Father and Son Connection

Rating: 9/10 (8 May 2017)

The first "Guardians of the Galaxy" was a welcome surprise, with engaging characters, funny lines, and a great portrayal of friendship in the most unexpected places. Times goes on, and relationships evolve and deepen in most cases. So in the end, there's plenty of action, back stories are connected, and it sort of makes sense.
The gang is at the center of mess started by Rocket when he steals some valuable items from their employers. Retaliation promptly involves a gang of thugs in pursue of our gang, and things become more complicated with the arrival of Peter's long lost father. This results in a series of interesting moments between father and son, but there's a nagging feeling that something doesn't fit, or that the whole truth is not out being told. The mystery keeps the story going, until the explosive revelations in the last section of the film.
The same elements that made the original successful are back, with everyone still displaying affection for each other in their own peculiar way. Rocket is rough at the edges but can't hide his soft side. There's plenty of cuteness in Baby Groot, and Saldana and Pratt are still working out the "unspoken" aspects of their relationship.
One should enjoy the visuals for most of the film, and the story unfolding with the best coupling of pop music and a story line since "Mamma Mia". There's a sense of nostalgia that wasn't present in the first film, and using some obscure pieces makes their success even more interesting.
The bottom line is this works well, and we're looking forward to Groot's next growing phase.