Guardians Of The Galaxy was so many things. It was a loving revamp and testament to the underrated and neglected 1969 creation. It was a groove-inspiring mixtape of awesome ’70s jams. It was a giddily irreverent antidote to the increasingly self-aggrandising Avengers films. It was a swashbuckling intergalactic tale with daring escapes and cosmos-crossing adventures.

It was also a sequel-writer’s nightmare, because as a first instalment, it was just so damn good.

But writer and director James Gunn also knew that Guardians was loved for its characters, and forgiven for its occasionally over-saturated plot – and in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, he’s adjusted accordingly.

Our favourite collection of ragtag misfits is back, including the charmingly cocky Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), who has recently discovered that his father is an alien; rebellious bad girl Gomorrah (Zoe Saldana); hulking muscle man Drax (Dave Bautista); motor-mouth racoon Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper); and of course Groot, a walking heart in the form of a monosyllabic tree, now in irresistible travel size after the last film’s emotional climax.

The gang – a rule-breaking group to begin with – are having teething problems in their new role as galaxy savers. When Rocket’s sticky fingers land them on the wrong side of the law, they have to high-tail it through the starry skies yet again. In a move reminiscent of The Empire Strikes Back, the characters are separated from each other – a way of letting them find themselves.

Gunn’s love for the Guardians is clear, and by splitting them up and keeping the dual-plot machinations relatively simple, he has the room to explore each characters’ inner motivations. Cleverly pairing them off, the group’s dynamics are elevated while each individual experiences their own subtly complex arc.

Bradley Cooper’s talent for both deadpan comedy and heartbreaking emotional nuance is again captured, as irresponsible and self-destructive Rocket has to take care of Baby Groot. Pom Klementieff is a welcome addition as the empathy-powered Mantis, who heightens Drax’s scene-stealing emotional openness. Mantis also pushes the romance between Quill and Gamora, whose disturbing history with her deadly sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) is revealed. As for Quill, well, he gets to meet his planetary alien father Ego (Kurt Russell) – and learns the difference between having a biological connection to someone and having a family.

Quill’s storyline falters, thanks to some laboured metaphors and obvious telegraphing, but overall the personal storylines perfectly balance each character’s emotion and unique sense of humour. However, by limiting the action to only a few settings, Gunn does lose some sense of the wider universe that was more apparent in his first offering. That said, the intense and inventive visuals are so moreish. The dazzlingly vibrant palette brings extraordinary life to the spectacular planetscapes with their extra-terrestrial shapes and textures. Even travelling through these worlds is thrilling, as the camera, like the characters, bounces across time and space.

The soundtrack is also phenomenal, featuring Fleetwood Mac, Aliotta Hayes, Cat Stevens, Glen Campbell and more. Though wildly eclectic in tone, each song is deployed with such contextualised care that the soundtrack becomes another character in the movie – a movie filled with humour, pathos, fan-delighting cameos and Easter Eggs, and of course, a killer post-credit scene (or two. Or more.)

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 marks a very welcome return of Gunn’s ever-surprising vision, and those absurd heroes you can’t help but love.