Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Rating: 7/10 (9 August 2017)

I wasn't raving about the first Guardians of the Galaxy but it was humorous and enjoyable. Didn't think it was the best in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it was one of the better efforts. I knew I would catch the sequel at some point in time and now that I've seen it, I gotta say I'm a bit mixed about it. I think overall the film is good but is certainly inferior to the first film. Regardless, this film and the MCU still remains a money making vehicle as they head into the next Avengers.
This film takes our Guardians on a new path. They are wanted by the Sovereign people after Rocket steals batteries from them. More importantly Peter Quill comes across his father (played by Kurt Russell) who is revealed to be Ego a celestial being with great powers. All is not as it seems, as the film tries to uncover Ego's real motivations.
The cosmic visuals of the film are still as good as the first. This was never a problem with the film as cinematically still colorful and eye-popping. I think the humor while still ever present, does not hit its mark as much. There are funny moments, mostly through the MVP character of the film (Baby Groot) but the jokes feel forced and not as natural. The writing in places isn't always strong and the film has a hard time justifying its running length.
I will say though the film does a better job of characterization for some of the side players in this film, namely for Michael Rooker's Yondu. He is one of the standouts in this film and is a strong point of the film as he is given great time to develop. While the film doesn't have a lot of negatives I have to say it seems worn down and more manufactured than the first film, which genuinely felt like a free flowing fun film. Its standard sequel stuff really, but the film is still worth a watch. Especially if you are waiting on the next Avengers film that everything is building towards.
7/10