Character driven fun

Rating: 7/10 (2 May 2017)

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 takes the audience on a fun but ultimately personal adventure with the rag-tag outcasts that we met in the first film.
GotG 2 throws you straight into the action, as the team tackle a job for Ayesha and the Sovereign (or rather, the gold people) And in typical Guardians fashion, something doesn't quite go right, which leads to the Guardians being chased by the 'golden people.' Upon this journey, we meet Ego, who claims to be Star Lord's father. The introduction of Kurt Russell as Ego was a great addition to the cast because of his charisma. He's easy to like and I found myself wanting to learn more about his intentions. His side-kick Mantis also helps add a lot of humour to the film. The dynamic of the team is the films biggest strength and really made for an entertaining viewing. The family dynamic has slightly developed since the first film, especially with Groot now in his youngest form. I have to say, I really did like the way they animated Groot, but I do feel like James Gunn really did push for the "awws" from the audience, of which I heard plenty. There is a general feeling that the group are a lot closer (except for Star- Lord and Rocket who continue to bicker like brothers) and it is clear that some time has passed since the first film, as they are now sort of cult heroes in the universe.
Each character has their moment to shine, especially Yondu, who is given a lot more on screen time this time around. Dave Bautista did really steal the show as Drax, as he did with the first one for me. His comedic timing and deadpan humour was a real treat. On the topic of humour, the film delivers on laughs however I do feel that at some point some of the things characters say does feel out of place. For instance, jokes about a specific character's looks often fell flat.
Whilst the scale of the final act is large, it unlike other Marvel films, is not fixated on expanding the universe and is instead self- contained-preferring to develop the characters and their arcs. This is something I appreciated but in a strange way, made the narrative feel insignificant and quite forgettable. The final set piece also takes away from the more human nature of the narrative. There were some pacing issues throughout the film. I felt that things just sort of happened for the sake of progressing the narrative and that the film felt absent of flow in some parts.
I think the one thing that separates the Guardians from any cinematic superhero team is the family dynamic because it genuinely works. The characters, colour and soundtrack are vibrant and help to create a charming adventure. The way in which in the team interact alone is enough to recommend watch this film.