Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2: 10 Reasons The Original Is Better

10. It Wasn't As Self-Indulgent

Guardians Vol. 2 tries so hard to recapture the gleefully uproarious feel of the original 2014 film that it ends up coming off a little desperate, to its slight detriment.

Basically, faced with the considerable pressure of one-upping his previous effort, James Gunn has attempted to deliver more of the same on a wider canvas: more crude and risque humour, more musical montages that ultimately verge on pandering and gags that drag on way, way too long to the point where it feels like Gunn is indulging himself more than the audience.

The first movie was a calculated risk and smartly clocked in at a very reasonable 121 minutes to that end, yet in the sequel, Gunn hasn't been as judicious in the editing room, seeming content that fans will lap up what he puts out regardless, because they love the characters. This has resulted in a quite bloated and unnecessary 136-minute run-time.