Film Review: 'Guardians of the Galaxy' is everything you'll ever want from a Marvel film

When 'The Avengers' released in 2012, everyone said, this was it - Marvel's best film. But little did they know that gems like 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' and most recently 'Guardians of the Galaxy' would grace their screens. 'Guardians' is exactly what a Marvel film should contain—humour, action, interesting and engaging characters, a potentially world ending plot, and a talking raccoon.

So while I explain why you should watch this fine film, click play on the soundtrack below, and get the real feel of what 'Guardians of the Galaxy' is all about.

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Firstly, the film has proved to be extremely well received by critics and fans alike, raking in close to $100 million in its first week. So it's safe to say that Marvel's gamble with the stragest team out there has paid off. The brilliance behind the success of the film is that these aren't your run-of-the-mill popular characters like Captain America, Iron Man or the Hulk, these are characters that many people out there haven't heard of, and probably don't care about. Now, for religious fans like myself, when I heard they were releasing this film, I was excited to say the least. Sure, Marvel has the overall universe covered with Cap, Iron Man, and the rest of the Avengers, but there's so much that can be done with the Cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, the mad God Thanos, who might be the big bad in Avengers 3, has more to do with the Guardians than most of the characters out there.

Here's a bit of back story about the main men. The odd ball team is led by Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), a human-alien hybrid. While Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the deadly adopted daughter of Thanos, the bad mouthed Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper), his tree-alien companion Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), and the vengeful Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista round up the rest of the team. The film introduces all of the characters very well, as we wait for the inevitable 'Guardians Assemble' time. All the characters cross paths on the Nova Corps home world of Xandar, after which Peter Quill forms an uneasy alliance with a group of misfits, who are hunted through the galaxy after stealing a mysterious and coveted orb.

Read Also: Marvel releases a full recap of Phase 1 & 2, from 'Iron Man' to 'Guardians of the Galaxy'

James Gunn really did a fantastic job with everything, given that it's a film set in a completely different and unfamiliar setting which introduces several new characters with unknown back stories. The first scene itself shows you, that this isn't any other normal film. Chris Pratt turns on his Walkman and dances through the first five-ten minutes, setting you up for a ride you won't soon forget. Plus any film with an 'Indiana Jones' homage in the beginning is sure to be a winner. Also as you've probably heard right now, the soundtrack is pretty awesome.

Now apart from the story-line, the direction and the overall action of the film being great, Pratt shines unprecedentedly as the rebellious yet goofy Star-Lord. James Gunn really knew what he was doing while casting the primary cast. Pratt held the team together with his brilliant understanding of the character he portrayed, but he wasn't the only one that stood out in a film filled with star power. Zoe Saldana played the deadly assassin well enough, though not as tough and violent as her comic book counterpart, she brought a different kind of strength to the characters. The voice over performances from Vin Diesel and, in particular Bradley Cooper, also added their own brilliance to the film. Cooper was hilarious and pretty much on par with the foul-mouthed raccoon from the comics. While the CGI used to create Groot, shows how far the technology has come, despite him only saying "I am Groot" throughout the film, the character had just as much presence as anyone else on screen. Dave Bautista also did a fine job, whether it was the blood thirsty vengeance of his character, or him not really getting metaphors, which is a hilarious running gag through the film. Michael Rooker also gave his own rendition the character of Yondu, which pretty much worked well. Josh Brolin also makes a menacing appearance as Thanos setting up his probable appearance in Avengers 3.

Also Read: Will 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' see the death of Tony Stark?

Visually the film is stunning, whether it's showcasing the entire awesomeness of the various space fleets out there, or the CGI behind all the alien species, or the special effects of the power contained within the orb. The plot while extremely strong, is dwarfed only by the various in reference jokes, sub-text and great word play. My favourite reference was about the great hero Kevin Bacon and the legend of 'Footloose'.

In my opinion this is the best Marvel film made till date, even better than the Avengers. Now, I say that because of what Gunn had to work with, and how he not only made 'Guardians' take off, but how he made it soar. You will definitely want to catch this one, trust me, it's going to make your favourite list too. Also, don't forget to wait for the post-credit scene.

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