Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 3D

Shot for shot, line and line, it's an extravagant and witty follow-up, made with the same friendly virtuosic dazzle. Yet this time you can sense just how hard the series' wizard of a director, James Gunn, is working to entertain you.

There's no denying that it looks amazing. The action sequences, too, leave little to be desired as the Guardians find their footing again by working together in their own, haphazard and unique way.

For all its wit, speed and wacky cameos, this second instalment still feels like a disappointment.

It's fun, though GOTG2 doesn't have the same sense of weird urgency and point that the first film had.

If this new Guardians lacks the novelty of its predecessor it retains the unnerving edge of hysteria, with ever more frequent reminders that nearly all the protagonists have trauma in their past.

Descends into a terribly over-familiar father/son reconciliation yarn, albeit one played out against a backdrop of stunning digital scenery...

Like that tricky second album syndrome that blights so many artists, James Gunn and Marvel's answer is to do it all again, and throw more music and more humour at it.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 plays like a second ride on a roller-coaster that was a real kick the first time around but feels very been-there/done-that now.

Bar a few last-act wobbles and the odd tonal shift, Gunn has done it again, crafting a sequel that keeps the focus on the characters we fell for first time around while pumping up the volume.