Sequelising is a tricky business, particularly when you know (or at least intend) to have further sequels further down the line. How much does the individual film standalone, how much should it, how much should be deferred for later?
In the case of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2" it feels slightly like a couple of key boxes are being ticked. Mysteries established in the previous film are paid off (in particular, Peter's father is indeed introduced). Former enemies are brought into the fold (in the form of Karen Gillan's Nebula and Michael Rooker's Yondu). And of course there's whole new threats, worlds and impossible situations for our heroes to get themselves out of.
For all that, this is a tad more intimate than the original galaxy spanner. The team is split up and, perhaps surprisingly, Chris Pratt's ever-charming leading man is slightly more of a plot device than a central character here - the supporting cast get a lot more to play with. The film certainly enjoys every moment it can give us of Baby Groot, scene-stealing as always. But there are things that don't quite sit right - Rocket Racoon is ragey and impulsive, but one or two things he does early on feel more like plot stupidity to get things rolling. And it feels like Peter and Gamora's relationship is stalled in the same holding patter as it was in the last film more because the film doesn't want to pay off the tension between the two of them until a later film, and the jam between the two of them feels more like empty dynamics than something that really comes from the characters themselves.
Still, this is a gorgeous, silly interplanetary adventure with all kinds of surprises in it, and it's not an unenjoyable film, with at least one moment that provoked a gasp from my screening. So ... yeah, it's enjoyable. Maybe not quite the magic we were hoping for. More like "a good time".
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