Danielle Solzman
Make no mistake that Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the funniest movies that has ever been based on a Marvel comic book series.
This film is so full of comedy, thrills, heart, and awesome visual effects. What’s so surprising is that a film nobody ever thought would happen provides a whole lot of fun. Credit this to Marvel finding properties that have potential to be hits. This is exactly what this film is–a hit!
If The Avengers are Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the Guardians of the Galaxy are the galaxy’s dysfunctional family. But at the end of the day, this dysfunctional family is a team of heroes. While Thor took us to Asgard, the Guardians take us deep into the cosmos.
Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) was kidnapped from Earth in the 1980s following his mother’s death. Once in the cosmos, Peter is raised by Yondu (Michael Rooker). Now known as Star-Lord, we first meet Peter and his awesome mix while stealing a mysterious orb. It just so happens that Ronan (Lee Pace) covets this orb. Oh, he just so happens to be a Kree warrior but also one of Thanos’ (Josh Brolin)’s minions. Talk about a threat to the universe! Anyway, there’s a bounty price on Peter’s head because of this orb.
But to defeat Ronan and his crew, Quill must come together with Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista). They’re a band of misfits but together, they’re a family. Whether it’s a gun-toting raccoon, a tree-like humanoid repeating “I am Groot” over and over, a deadly assassin, a revenge-driven criminal, or this guy from Earth, they’re family.
When they meet with The Collector (Benicio Del Toro), they learn the true power of the orb. It just so happens that it’s one of the Infinity Stones. The Power stone to be precise. Once it gets in Ronan’s hands, he threatens the planet of Xandar. The Guardians do what they do best: team up for what could very well be one last stand. But it’s a Marvel film and we know they’ll be back so…
On top of the humor and action, the soundtrack here is awesome. I’m a fan of the music. Because Peter was kidnapped in the 1980s, Awesome Mix #1 contains a nice mix of classic rock songs from the 1970s.
Guardians of the Galaxy makes for a fun but surprising addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
DIRECTOR: James Gunn
SCREENWRITERS: James Gunn and Nicole Perlman
CAST: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, with John C. Reilly, Glenn Close and Benicio Del Toro
