Review of Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) by Jake G — 04 Oct 2015

Wildly fun comic book film that delights in subverting the genre at nearly every turn. Co-writer/director James Gunn has a strong track record with the subversive super hero movie "Super," the quirky and also subversive horror film "Slither" and also having written the much better than expected remake of "Dawn of the Dead.

" Chris Pratt plays "Star Lord" a Han Solo-like space adventurer (who was kidnapped off of earth as a child in the 80s). He partners up with a few other nefarious space characters that include a tough green lady (Zoe Saldana), a loud mouth raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and a talking tree (Vin Diesel) to stop the evil Lee Pace.

The story ins't really all that special, but it's the quirkiness of the film that makes it so fun. Lots of summer blockbusters deliver big time action (which this film does and does quite well), but most films lack the charm of Chris Pratt, or a 70s mix tape he carries around of his "Awesome Mix.

" And did I mention there's a sassy mouthed talking raccoon named Rocket? You also get Michael Rooker as a blue guy, Karen Gillan as another alien baddie (who I did not at all recognize until I saw her name in the end credits), John C.

Reilly, Glenn Close and Benicio Del Toro, so the film has a very strong cast. Seth Green also apparently did the voice of Howard the Duck and Troma's Lloyd Kaufman (who gave director Gunn his start with "Tromeo & Juliet") appears as a prisoner.

I'd never read this comic, but it's from writer Dan Abnett, who I'm a big fan of from his 2000AD word (which definitely has a fair amount of subversiveness to it). I'm definitely at the point of being pretty bored by comic book film adaptations, but this one managed to surprise me.