Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Is Certified Fresh

This week at the movies, we welcome the return of Marvel’s spacefaring misfits (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, starring Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana) and herald the arrival of a long list of limited releases. What are the critics saying?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) 85%

A talking raccoon, a giant sentient tree, a couple of green people, and that one guy from Parks and Recreation. Before the first Guardians of the Galaxy strode into theaters and whooped blockbuster butt, more than a few people thought it might mark the end of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s incredible box office streak; many hundreds of millions of dollars later, we’re ready to turn out for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which reunites our lovable gang of scrappy galactic do-gooders for another round of space adventures — and no one’s predicting anything but success. Of course, it’s hard for anything to feel quite as fresh the second time around, and critics say diminishing returns are definitely an issue with Guardians‘ second installment; while the vast majority of reviews have been positive, a number have also pointed out that the franchise’s rapid-fire humor and thrilling visual spectacle don’t stick the landing quite as often, and it doesn’t help that the story keeps our heroes apart for an extended stretch. Still, it all adds up to a couple hours of colorful fun — and if that doesn’t describe what a comic book movie oughta be, what does?

Also Opening This Week In Limited Release

• Last Men in Aleppo (2017) 97% , a documentary about real-life relief workers on the ground in the midst of potentially lethal unrest, is at 100 percent.
• Mom and Me (2015) 100% , a documentary examining the relationships between men and their mothers, is at 100 percent.
• Burden (2016) 97% , a documentary look at the legacy of performance artist Chris Burden, is at 92 percent.
• Risk (2016) 80% , a documentary focusing on controversial figure Julian Assange, is at 90 percent.
• The Lovers (2017) 81% , starring Debra Winger and Tracy Letts as a long-married couple whose affairs are complicated by a re-emerging spark in their relationship, is at 88 percent.
• La pazza gioia (2016) 84% , about a friendship between two young psychiatric patients, is at 79 percent.
• A Woman's Life (2016) 82% , a period drama about… a woman’s life, is at 77 percent.
• The Bleeder (2016) 82% , starring Liev Schreiber as real-life boxer (and Rocky inspiration) Chuck Wepner, is at 74 percent.
• Another Evil (2016) 67% , a comedy about a man who hires an exorcist to purge his vacation home of a problematic spirit, is at 73 percent.
• The Dinner (2017) 46% , the latest adaptation of the bestselling book about a tense meal shared by parents privy to a terrible secret, is at 50 percent.
• 3 Generations (2015) 30% , about a young girl’s (Elle Fanning) gender transition and the way it affects her family, is at 32 percent.
• Take Me (2017) 68% , about the comedy of errors that ensues after a kidnapper-for-hire takes the wrong gig, is at 29 percent.
• The Warrior's Gate (2016) 44% , a fantasy martial arts action adventure starring Dave Bautista as a barbarian king, is at 20 percent.