Is the new 'Guardians of the Galaxy' on equal footing with the first?: CT Entertainment

[Also: A film about the virtues of improv] Also: A film about the virtues of improv | [View online]( [ChristianityToday.org]( [Donate]( [Christianity Today Entertainment Newsletter]( Friday, May 12, 2017 Is the new 'Guardians of the Galaxy' on equal footing with the first? Each week CT's critics offer suggestions for art and entertainment they found encouraging, valuable, or reflective of the good, the true, and the beautiful in God's world. Not every suggestion is suitable for everyone, and each reader is encouraged to investigate the ratings and accompanying content warnings of each suggestion. I took a pretty big step last week and started taking improv classes. I'm a relatively stand-offish person, especially around strangers, and I suffer from what seems like chronic self-consciousness. I thought improv might be able to help with that. By the end of the first three-hour class, I was pretty happy with how it'd gone. I wasn't comfortable, by any means. In fact I felt pretty exposed the entire class, but improv has a way of forcing your attention on others. I found myself not just focusing less on myself but more invested in others. It was a pretty miraculous thing to experience, to be honest. Because of this, I was pretty excited to see that Don't Think Twice had arrived on Netflix. A comedy centered on the life of an improv comedy troupe called The Commune, it's a thoughtful exploration of what it means to be successful and how using our friendships toward certain professional ends can result in downplaying one another's humanity. What struck me most was (and no spoilers here, just broad themes) that even though the improv group's relationships were challenged and tested when the hint of success appeared before them, their actual performances served as a kind of routine liturgy that got them back into a mode of other-centeredness. In my class, there are three rules we're taught right off the bat: 1. Say "Yes and … " 2. No judgment allowed. 3. Don't try to be funny. Each of these rules has something in common: It's not about me. It's about the group. So these days I'm thinking of improv as a way to give to others gifts, to make the person next to me look good, and to hopefully blend into the background. I don't always need to be seen, even by myself. If you're familiar with improv and have tips, or if you're terrified of trying it (you really should try it!) and want to share your dread, you know what to do: rclark@christianitytoday.com. [Richard Clark](mailto:rclark@christianitytoday.com) [Richard Clark](mailto:rclark@christianitytoday.com) [Richard Clark](mailto:rclark@christianitytoday.com) Online Managing Editor Christianity Today, [@TheRichardClark]( Slowdive - Slowdive | Album Re-forming after 20 years away, Slowdive serves up a slice of sonic deliciousness with their self-titled return. It is an album full of musical desserts that delight and awash the ears in multi-layered nougats of sound. Glamorous sparkling guitars, soul-resonating bass, lavishly opaque synths, and whispering angelic voices fill the eight tracks of other-worldly campfire tunes to accompany a starry night. Listeners will want to slumber in the sumptuous layers of the extravagant sonic dreamscapes of "Slomo" and gorge themselves on the peaceful ruckus contained in "Don't Know Why." Luxuriating within the satin sounds of Slowdive, one will be beholden to the ever-widening expanse of sublime distortion while enjoying the indecipherable heavenly harmonies murmuring sweet nothings. It is music that will move listeners to weep at its furiously blazing beauty. — [Matthew Linder]( [Available on iTunes and Streaming Services] Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | Film Marvel Studios and director James Gunn bring the "obvious" sequel to 2014's breakout comedy space adventure Guardians of the Galaxy. Vol. 2 blessedly shows little interest in outdoing the first film's spectacle and scope, though the movie treats us to plenty of colorful space-opera battles and worlds. Unfortunately, Vol. 2's comical moments can distract from its own narrative potential, often preferring puerile and self-aware flippant dialogue over jokes that help develop our heroes. Even in the central story, Earth abductee Peter Quill's quickly unraveled lost-father mystery offers few surprises. Instead it's the team-up between overthrown space pirate captain Yondu and woodland mercenary Rocket Raccoon that really steal the show. Yondu in particular finds himself facing the consequences of a life spent ravaging and chasing hedonism. His eventual failure to find meaning in his own surrogate family, and his story's sobering turn toward a deeper fulfillment, could come as a cautionary tale to the titular Guardians themselves and to future blockbuster films that value flippancy over humanity. — [E. Stephen Burnett]( [Now in theaters] Batman & Bill | Documentary Watch the opening credits for last year's Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice carefully and you may notice that for the first time ever Bill Finger is officially acknowledged for co-creating Batman with Bob Kane. Those few seconds of screen time went largely unnoticed by audiences taking their seats and turning off cell phones, but when they are shown at the end of Batman & Bill they provide a visceral emotional charge. Finger's story of being overlooked and unappreciated has deep emotional resonance, and Batman & Bill taps into those emotions deftly. Ultimately, the documentary becomes more than just the story of one man wronged. It eventually serves as an archetype for anyone who has tried to contribute to a team only to have someone else claim the credit, glory, and rewards that follow in the wake of the team's success. Culturally, we have monuments to the unknown soldiers—those who contributed to our freedom but whose names were forgotten. Batman & Bill is a monument of sorts to the unknown artists. Even as one finally gets his due recognition, we are invited to reflect on countless others who will remain unknown to us but whose works enrich our lives. — [Kenneth R. Morefield]( [Available on Hulu] ['The Handmaid's Tale' Wants Us to Heed the Threat of 'Fundamentalism']( The question is: Which one? S.D. Kelly [In the Gorgeous 'Your Name,' Love Is a Liturgy]( Makoto Shinkai's body-swap anime shows how habit and happenstance refine desire. Luke T. Harrington ['The Leftovers' Explores the Fallout of a Godless Rapture]( As it enters its third season, the acclaimed drama continues to take a long, hard look at our responses to loss. Tyler Glodjo [Kendrick Lamar's Duel with Damnation]( The influential rapper's latest record is all about our fear of being condemned. Matthew Linder Follow Us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Google+]( [RSS]( [Subscribe to this newsletter]( IN THE MAGAZINE [Current Issue]( [The Science of Sinning Less]( [What to Make of Donald Trump's Soul]( [Why Don't the Gospel Writers Tell the Same Story?]( [View Full Issue]( [Subscribe Now]( More from Christianity Today [5 Simple Statements Any Small Church Pastor Would Love To Hear]( It takes so little to remind a small church pastor that you care for them and are asking God to bless them. [Indonesia's Blasphemy Conviction Threatens Muslim Democracy. But I Still Have Hope.]( Why Christians should support the type of Muslims who support Ahok. [The Cross-Resurrection Contradiction]( At the heart of Christian faith is a commitment to a God who enters into suffering. Related CT Newsletters [The Galli Report]( Weekly must-reads from the editor of CT. [Sign Up Now]( [CT Connection]( The official newsletter of the global media ministry. 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