Review of Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) by Lloydharrison — 17 Nov 2014

Guardians of the Galaxy is the most ambitious film from the Marvel cinematic universe to date. Marvel took a risk on the source material considering that the characters aren't as well known as the likes of Iron Man, Hulk & Captain America.

But the overall execution is flawless. These characters are all perfectly cast, instantly loveable & absolutely hilarious. Chris Pratt's Peter Quill a.k.a Star Lord is one coolest anti-heroes ever and you root for his larger than life character because he has such human and relatable qualities that bring him down to our level.

His character pleasingly had a vibe than reminded me of classic heroes like Han Solo & Indiana Jones. Zoe Saldana's Gamorra is a worthy heroine, Bradley Cooper's voice work for Rocket Racoon is hilarious and Vin Diesel's Groot steals the show.

Most surprisingly Dave Bautista is brilliant as Drax the Destroyer, he brings a real physical screen presence and he adds witty and dry humour. Michael Rooker, Peter Serafinowicz & John C. Reilly are all fun and worthy mentions also.

Sadly the only characters who feel underdeveloped, generic and forgettable are the villains. But otherwise this is one of the funnest films I've ever seen. One of the most successful elements of the film has to be the soundtrack.

The Awesome Mix Vol. 1 tape is pure genius and it feels like a character in it's own right. It's definitely one of the best, most varied and most inventive soundtracks of all time. Featuring tracks from the likes of 10cc, David Bowie, Jackson 5 & of course Blue Swede.

The set pieces are all thoroughly enjoyable and visually this is a very entertaining film. But what sets this film aside from the wrest of Marvel cinematic universe is the genius use of humour, banter and bickering between the characters.

And unlike the the wrest of the Marvel films to date, this feels more like a comedy that features great action and set pieces, rather than an action film with segments of humour thrown in. The Guardians of the Galaxy made me laugh and smile from start to finish and sentimentally I'll forever love this film.