Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Spaced out
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: VOL 2
Brace yourself for cinematic hyperspeed as Marvel’s bickering band of galactic outlaws return in another loony tunes outer-space adventure. Once again the inadvertent heroes have to save the universe, this time from a celestial being who wants to recreate all life in his own image.
The Guardian’s first adventure in 2014 was a £600million box office supernova, and this one is bigger, brighter and funnier.
Although it is set in the same universe as Spider-man, Iron Man, the Hulk and the rest of
Marvel’s team, there are only fleeting references to it. This gives it a stronger identity than most of their comic book adaptations.
Chris Pratt is the nominal star but is comprehensively outshone by pretty much all of the crowded cast.
He plays the super cocky half-human half-wit Star-lord, the leader of the pack. Sharing considerable screen time with the charismatic Kurt Russell, Pratt wilts in the heat of the veteran’s screen presence.
But even the scene stealing Russell can’t compete with the Baby Groot, an adorably cute animated stick creature, voiced by Vin Diesel.
The laidback freewheeling groove disguises a remarkably smooth and accomplished ride allied to dazzlingly sophisticated design, and an eyebending sense of scale. Space battles riff on 1970s Atari video games which are set to a soundtrack of pop hits from that decade. It’s certainly a trippy experience in 3D.
With a multi-coloured cast engaged in cartoon action and a laboured emphasis on friendship and family, the Guardians are clearly racing with the Fast & Furious franchise juggernaut to be the box office champ.
Fully clothed, covered in paint and half robotic, Karen Gillan and Zoe Saldana prove to its competitor that films don’t have to rely on upskirt shots to be sexy.
Almost needy in its desire to entertain, this is a rocket-fuelled psychedelic roller coaster of cosmic fun.
Cert 12A, Running time 135mins