2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” was a surprisingly valiant effort from Director James Gunn, and the end product was a fun and inventive space opera. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” the 15th entry in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, reunites us with our favorite ragtag team of bounty hunters, but the film is unfortunately disappointing.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2” is about Peter Quill aka Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Rocket Racoon (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel) as they try to escape from a powerful alien race called the Sovereign. During their escape, the Guardians run into Ego (Kurt Russell) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and the mystery of Peter’s parentage is revealed.

The acting in the film is just as solid as its predecessor. Chris Pratt finds a way to surpass his performance from the original by adding depth to Quill while keeping his quirky nature. While the other actors do a fine job, Michael Rooker as Yondu might be the standout of the film. Not only does Rooker steal every scene he’s in, but he brings an emotional presence to Quill’s character. Kurt Russell’s presence in the film is also a welcome addition. His character, Ego, brings great chemistry with Peter, making their scenes watchable.

The flick also includes exciting space action that brings you to the edge of your seat, most notably in the third act. One thing the film has going for it is the blockbuster action that entertains. However, the rest of the film is a bloated mess.

It feels as if Marvel Studios is very confident since that the first one did so well critically and financially, that if they do the same thing in the sequel, it’ll be a hit. It turns out they hit a “sophomore slump.”

Characters like Drax and Rocket Racoon are forced comedic reliefs rather than characters providing meaning to the plot. Groot, who in this film is advertised as “Baby” Groot, dances, looks cute and says “I am Groot” for the entirety of the two hour plus film. He was easily a marketing ploy to promote merchandise and children’s toys. These characters make the tone of the film unbalanced.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has always had the problem of underdeveloped villains and this film is no different. “The Sovereign” in the film are basically people in gold that are trying to get these “batteries” back from the Guardians. That’s all the story they give for them, and they are uninteresting when they appear on screen. However, once the film reveals the true mastermind behind the major conflict, the film becomes exciting.

Besides a rushed script, some underdeveloped characters and the uneven tone of the film, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2” is an entertaining superhero flick filled with visual eye candy.

Check out Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in theaters now!

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