Guardians of the Galaxy, terrific?

From cinemablend, Thinking back on my experience watching Guardians of the Galaxy, the new film from writer/director James Gunn, I find myself challenged to decide on the first aspect to really focus on. The comedy seems like an easy target, given that the feature is far and away the funniest Marvel Studios title to date. But it would be criminal to not pay immediate tribute to the impressive, gripping action sequences filled with stunning visual effects. It’s incredible that each member of the ensemble cast steals every scene they are in – letting your mind race and struggle to determine a favorite character – but it’s equally notable that each song in the ‘60s/’70s pop-rock-infused soundtrack beautifully enhances the moments it’s played. Hell, the natural starting place may just be talking about the beginning of the movie, featuring a heartbreaking, unexpectedly pathos-drenched moment set in 1988 where a young Peter Quill, the lead hero, watches as his mother passes away.

What really can’t be stressed enough is just how insanely fun and entertaining Guardians of the Galaxy is for literally its entire two-hour-plus runtime. Made with the same kind of energetic and creative gusto that has fueled classics like Star Wars, Ghostbusters and Back To The Future, the movie transports the audience to a unique, whole new world on the other side of the universe, and features no shortage of diverse landscapes, colorful aliens (both in personality and skin tone), and spaceship battles and chases. Fight sequences play out not just with skilled martial arts and weapons play, but also with bizarre little toys and gadgets found useful in rocketing characters from one side of the screen to the other. The film is built to be bright, colorful and laugh-out-loud funny, and it’s a scream to watch it succeed.

When Guardians of the Galaxy was first announced, it was viewed as a risky proposition on behalf of Marvel Studios, given that the titular comic book heroes were largely unknowns to even most die-hard comic book fans. Now having seen the film, all of that questioning just seems rather foolish. What James Gunn and company have put together is nothing short of phenomenal, and one of the most outstanding, entertaining pieces of science-fiction space opera out there. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen, and everything you could want from a piece of summer entertainment.