Guardians of the Galaxy

You know how with some movies it takes a while to establish mood? Like sometimes the true mood doesn't show up for a solid hour? But there are some whose moods are made quite quickly.

And if you've seen James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy (which you probably have), it's pretty obvious as to which category it falls under. It's throughout the opening credits that the movie makes it pretty damn clear how different it is from the usual Marvel productions. It's not the poster child like Iron Man or Captain America; it's the crazy uncle no one really talks about. ("What a bunch of a-holes.")

I think what makes Guardians of the Galaxy work as well as it does is that it's aware that it gets ridiculous at times. (I mean, two of the heroes are a raccoon and a tree creature.) It practically basks in its own absurdity. (There's an absolutely perfect example towards the end.)

And those involved are clearly having one hell of a time. Chris Pratt acts as if he's playing a goofy mix of Han Solo and Malcolm Reynolds, and it works. His co-stars (Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel) also kick serious ass. John C. Reilly, Glenn Close and Benicio Del Toro easily entertain in their few scenes. Not to mention that Lee Pace and Karen Gillan are friggin' awesome as villains.

If I wasn't clear enough, Guardians of the Galaxy is easily the most fun you can have with a movie this summer. It also proves that a comic book movie doesn't have to be entirely serious. (Especially that post-credits scene. I mean, who the hell was expecting that?)

My Rating: *****