Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
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Critics Consensus: Guardians of the Galaxy is just as irreverent as fans of the frequently zany Marvel comic would expect -- as well as funny, thrilling, full of heart, and packed with visual splendor.
Critics Consensus: Guardians of the Galaxy is just as irreverent as fans of the frequently zany Marvel comic would expect -- as well as funny, thrilling, full of heart, and packed with visual splendor.
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From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team-the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the … More- Rating:
- PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language)
- Genre:
- Action & Adventure , Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Directed By:
- James Gunn
- Written By:
- James Gunn , Nicole Perlman
- In Theaters:
- Aug 1, 2014 Wide
- On DVD:
- Dec 9, 2014
- US Box Office:
- $328.7M
Cast
-
Chris Pratt
as Peter Quill/Star-Lor... -
Zoe Saldana
as Gamora -
David Bautista
as Drax -
Lee Pace
as Ronan the Accuser -
Michael Rooker
as Yondu -
Karen Gillan
as Nebula
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Critic Reviews for Guardians of the Galaxy
All Critics (249) | Top Critics (46) | Fresh (226) | Rotten (23)
Blessed with a loose, anarchic B-picture soul that encourages you to enjoy yourself even when you're not quite sure what's going on, the scruffy Guardians is irreverent in a way that can bring the first Star Wars to mind.
The lightly derisive, live-action-cartoon tone robs the movie of any majesty, even of the comic-book type, and the many violent deaths of their suitable gravity.
These meager pleasures are swallowed up in all the frantic action and overblown CG sequences.
Chris Pratt, overflowing with charisma, plays the leader of the pack of misfits, and his blissed-out space cowboy (with a love for seventies music) is so full of good will that he buoys the film and its requisite whizbang special effects.
Director and co-writer James Gunn brings a giddiness and a wondrous, endless sense of why-the-hell-not? possibility that's reminiscent of Star Wars.
Pratt is their prime asset for turning the comedy up to 11. With him playing Star-Lord, you never question what Quill brings to the team: a sparkling, cracked esprit de corps.
Junk, and proud of it
An exhilarating delight-a tongue-in-cheek, big-budget sci-fi blockbuster that could easily be this generation's Star Wars.
Guardians bounces with the energy of pure invention.
There's enough liveliness in the cast and director Gunn's brisk pacing that, at its best, the movie's energy emulates the go-for-it glee of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
Gunn has done a marvelous job of character development with a large cast of unknown comic-book roles.
Guardians of the Galaxy exists solely to advertise its own as-yet-unmade sequels.
Larger-than-life and dangerously explosive, they're so funny that boys and girls will love the film in equal measure.
Once again, we get an against-the-odds, mid-air battle among exploding skyscrapers and fleeing extras. But it's beautifully realised in eye-popping 3D.
There are obvious touchstones here in Star Wars and Indiana Jones, but Gunn allows his influences to inform rather than define the film.
A vibrantly exciting, immensely entertaining and frequently hilarious sci-fi adventure.
Fun and fresh, Guardians Of The Galaxy is another winner from Marvel, and further proof of a very old dictum: you've got to gamble big to win big.
It favors jokes and general weirdness over heroism and action, and it's less indebted to Star Wars than the cheap, junky Star Wars knock-offs that followed in its wake.
Throughout this technical haze, Guardians carries forth with more spirit than anything Marvel has put out to date.
Guardians Of The Galaxy is deliriously, insanely its own thing, possessed of an idiosyncratic, intimate sense of humour and a magnificently diverse cast, all of whom find exactly the right tone of low-key commitment. Everything fits.
Though the picture leaves you with little more to hang onto than a roller coaster, it's still a pretty good ride.
Guardians of the Galaxy is just an obscene amount of fun.
Guardians of the Galaxy is right up there with The Avengers as a movie that delivers all the fun and action you want from a superhero adventure.
Audience Reviews for Guardians of the Galaxy
It is fair to say Marvel have gone from strength to strength in the last few years. They realised, after years of making mediocre to just plain dreadful films, that maybe they needed people with new ideas that have actually read a comic to come up with some ideas. Quite simple really when you think about it. Iron Man was an easy character to bring to life, get a good actor and you're halfway there. The same applied for the other Avengers but what of Marvel's lesser known comics, or at least lesser know to non-comic book readers? The Guardians of the Galaxy not only have a large fan-base but they are, and have been associated with the Avengers for quite some time. This is why this film is Marvel's biggest risk so far and it's also fair to say it's their biggest success because of it. It is beautiful to see the producers, who have said for years "People won't accept a film with a walking Tree and a Gun-totting Raccoon in it" proven incorrect by the public and talented film makers alike. Seriously, what's not to love about a walking, talking (and dancing) tree? The story is brilliant and the casting of lesser known actors with big name voices works very well. The whole package is good from start to finish, it's fresh mix of chaos and irreverence is just what the Superhero/Comic book genre needed, hell it's just like it is in the comics and that's a first for a comic adaption! Hats off to Marvel on this one, and that post-credits one shot, wow!
http://cinephilecrocodile.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/guardians-of-galaxy-dir-james-gunn-2014.html
Super Reviewer
The type of irreverent Marvel superhero movie that we were all waiting for but have not yet admitted it, and it is a wonder to see how it combines so organically a zany, quirky sense of humor with thrilling action and good unsentimental drama (like the awesome opening scene).
MoreSuper Reviewer
Who would have guessed that a movie that featured a talking tree and an anthropomorphic raccoon would be one of the bets films of the year and one of the top grossing films of the summer? At this point for audiences, the Marvel name can do no wrong, but really it's the degree of latitude given to Guardians of the Galaxy, an admittedly weird movie with strange characters, that allows this unique film to shine. Attaching offbeat director James Gunn (Super, Slither) to be writer and director was a risk that paid off tremendously, as Guardians is the Marvel film most entrenched with the particular personality of its creative director. This is a gleefully imaginative film that enjoys wading deep into weirdness, dancing to its adventurous Star Wars throwback beat, always with its focus set on comedy but not at the expense of quality drama or character development. Really, the characters are the focus of this entry into the franchise, and Gunn and his actors do a bang-up job of gathering the team and getting you to care about each and every one of them. Each one of these characters has a goal, several payoffs, and each is given their proper attention. In an ordinary superhero film, the archetypes would be ironclad. With Guardians, the tough guy made of muscle can also be a source of unexpected comedy with his literal-minded speech patters. With Guardians, the talking raccoon can also be an emotionally disturbed victim of genetic experimentation who doesn't know how to play well with others. These are damaged characters, and their formation of an unconventional family unit is deeply satisfying and rather touching. I have seen the film twice and gotten teary-eyed both times. The real star of the film is Chris Pratt (TV's Parks and Recreation), and what a breakout role he is afforded; he's like Han Solo's more juvenile nephew. But like the others, the character is surprising in its depth, with a well of sadness and displacement he still hasn't processed while he scavenges the galaxy. The plot can be a bit unwieldy at times but pays off better for repeat viewings. This is a world I want to spend far more time exploring and with these characters as my merry prankster guides. With a movie this action-packed, thoroughly entertaining, and gratifying, why come back to Earth?
Nate's Grade: A
Super Reviewer
While much of what makes up "Guardians" has been done before, there's something so original and bankable about this, that the best parallel one can make, would be the original "Star Wars" trilogy. Part of the Marvel canon, and yet nothing like the superhero films that the studio has been rolling out lately, "Guardians" has its own world, its own manic sense of humor, and its own set of characters with their own motivations and backgrounds. Aesthetically there's really nothing like this film. Relying simply on visual appeal, this film creates lavish planets, surprisingly frightening villains, and great costuming. The bridge between the old (the soundtrack, the timeliness of the script) and the sci-fi fantasy world was cute. Many of the references will possibly date this film in future viewings, though many seemed universal. This reliance on human love, humor, and understanding made it easy to empathize with characters, feel the stakes of the action, and feel engaged with the story. The choices in casting were also excellent. Chris Pratt has demonstrated his zany humor on many occasions, but here he really shines as an affable action star. Zoe Saldana holds her own, without being primarily a love interest for Pratt. The side characters of Groot, Rocket, and Drax are entertaining and also provide humor and heart to an otherwise action packed script. Peter's (Pratt) love for his mother ties together the entire film, which was a loving constant, and broke everyone's heart when it was reiterated throughout the film. Out of all the Marvel films, this one feels like it has the most staying power. This is the film that many will want to sit down and re-watch with their children, the one they might quote in conversation, and the one they compare with all other films.
MoreSuper Reviewer
Guardians of the Galaxy Quotes
- Rocket Raccoon:
- You're making me beat up grass!
- Groot:
- I am Groot.
- Peter Quill/Star-Lord:
- You said it yourself, bitch. We're the Guardians of the Galaxy.
- Peter Quill/Star-Lord:
- Oh will you shut up about that? God, 20 years you've been throwing that in my face. Like it's some great thing, "not eating me". Normal people don't even think about eating someone else, much less, that person having to be grateful for it.
- Gamora:
- No! I know what you're trying to do, Star-Lord! And I am not going to succumb to your... pelvic sorcery!
- Nebula:
- You disappoint me, sister. Of all our siblings, I hated you the least.
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