Tries to do a bit much that doesn't work so well, but the core strengths are there

Rating: Null/10 (26 August 2017)

The original Guardians of the Galaxy was quite a fresh entry in the crowded world of Marvel. With so many famous characters we at least have heard of, and so many films all crashing into one another with cross-overs, references, solo films, and so on, the arrival of a nostalgia soaked film which had a great sense of humor, fun, and a lack of 'big important things' made for great entertainment. Accordingly it was a big hit, which puts pressure on it as a sequel and (more importantly) as a franchise and part of a bigger product. In short though, it does manage to deliver on the same strengths that the first film had – although that is not the whole story.
The second film opens with confirmation of that silly fun – an epic battle against a space monster plays out to the background of Groot dancing, and only becomes the focus to allow for other characters to show themselves again and join the fun. This sense of silly fun, combined with funny dialogue, is the core of the film and it is consistent throughout. Add to that the music, the action, and the overblown nature of it and it is a continuation of the strengths of the first film. There is other content in here too. There are themes of family in 3 different threads, with emotional content between characters and factions. Not all of this works, and it does make it feel a bit heavier than it can bear at times. That said, while it doesn't totally work, it is still well judged since less time on it would have lost a lot in the film, while more time would have tipped the balanced too much in that direction – although these individual moments of the film don't totally sit easily with the humor or pace.
The effects and action look good and, while frantic and busy, I didn't find that they overwhelmed with empty noise in the way that can easily happen with these things. The cast are all good when it comes to the comedy elements, although not all so well when the emotional stuff comes around (Saldana/Gillan I thought didn't work so well – although Rooker/Cooper did). Pratt likewise is best when asked to be fun, and less effective when processing a lot about his father. Bautista stands out as the best I think – perhaps because so much of his material was heavily 'fun' focused. The many famous faces in small roles add to the weight of the film (not in a good way), and although they do add value, they also distract and fill out space.
Although it does try to do a bit too much, and doesn't stay away from areas where it is weaker, the sequel plays to its strengths enough to please fans of the first film, and to carry it through the moments and aspects which do not work as well as the core.