Guardians of the Galaxy

When Things Get Bad, They'll Do Their Worst.

Whether we like it or not, we are in the age of ever-increasing comic-book movies. The latest (live-action, anyway, Big Hero 6 is a Marvel film as well) offering from Marvel is none other than Guardians of the Galaxy.

For those of you who don't know, the Guardians are a team of heroes who defend the galaxy. Simple enough to follow, right? What if I told you that they were made up of a thief, a guy out for revenge, the adopted assassin daughter of a super-villain and two bounty hunters: one of which is a giant tree-person and the other is a genetically modified raccoon? Are you still following me? Don't worry if you are completely lost. I wouldn't blame you.

Thankfully, the actual story isn't as complicated or hard to follow. These five misfits decide to team up to stop a plot that could mean the end of many worlds. Much like the Avengers, what the Guardians lack in similarities, they more than make up for in effectiveness. And while none of them particularly like each other at first, they become pretty good friends at the end of the day.

I AM GROOT!

Like the Marvel movies that have already been released, the heroes have been really well cast. Chris Pratt (The Lego Movie, Jurassic World) is awesome as Star-Lord, the leader of the ragtag team. Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Star Trek), Dave Bautista (WWE) as well as Bradley Cooper (The Hangover) and Vin Diesel round out the rest of the team quite nicely. Now, in the comics, the Guardians' roster changed regularly, and at one point even included Iron Man. We all know who plays him, but it will be interesting to see who gets cast as newer team members in the future.

In addition to the brilliant casting, there are also quite a few little Easter eggs scattered throughout the movie that most people wouldn't even notice. These eggs give nods to past Marvel films, as well as hints towards the future. And there's even an appearance from someone who got their own movie in the late '80's (though some consider it the worst movie ever made). It is because of these Easter eggs, along with the attention to detail that permeates through the film that gives GotG a very high rewatchability. You never know what you may find on another watch-through.

The one major thing that did disappoint me is that (aside from one major plot element) there were no real mentions to prior films. OK, yes, this was meant to be the Guardians origin story, but I still would have liked to see someone from any of the past films. And no, Stan Lee in his obligatory cameo doesn't count.

Overall, a nice set up for the next phase of Marvel movies

All in all, I really enjoyed the movie. Yes, there were a few things I didn't like, but if Hollywood attempted to please everyone all at once, no movies would ever get done. I'm giving it a well deserved 8½ star rating. It's fun (the 70's and 80's music that serves as the soundtrack helps that) and gives me hope for the future of Marvel. If you want to see it, which I highly recommend, see it in the theater if any are still playing it. If not, you'll just have to wait until December 9th (in the US anyway) to get it on DVD or Blu-Ray.

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