Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, Sylvester Stallone & Kurt Russell

Directed by: James Gunn

Rating: ★★★★

After the critical and commercial success that was Guardians of the Galaxy, a fresh take on an ailing film genre, everyone was looking forward to the sequel- especially me.

The Guardians of the Galaxy are back!

This time around, the Guardians of the Galaxy are caught up in a heist, and are pursued by the Ravagers led by Yondu (Rooker) whilst Quill (Pratt) finally meets his long-lost father Ego (Russell). 

Quill's dad is a god...

Subplots include Gamora (Saldana) trying to get along with her sister Nebula (Gillan) and Drax (Bautista) falling not in love with Mantis (Klementieff), but once again the best parts of the film involve Rocket (Cooper) and Baby Groot (Diesel).

Rocket and Baby Groot get to save the day again!

The humour, action sequences and soundtrack are some of the best bits about the film, as the script is very on the nose. There is no subtlety at all in this film in terms of plot or characterisation, which is strange since that was one of the components that made the first film feel so fresh. The dialogue can sometimes feel very cheesy and forced, which is occasionally achingly annoying. 

Drax and Mantis really don't have a thing...

The storyline is okay, but what is great about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is that every single one of the Guardians get their moment to shine in a way that doesn’t feel aggressively tacked on unlike in The Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War. 

The Guardians get themselves into trouble again...

Although the film felt like a ‘bridge’ film, joining the first one to whatever comes next, it is still very exciting and a lot of fun. The opening is strong, and the final battle, like in the first film, is incredibly epic and managed to blend humour and anguish seamlessly. 

Don't mess with Gamora!

I particularly liked the Gamora subplot with her sister, as it felt like the most original component of the film- Saldana and Gillan are great when they’re arguing- and when they’re not. 

Don't mess with Nebula either...

And just like the original film, Rocket gets all the best lines and all the best moments as he stiches all the plots together and holds them carefully in place. 

Rocket uses his smarts to save the universe...

Kurt Russell is great as Quill’s father and, Chris Pratt, likeable as ever, continues to shine.

Quill and his father are reunited... and it feels so good!

A strong, sometimes surreal and superb superhero spectacular, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 certainly lives up to its predecessor and almost manages to surpass it. Unlike Logan, it gives you what you want, and even though it may be ham fisted and obvious at times, it’s still one hell of an adventure.