Epic, flashy sequel that is still not quite as good as the first one

Rating: 7/10 (4 May 2017)

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
This sequel to 2014's monster comic book fantasy hit Guardians of the Galaxy delves further into the back story of Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), the young boy abducted from Earth by Yondu (Michael Rooker) after his mother succumbed to cancer. Here, he is re-united with his father (Kurt Russell) who disappeared from his life and became the inter-galactic warrior Ego, who inhabits his own corner of the universe. His son, meanwhile, continues to be known as Star-Lord and, as he and his ragtag misfit friends, including Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket the Racoon and Baby Groot go about their missions, they uncover a sinister truth that could tear them all apart.
The big screen comic book craze is certainly not one that's showing any signs of dying down, but of the last few years, none has quite sent it into such a spin as James Gunn's 2014 blockbuster GOTG. This sequel was practically a cat in the bag in terms of being made, and the fans of the last one have certainly been waiting for it (as the packed theatre I was in would attest to. ) It pretty much repeats the formula of the last one to wise effect, and with Gunn back at the helm, hopes were really as great as they can be. What it does try and do is do it all on a bigger, grander scale and while this is visually impressive and aesthetically stimulating, somehow it's all a bit too much and just not quite as good as the last one.
The 80's throwback vibe is on higher alert, with David Hasselhoff frequently referenced (and even making a brief cameo!) as the image presented of Quill's father, on account of him being a big Knight Rider fan, whilst even Howard the Duck himself no-less appears in one segment. This is often used to enhance the humour, which it does, though it even creeps up uneasily during darker moments of the film, such as when Peter learns the truth behind his mother's death. The big theme here is exploring the back stories of each of the characters, and what springs off this is a load of subplots, that are interesting but don't have a massive connection to each other, and so what we do have is a long, slightly incoherent film.
Fundamentally, though, it does faithfully stick to the formula from last time, with some hilariously funny moments, and a soundtrack listing that is actually better than the last one (including a wonderful opening involving a shoot-out to the tune of ELO's marvellous Mr. Blue Sky.) It is a visual splendour to watch, too, that even Mr Sylvester Stallone seemed to want to get on board with. ***