All the way back in 2014, Right out of Parks and Rec., Chris Pratt hit real stardom after he took on the role of the clever but emotionally complex Peter Quill or “Star Lord”. It was a real shock. Many who already knew of Chris Pratt knew him as the husky goofball Andy; watching him emerge on the IMAX 3D big screen, toned and muscular, as a sharp-tongued space mercenary with a love of 80s music and kickin’ ass was like watching a whole new actor take the stage. Chris has talked about the physical transformation he underwent and said that being in shape changed his emotional state and health for the better and that after he trimmed down and shaped up for Guardians of The Galaxy (2014) he did not want to go back. It would seem his new look and starring role in the high-budget, highly acclaimed Marvel movie set him up for success as he gained a primary role in Jurassic World (2015). For a while, he seemed to be THE NAME in entertainment with Guardians (2014) being the talk of the town, lots of interviews and talk show appearances and even an appearance hosting Saturday Night Live.

He continued on to a primary role in Magnificent 7 (2016), and a starring role in Passengers (2016). Each time he appeared no longer as a goofy man-child sort of a character but as a sharp-witted, roguishly handsome lone wolf who seems to want to beguile but ultimately has a heart of gold. So now what? Chris is starring again in Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) but can it live up to the original? Sequels do have a way of rehashing old dynamics and usually end up being uneventful. That is thankfully not the case with this film.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) not only brings back the same humor, action, and characters as the first film, but it actually makes a lot of improvements. The humor is sharper, faster and far harder to anticipate. The writers of this film will forgo the predictable flow of just about any scene to pump some laughs in and have no trouble working them in so the film still has uninterrupted progression and real drama and intrigue. It also goes without saying that the CGI animation and visuals are impeccable once again.

But what really makes this movie strong is the attention it gives each character. There is an overall focus on Peter Quill, but there is still lots of screen time with Rocket, Gamora, baby Groot, Drax, and a few other faces. Even if some of the other characters received shallower development, there were still plenty of great scenes with each. To keep this spoiler free I won’t go in depth on the plot, but I will say that you will learn a great deal about who Peter Quill is in terms of his past as well as his character. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) is wildly funny, action-packed, and touching, living up to the first movie and maybe even going a little beyond.