For anyone new to the franchise this is the definitive way to watch the A's arc. Much as with the previous film, this movie has clear, crisp new visuals, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the story a big boost. All the fat has been trimmed to fit it into a runtime less than 3 hours, but it never feels rushed and still manages to tell the whole story in a coherent fashion. Sticklers for cannon or people who liked those twin cat characters for some reason may complain that they omitted quite a few things, but looking at it inthe grand scheme of things those were all unnecessary to the greater story being told. I think they were able to really cut to the emotional core of the story. It also felt like there were a lot of minor retcons to bring things more in line with current and future installments.

All the praise I gave the first movie still applies here, a solid 9/10.