Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 - Blu-ray

Film: When Guardians of the Galaxy, a rather unknown troupe from the MARVEL universe, was sent into theaters in 2014, it was in some ways a big risk. For although the MARVEL films have always been a safe bet, this was by no means a guarantee that these rather quirky space heroes would also be able to lure the masses into the movie theaters. Nevertheless, the director James Gunn (Slither), until then known only to a small genre audience, was entrusted with a mega-budget of 170 million dollars. The courage paid off, as Guardians of the Galaxy became a mega-hit and its protagonists absolute crowd-pleasers.

And so Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), also called Star Lord, raccoon Rocket Racoon (in the German version voiced by Fahri Yardim), tree man Groot in simply wonderful Baby Groot variant, the mysterious Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and the bear-strong Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) may now save the universe a second time. The fact that the concept of justice is sometimes interpreted very freely, brings them on a new mission due trouble, so that they suddenly see themselves pursued by the huge fleet of an entire people. But they are rescued from the predicament by a mysterious stranger. His name is Ego (Kurt Russell), who claims to be Peter's father. While Rocket and Baby Groot scramble to get their battered ship back on track while keeping an eye on the Nebula (Karen Gillan) they're holding, Peter, Gamora and Drax follow Ego to his planet - unaware of the dangers that await the Guardians from all sides.

One thing right off the bat: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is good! Very good, even, judging by its entertainment value. There are an awful lot of funny moments, decent action, and great effects. And Baby Groot is just to die for! However, here comes a big BUT: The sequel simply lacks the surprise effect of the first movie. Back then, viewers just didn't know what to expect. The trailers just weren't meaningful enough for that. With Vol. 2 there is now already a certain expectation, which is enormously high with many fans. And James Gunn has given everything to fulfill these expectations. As a result, the film lacks the carefree lightness of the first film in some places and tries a little too hard to surpass its wit, originality and action. And that, unfortunately, very rarely works.

Thus, those who approach this sequel with too high expectations might be disappointed. But if you just want to have more fun with the crazy crew, you'll get your money's worth. The story is a bit thin, but it provides a lot of answers to questions that were left unanswered at the end of Part 1. Otherwise, James Gunn remains true to the proven formula in part 2: There are pithy sayings, an extremely cool soundtrack and fast-paced space battles - all spiced with a good dose of humor. On a very positive note, the makers have actually managed to keep some surprises a secret until the end. So there are actually a few good "aha" moments, which in conjunction with the other positive aspects of the film easily override the forgivable weaknesses.

All in all, then, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is perfect popcorn cinema. Colorful, fun, action-packed, and cool - exactly how a comic book adaptation should be. And it's a movie that's really worth watching to the end, because during the credits there's not one and not two credit scenes, as you've long been used to from MARVEL movies, but five! All in all, all this is enough for a galactically good: absolutely worth seeing!!!

Picture + Sound: Shockingly weak colors, noticeable blurring, artifacts or washed out contrasts - you won't find any of that here. Phew! But that wasn't to be expected from a technically perfect blockbuster, was it? And so it's no real surprise that the Blu-ray presentation of Vol. 2 is excellent, to say the least. A razor sharp image, a pleasant picture depth and rich colors make the film a real pleasure in the home theater. And also the very well mixed sound can score points not only in the action-heavy scenes with a lot of surround feeling and powerful effects. Very good!

Extras: The additional offer is good, although not overwhelming. It starts off with an entertaining and informative audio commentary by James Gunn, where it once again becomes clear how much passion the director puts into his films. It continues with a four-part making of (approx. 37:39 min.), which is quite decent, but unfortunately also very conventional. A funny music video for the song Guardians Inferno (approx. 3:35 min.), a gag reel (approx. 3:41 min.), and four cut or extended scenes with unfinished effects (approx. 5:04 min.) are also on the menu.

Conclusion: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is colorful, amusing, action-packed and cool - exactly how a comic book adaptation should be. True, it lacks the surprise effect of Vol. 1 and some scenes are too drawn out. But overall, the sequel offers perfect popcorn entertainment, which is brought to the home theater on the Blu-ray in great picture and sound quality. The bonus material is nice, but could have been a little more extensive and also a little less conventional. All in all, however, there is here again a clear: Absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp