Loved this movie, even the sad parts

Rating: 9/10 (30 August 2017)

Guardians of the Galaxy is, for me, the best of the Marvel Universe films, so I had high hopes for the sequel, which happily maintains the wild humor, well-drawn characters, and over-the-top effects of the first movie.
A lot of the user reviews like the comedy and action but express less interest in the movies more emotional moments. This is very much a movie about family, and it doesn't shy away from the emotional nature of love and connection. I found this surprisingly affecting, although I can understand why some would prefer less tugging of the heart strings and more explosions.
Still, there are an awful lot of explosions, so I'm good.
Is it as good as the original? It's hard to say. The first movie benefited lack of expectations - it was nothing like the other Marvel movies so I wasn't expecting a comedy. The second movie, on the other hand, benefits from the fondness I have for the first one. So I can't say which is actually better. I can say both are great.