Many fans were left confused and even angry when Marvel announced Guardians of the Galaxy would take the second 2014 slot next to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. "The who of the what?" "wah wah what about Black Panther, you racists!" For most, it wasn't until the footage started to release that they realised the potential this movie had. And the first full appearance of Thanos, who had a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance in the mid-credits scene in The Avengers, also peaked people's interest.
The film takes a lot of influence from the brilliant Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning run who introduced this new team. Featuring Drax 'The Destroyer", Gamora "The deadliest woman in the universe", Groot "Monarch of Planet X", Rocket Raccoon "Certified bad ass" and Peter Quill aka Star-Lord.
So, how did these relatively unknown band of misfits go in their first cinematic treatment?
A-MAY-ZING
Director James Gunn, who is known for his "out there" films, has absolutely nailed it. The characters are all perfectly represented and portrayed. The plot is simple, but this is a character driven film and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The tone and visuals have such an aesthetic appeal it would make James Cameron cream his shorts.
The entire cast is perfect. As a big fan of the 2008 run, I knew these characters and I knew how they would interact. I left the cinema with sore cheeks from smiling so much. Everyone nails the comedic and action parts as well as their vulnerable pieces. Chris Pratt's Peter Quill aka Star-Lord is a charasmatic lead with a wonky moral compass and dialogue full of references. Zoe Saldana captures the bitter, dangerous Gamora, Vin Diesel shows us there is an unlimited amount of ways to say "I Am Groot" and Bradley Cooper brings us the perfect, snarky and downright hilarious Rocket Raccoon. But it is Dave Bautista who surprises everyone with a great performance. As the main grievance everyone had when the cast were announced, Dave had a lot to prove and I feel he shut his haters up with a great performance as the walking thesaurus, Drax.
The CGI was flawless. This film looks like it had a 250 million dollar budget when it only had 175. You often forget that Groot and Rocket are complete CGI creations.
There are two fun little cameos (that I caught). One will please fans of the 2008 run and the other will just slap you in the face with it's ridiculousness.
I know some people struggled to understand Ronan's motives, but for me they were pretty clear. They may not be the most complex of motives, but they are easily followed for those who listen. Oh, and Lee Pace is absolutely terrifying. Karen Gillan played a serviceable Nebula who shared some great scenes with Ronan and Gamora.
Thanos makes his full debut and he is absolutely glorious. Josh Brolin > Damon no-one-cares.
That leaked image does not do him justice and his voice and vocabulary are both what you would desire from The Mad Titan.
Guardians of the Galaxy is a crazy, fun ride from start to finish. Full of moments that will make you burst out in laughter and get you teary eyed. James Gunn has done an absolute service to the fans and I for one am grateful and eagerly awaiting the sequel. See it now!
How I Rated Other Films This Year:
CA:TWS 5/5
TASM2 3/5
DOFP 4/5
DOTPOTA 4/5
In the far reaches of space, an American pilot named Peter Quill finds himself the object of a manhunt after stealing an orb coveted by the villainous Ronan.