Guardians of the Galaxy 2 review roundup: Has Marvel done it again?

It seems that the first film's success has dampened James Gunn's otherwise entertaining follow-up

It's been just under three years since Marvel introduced the dysfunctional Guardians of the Galaxy - led by Chris Pratt's Peter ''Star-Lord' Quill - in James Gunn's standoput film co-starring Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel.

Vol 2, released this week, reunites the ragtag bunch of characters alongside some new additions (Kurt Russell, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki).

While early fan reaction was positive, it's now over to the critics - and it seems like the first film's unprecedented lightning-in-a-bottle success has only been touched upon time around.

Here's what the critics are saying:

The Independent - Geoffrey Macnab - 4/5

"As the sentimentality grows ever more cloying, you begin to wish for some of the wise-cracking cynicism of the earlier scenes. The sappy ending notwithstanding, this is generally a wildly entertaining ride in which the humour, action and the soul-searching are blended almost perfectly."

Variety - Owen Gleiberman

"The gods of sci-fi spectacle must, of course, be served, and the climax of Vol 2 is exorbitant, rousing, touching, and just obligatory enough to be too much of a good thing. (That isn’t even counting the half-dozen post-credit teaser scenes, which make the film feel like…TV.) The difference between the first Guardians and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 is that the new movie is flush with what a big deal it is. Ironically, that makes it a smaller deal."

Empire - Chris Hewitt - 4/5

"If the first film was about bringing this group of A-holes together, then convention dictates that the sequel should be about forcing them apart. But Gunn is clearly uninterested in what he should do and so this is actually a film about the group realising that, despite their huge differences, they function best as the universe’s most dysfunctional family. Beneath the film’s sass - and there’s plenty of that again - there’s a real beating heart."

The Telegraph - Robbie Collin - 4/5

"That sense of gooey euphoria runs through everything that’s good in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, which inches even further to the end of the limb the original Guardians film went out on in 2014. Take note of the “Vol 2” in its title, too: it feels less like a sequel than another yarn from the annals, as if you’d pulled a forgotten comic-book anthology from the shelf, blown the dust off and dove in."

The Guardian - Peter Bradshaw - 3/5

"It’s fun, though GOTG2 doesn’t have the same sense of weird urgency and point that the first film had. They’re still guarding, although the galaxy never seems in much danger."

IGN - Terri Schwartz

"It's difficult to catch lightning in a bottle twice, and that's exactly what James Gunn tries to do in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. Ultimately Vol 2 isn’t as amazing a film as the first and suffers from some pacing issues, but it still proves to be a fun time with a lot of heart."

The Verge - Bryan Bishop

"Multiple storylines interweave in a way that may have looked Empire Strikes Back-sharp in an outline, but in practice, it’s painfully awkward. A major issue is that none of the characters are particularly endearing this time around. Gamora and Star-Lord’s slow-burn chemistry is still there, but it’s sadly dialled back to make room for Gamora’s relationship with her sister - and [Karen] Gillan once again delivers the weakest performance in the ensemble."

GamesRadar - Matt Maytum - 4/5

"The only negative thing I can really say about Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is that it’s just not as good as the original (and its villain needs a bit of work). And that’s something that’s really hard for any sequel to do. It’s action-packed, it’s hilarious (although I wish they’d held a few more laughs back from the promos), and its characters still shine bright, with a handful of them even putting in stand-up-and-applause-worthy performances."

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 is released in cinemas on 28 April.