I really can't see another 2014 release matching the 2 hours of fun I've just had at the cinema, and so between Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier Marvel have now delivered what will likely be two of my top three movies of the year.
Guardians of the Galaxy is an absolute delight. With everything we'd heard about it and all of the hype surrounding the movie I honestly thought it could never live up to my expectations. It bloody well does!
Guardians will have you laughing out loud with perfectly timed comedy and on the edge of your seat from the jaw dropping action sequences. The plot is quite simple, but more than adequate - essentially this newly created team have to stop a bad guy releasing a very bad weapon. So story wise it's nothing original but the tone of this movie combined with the quality of script, direction and performances really sets it apart and makes Guardians of the Galaxy something extra special.
When it comes to the Guardians themselves; Chris Pratt is absolutely perfect as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, there are echos of a young Han Solo in his performance, and you just can't fail to love him. Vin Diesel really does some amazing things with just 3 words, how they've bought Groot, and Rocket Racoon, to life is nothing shot or marvelous. Zoe Saldana proves just how wasted she was in the Star Trek movies, her character of Gamora is given much more here than any other female character to date in a Marvel film, and she handles it wonderfully. But stealing nearly every scene he's in Dave Bautista as Drax. Not only is he an intimidating behemoth of a man but he has perfect timing of delivery, who knew?
I wrote a review for Thor: The Dark World recently, bemoaning how underdeveloped and wasted Christopher Eccleston's character of Malekith was. In many ways Lee Pace's Ronan the Acuser is also not given the screen time to develop that he probably could've had, yet between the motivations we are presented with, and through his performance it is all made so clear that you feel the hate for him, you feel that he is the 'big bad' and a real menace that needs stopping. So kudos to Pace, and also to director James Gunn who has clearly knocked it out of the park. I'm not sure anyone else could've delivered this movie in quite the same way, and this really has been Marvel's strong point - matching the right person with the right superheroes.
Guardians of the Galaxy is packed full of twists, turns, one liners, set pieces and in your face action that you'll find the two hours just flies past. From my first viewing I have no real negative comments at all, and that never happens, I like a good moan! Guardians of the Galaxy is a 5 star film and I'm definitely going to watch it again in the next few days. Better than The Avengers? Hmmm, well although they are obviously both films about a team of superheroes they are like chalk and cheese, but if I had to pick then yep, I think Guardians might just have the edge.
It's a spoiler free review so I'm not giving anything away as much as I would LOVE to discuss this with you, just make sure you stay right to the end because you're gonna get the best Marvel post credits sequence yet. I doubt it but I hope it's a set-up for a future movie.
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