The massive success of 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy came from breaking the Marvel mold with its surprisingly perfect blending of unconventional but lovable characters, amazing aesthetics and nostalgic soundtrack, all packaged in an exhilarating space adventure.

It was very different from the rest of Marvel’s offerings at the time, which were mostly Earth-based and still somewhat grounded in reality. The Guardians were unknown to the mainstream audience and Marvel took a big risk by bringing them to the big screen; speculations were abuzz that it would be the studio’s first devastating flop. Fortunately though, it shattered all expectations and became one of Marvel’s stronger properties. So naturally, its inevitable sequel has set itself an impossibly high bar to reach.

Following its predecessor’s opener, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 sets everything up with a flashback to the ’80s, where we see a digital Kurt Russell, who plays the mysterious Ego, being very much in love with Meredith Quill. Cut to the present, and we see our beloved Guardians of the Galaxy — Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Baby Groot (Vin Diesel) — occasionally arguing with each other, but very much comfortable with being a team now. They were hired by the High Priestess of the Sovereign (Elizabeth Debicki) to protect valuable batteries from an interdimensional tentacled beast. Director James Gunn incorporates another delightful musical opening credits with a dancing baby Groot this time, while the rest of the Guardians fight the monster in the background. It’s a wonderful scene, and one that’s become a signature spot (along with the soft-rock classics) for this franchise. Later on, Ego claims to be Peter’s father, and invites the Guardians, sans Rocket and Groot, to his home planet.

Although it lives up to the established tone of the franchise, there’s obviously a pattern at work here, and it’s telling of a big issue present in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general. These movies tend to become formulaic, especially its sequels, which takes what worked in the previous film and turns it up to eleven. It isn’t essentially a bad thing in itself, but it ends up making these unique and lovable characters get stale pretty quick. There are some exceptions however, like The Winter Soldier that vastly improved upon the previous movie.

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But it’s not the formulaic approach that brings Vol. 2 down. It’s the plot that wanders aimlessly for the majority of the film. The script isn’t as tight and cohesive as its predecessor, and it isn’t until about halfway through where we finally get a sense of direction. While in the middle of it all, I can’t help but realize most of this is just fluff. Considering the Guardians will appear in the ultimate MCU extravaganza The Avengers: Infinity War, and the recently announced sequel Vol. 3, Gunn probably had his hands tied for this one.

Furthermore, the tonal shifts are absolutely jarring at times, and ruins some heartfelt character moments. The jokes and ’80s pop culture references are abundant but it does borderline on self-indulgence a little too much. There’s an exponential amount of jokes in Vol. 2, much more so than the first film, although most of them fall flat and are just plain weird. Drax even remarks how he has “famously huge turds,” really? Some are admittedly hilarious, but it overwhelms the serious moments whenever it comes on. One moment you’re probably laughing at Rocket’s insults, and then suddenly you’re getting a warm family moment with Peter and Ego.

On a more positive note, it’s apparent that Gunn loves and respects this ensemble. Family is the central theme to Vol. 2, exploring various familial dynamics like Ego and Peter, Gamora and Nebula, and even Drax warming up to the newcomer Mantis (Pom Klementieff). Gunn delves into what makes these unlikely team-up misfits who they are, allowing these characters to develop even for an already crowded cast. Even Yondu (Michael Rooker) gets a chance to have a compelling development this time as well. Meanwhile, the visuals are much more colorful and vivid. It’s a beauty to look at, and probably needs a second viewing to fully absorb the amount of care put into these worlds. Plus, the amount of unique individuals with prosthetics and make-up seen throughout in this film, coupled with the digital work, is a testament to Marvel’s capabilities in the CGI department and creating fascinating worlds. I wouldn’t be surprised if this film gets an award nomination purely for the way it looks.

Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 feels very much like the middle episode of a TV season, where the main focus is on developing its characters’ rather than advancing the overall narrative. There’s nothing inherently wrong with it, but it’s necessary to see the whole season to fully appreciate its contribution. Director James Gunn certainly manages to capture the same charm as the the first one, but falls short on adding anything much of substance.

Rating: ★★★☆☆