Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2 (12A)

Three stars

Dir: James Gunn

With: Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Kurt Russell

Running time: 138mins

THREE years ago, James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy surpassed expectations to become one of the coolest and freshest blockbusters of the year and the fifth biggest box office film of any Marvel title. The follow-up retains that same sense of cool for long periods but feels decidedly less fresh, while also suffering from sequel fatigue during its latter stages.

Gunn, returning as both writer and director, throws everything at the screen – from dazzling visuals to fun cameos as well as laugh-out-loud humour and feel-good song choices – but he also falls prone to self-indulgence as well as the need to try and outdo the first film at every turn.

It means that Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2 sometimes feels caught between doing what’s expected of a sequel and Gunn’s own subversive style, which leant the original such a distinct identity in the first place.

For the first hour or so, Volume 2 is a blast. Gunn’s ability to surprise is evident from the outset in the way that he opts to focus on a dancing baby Groot (still growing back to full strength after his sacrifice at the climax of the original) rather than his fellow Guardians as they do battle with a giant space monster intent on devouring some over-sized batteries owned by an alien race named The Sovereign.

It’s a bravura opening that almost immediately recaptures that same sense of revelry and inspiration that had audiences departing Guardians 1 with such a big smile on their face.

Having helped The Sovereign, however, the Guardians soon find themselves at odds with them and being chased across the galaxy until they are rescued by a character named Ego (Kurt Russell), a Living Planet that can take the form of man, who claims to be the long-lost father of main hero Peter Quill (Chris Pratt).

Whisking some of the Guardians off to his planet (the concept is as trippy as it sounds), Ego attempts to make up for lost time with his son, before laying out his master-plan for interplanetary domination. It’s then left to the rest of the Guardians to either attempt to figure out what is really going on or to evade everyone else on their trail, which further extends to the Ravagers, a rag-tag group of biker-style pirates led by the blue-skinned Yondu (Michael Rooker, also returning from the first film).

As busy as all this sounds, the plot is actually fairly flimsy with Gunn’s decision to divide the team in keeping with the long-held traditions of many movie follow-ups. Ditto, the film’s underlying messages about the importance of identity and family, which are the stuff of pure Marvel and Disney.

Gunn does compensate for some of this with some abstract choices, most notably in his deployment of Dave Bautista’s comically unfiltered Drax (who hurls well-meaning insults like confetti) or the way in which he follows almost every sentimental moment with something loud or comedic. But this, too, can contribute to an uneven tone.

His final act, meanwhile, goes super-sized in a way that draws unfavourable comparisons with Hollywood blockbusters at their worst, including the final Matrix and the much lamented Batman V Superman.

Fortunately, Gunn still has enough in his creative box of tricks to get the film through its less convincing moments, while his cast continue to excel with their colourful characters.

Groot remains the big scene-stealer and has several sequences to savour but Drax is also fun, while Rooker’s Yondu has an expectedly appealing emotional arc to navigate. Indeed, most of the characters make their mark in some way, with Pom Klemetieff’s sensitive newcomer Mantis and Karen Gillan’s vengeful sister Nebula also standing out.

Gunn’s use of music, his Awesome Mix Vol 2, is also a key player, infusing several of the set pieces with a playful energy that’s difficult to resist, while there’s also amusement to be found in the numerous cameos and self-deprecating jokes that do actually wink to sequel convention.

A third film has already been green-lit and The Guardians will also appear in the next Avengers film, Infinity War, both of which remain exciting prospects. But Gunn needs to tread carefully going forward to ensure that this loveable bunch of misfits don’t outstay their welcome. Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2 is good... it’s just not quite as great as hoped.