‘Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2’ entertains but never charms
As with many sequels, “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2” takes every single thing (and I mean every tiny detail) audiences enjoyed about the first film and turns it up to 11.
Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) is more of a jerk. Drax (Dave Bautista, a bit of a breakout character this time around) is dumber and more direct. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) is all business. Baby Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) is impossibly cute.
And yet Peter “Star-Lord” Quill, whom Chris Pratt played with almost superhuman charm in a star-marking role in the first movie, is somehow a bit less Peter Quillish — less roguish and less interesting
Written and directed by James Gunn, who co-wrote and helmed the first one, “Vol. 2” juggles all sort of modes.
The comedy is broader and jokier. The action is more violent — in fact, between a whole lot of surprisingly scatological humor and a whole mess of death, “Vol. 2” leans harder on the 13 than the PG part of its rating.
The CGI is more flagrantly candy-colored and obvious — there are a few points where actors look a tad lost, very obviously in front of a green screen, looking unsure as to where they should be pointing their eyes.
Some of the weirder, more comic-booky elements of Marvel’s cosmic end make cameo appearances — you could hear a lot of lifelong Jack Kirby fans “whoo-hooing” when a certain coterie of bald guys with enormous heads in blue cloaks showed up on screen. (No idea what that means? Trust