, despite the film being based on comics, it should be, without doubt, comedy. While the storyline is as thin and infantile as a young twig, it serves one purpose – delivering perfect punchlines. And yes, the special-effects are cool, the acting is lovely, there is exploration of the theme of love – between father and son, rival sisters, mentor and mentee, as well as between friends, but it all boils down to well-timed humor. Without that, the Guardians would be just another shoot-them-all in space bore. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 makes for a pleasing afternoon at the movies.