A Lot of Fun, but Falls Short of the Original

Rating: 8/10 (11 May 2017)

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" is another entry in a continuing trend of disappointing superhero movies. I'm starting to feel like a scratched record. "Doctor Strange" was a very good movie, but disappointing in how it missed its inherent potential. "Logan" was a very good movie, but disappointing how it missed its inherent potential. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" is very good but...you catch my drift.
Each movie takes a different path to accomplish its misfire. "Doctor Strange" never went as dark as it should have. "Logan" perhaps went too dark and failed to develop the core relationship of the film. "Guardians Vol. 2" is filled with a cast of mesmerizing returning characters, but this time in an inconsistent story that has a tendency to lurch around with either too little or too much buildup.
The most prominent story problem is the lack of a coherent antagonist for the first half of the film. The closest we get is a Ravenger named Taserface whose name is enough to throw Rocket into fits of laughter making him seem less antagonist and more comic relief.
That's not to say this film lack a good villain. On the contrary, Ronan from Guardians Vol. 1 pales in comparison (making it one of the very few aspects wherein Vol. 2 tops Vol. 1). It's only that the movie takes it's own sweet time establishing the villain, which leaves the audience wondering what are the Guardians guarding. It's cumbersome to invest in a movie with little to no stakes. Eventually, when all is revealed, the movie almost seems to lunge over the finish line like a runner trying to come from behind.
Despite all this, the movie is still a solid enough piece of entertainment, largely due to the interpersonal chemistry between the heroes. They are the reason this film works. It's not even that the story is bad. More that the story spends too much time establishing itself and not nearly enough letting the audience appreciate where the story has gone.
If you're a fan of the original movie, then you're pretty much guaranteed an enjoyable experience. The returning cast is just as delightfully watchable as they were before. The new cast are all welcome additions, even Sylvester Stallone whose appearance might only be foreshadowing of a spin off or sequel. Music is employed with the same effervescence as the Vol. 1 (Groot dancing to ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" stands out). James Gunn's direction of action is as entertaining as ever. In general, this movie is a lot of fun. Unfortunately, just not as much fun as the original.