By Susan JAMES

One thing that has kept so many marvelous Marvel sagas spinning in the air is their makers’ recognition that behind all the explosions, superpowers and angst-ridden apocalyptic adventures, what is real is the way in which the characters relate to each other. Family and the definition of family have been major themes from Iron/Bat/Super/Spiderman to the group hug of “The Avengers.” One of the funniest alternative families in the galaxy was introduced in 2014 in the first “Guardians” film: a raccoon, an animated tree, a destroying hulk, a human looking for his origins and an extraterrestrial warrior trying to find her place in the galaxy. On its second voyage, “Guardians of the Galaxy 2” is just as good and just as funny as its first.

Director James Gunn, who wrote the first “Guardians” script and who co-wrote and directed here keeps the action tightly paced. From a clever opening sequence, focusing on the gyrating twig of baby Groot (voiced by Vin Deisel) as he ignores the epic battle going on around him, to the final “we are family” moment when villains redeem themselves and the galaxy is saved yet again, the mood is relaxed rather than ominous or foreboding. Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, lost space orphan looking for his father, is a master of one-liners and raised eyebrows. His frequent foil, the luscious, green-skinned Gamora, played by Zoe Saldana, is every bit his match.

After the cataclysmic opening, it’s revealed that the Guardians have been hired by a genetically engineered super-race called the Sovereign (think supermodels dipped in gold paint) led by their arrogant queen Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki). Ayesha wants them to retrieve a shipment of stolen batteries, a job the Guardians successfully undertake only to have the raucous Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) mess it up by keeping some for himself. For the Sovereign this is a deadly betrayal so Ayesha hires a group of thugs called the Ravagers to scour the galaxy and track them down. Under the leadership of Quill’s erstwhile master Yondu (Michael Rooker) the Ravagers attack. As the ensuing battle goes against them, the Guardians are saved in the nick of time by a mysterious space traveler with the not so subtle name of Ego (Kurt Russell). Ego comes from a planet at the far edge of the galaxy and for reasons of his own is eager for Peter Quill to visit. How could a curious Star Lord resist?

While the plot is hardly complex, the sharp dialogue and CGI’d action keep everything moving. In between battles, bullies and physical bravado, the characters fling verbal barbs at each other like well-honed darts. A strong sentimental streak runs throughout attached to the definition of who is and who isn’t family, and the soundtrack featuring Golden Oldies from the 1970s, headlined by the Looking Glass recording of “Brandy,” adds a strangely retro flavor to the entire film. Outstanding as he was in the first “Guardians,” the off-screen presence of Bradley Cooper, who voices Rocket, invests this very human non-human with so much character that he about steals the film. It’s a three-ring galactic circus so remember to pack your star kit and space suit and don’t forget your taser.

See you at the movies!

  susan james