Let me begin by emphasizing the the original Guardians of the Galaxy was the movie I saw in theaters most, three times during its run. I was looking forward to this for the characters, wit and visuals. Unfortunately, only the visuals were not compromised.

To be blunt, this movie is not funny, and some of the comedy is cringe-worthy. I felt the length of the film during these scenes. Baby Groot is part of the problem, he loses his appeal after a scene or two, and does nothing interesting the rest of the movie. The gold religion from the trailer doesn't really have their arc resolved at all, and all we get to conclude them is a teaser in the after credits scene.

When the characters are just in idle banter, its pretty hit or miss, which is unfortunate considering how funny the first movie is. The characters here feel like a set of traits interacting rather than developed. This just comes back to the script failing to land its comedic beats, which destroys the pacing too frequently.

There is a good deal to like, particularly visually, but there was far more that I wanted to like but couldn't enjoy.