Patrick B’s review published on Letterboxd:
I know I'm in the minority when it comes to Guardians of the Galaxy - I don't think it's that great to be honest. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 doubles down on everything that made the first film so popular, and is all the better for it in my opinion. It ditches stories about Infinity Stones and planetary destruction for a much more intimate, character-driven and family-oriented story. While it isn't as iconic as the first film's Awesome Mix Vol. 1, Awesome Mix Vol. 2 is intertwined into the story and matches the visuals far better than the former - any film that features The Chain by Fleetwood Mac so pleasingly, let alone twice, gets major props from me.
Hell, there isn't even as much Baby Groot in the film as I expected. It would have been so easy to have him on screen for the entire runtime but amazingly, he's used sparingly which maximises his impact on it.
I'd regard this film as such an improvement on the first film because it turns its gaze inwardly and keeps the story intimate. Ultimately, I've just failed to connect with these characters, making them some of my least favourite in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Still, I can't quite believe (in a good way) that films like this are being made.
