Title: Guardians of the Galaxy
Director: James Gunn
Genre: Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Tomatometer: 92%
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language
Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, David Bautista, Glenn Close, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan
Trailer:
I honestly wasn’t expecting great things from this movie. I had hope because it was Marvel, and they’ve had such an amazing streak with the Avengers franchise, but I wasn’t too impressed with the trailer for Guardians. Fortunately, the movie greatly exceeded my expectations. I found myself laughing through a great deal of it, and yet the movie still held emotional moments that were surprisingly well acted by its comedic cast.
As with all of the Avengers movies, the special effects for Guardians are fantastic. Most of this movie takes place in space, and there are plenty of beautiful space shots. Not to mention some exciting action, both physical and space fights.
Chris Pratt leads the ensemble with ease and excellent comedic timing. He handles the serious moments with equal care, creating a character that you not only love to laugh with, but are emotionally connected to as well. Zoe Saldana (as green girl Gamora), Bradley Cooper (as Rocket, the talking, fighting raccoon), Vin Diesel (as Groot, the loveable tree…thing) and Dave Bautista (as the formidable and terrifying looking Drax) form the rest of the team, who go from dysfunctional prisoners to heroes saving the galaxy. Each plays his part spectacularly, keeping the audience laughing the whole way through.
There are some creepy villains here as well; Lee Pace gets all crazy make-upped to play the sadistic and tyrannical Ronan, while Doctor Who’s Karen Gillan plays his creepy side-kick Nebula. The cast is filled out with a huge assortment of big names, such as Glenn Close, John C. Reilly, and Djimon Hounsou in various parts.
With a very clever script, excellent acting, and beautiful special effects, Guardians of the Galaxy is the summer blockbuster you don’t want to miss.