The superbly names Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 IS the movie made for me. The soundtrack is apt, the jokes are the right kind of nerdy and every character gets their due, they get an arc full of pathos, connection, humour and depth. Absolutely every one of the main characters had me crying out from beneath my 3D glasses throughout. The emotion is rich, relatable and raw and I appreciated it. I mean just the way the movie ends and the interconnectivity of all the plot machinations are warranted and welcome.
The effects, battles, and shooting never felt rushed or cheap. Everything fired on all cylinders with a care and love throughout. The plot was personal and minimal as it should be and the way it was made global was sensible and simple. The stakes couldn't have been higher because they were personal and they didn't need a sky portal to do it.
Even the references I didn't get were welcome little injokes rather than complete set ups for other movies that played in to the tone of the movie. Mantis is excellent and Drax is almost the most hilarious which is saying something. The pacing and the structure of the battles were coherent and made creative use of everyday new skill sets. The film had me in stitches throughout and the potential of Volume 3 and the next iteration of Groot is certainly an appealing one.
The depth effects of the 3D, after he litany of terrible post conversions I've seen, was consistent, pleasurable throughout and extraordinary well done and for one actually enhanced the experience.
This film should be added to the annals of time as the exact right kind of blockbuster sequel that builds upon its predecessors shoulders to create something unique and memorable that was both economical, brisk and yet deep and seemingly never compromised.