"Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014) REVIEW

When you watched The Avengers, did you stop to wonder how much better it would be if there were more sass between the characters? Well, look no further than the tenth installment to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which also works well as a stand-alone movie)!

At a young age, Peter "Star-Lord" Quill (Chris Pratt) was abducted by aliens. Now living among the galaxy twenty years later as an intergalactic thief, his latest job lands him in deep and unsettling waters. It turns out that the orb he stole from ancient ruins was also wanted by the universe's biggest baddies, Thanos (Josh Brolin) and Ronan (Lee Pace). Ronan sends one of his assassins, Gamora (Zoe Saldana), after the orb and Star-Lord, with a bounty on his head, is soon caught between Gamora and bounty hunters Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and human-like tree Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel). When all four are caught and arrested, they also meet Drax (Dave Bautista). An unlikely bond forms between the five of them and together they escape from prison to not only figure out the secret of the orb, but to also stop Ronan from destroying the galaxy.

Guardians of the Galaxy is hard to sum up because it is a lot of things at once: a story of an unlikely friendship, of overcoming loss, of finding a home and family, and a quest to save the galaxy. With several plotlines interwoven in this two hour sci-fi epic, Guardians of the Galaxy doesn't lose its stride. The pacing is a bit too fast for my taste, but not that bad. The changes from comedy, drama, and action are spot on, changing the mood the way it should be shifted. The acting of the main cast is spectacular, their chemistry truly there as they joke or bicker back and forth and provide great depth to the characters (even the CGI ones!).

Though it could be longer with more backstory, Marvel's risky move in making a movie of a not-so-popular team is a success and it is one of my favorite sci-fi flicks (it's also an amazing IMAX 3D experience!). The film is a great introduction to these new characters and Thanos's story arc which I highly anticipate in Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

4/5 Stars

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