User Reviews

In a previous review, one writer said that Marvel could have "played it safe, but went into a bold new direction".

Well I don't know about you, but filling a movie with pop culture references to hook the money-spending adult-child demographic of 30 and 40 somethings, in what is quite literally "just another sci-fi adventure", is NOT taking a risk.

From the very minute the film started I knew I was going to be manipulated in the most direct way, but even then sometimes you ask for it, like watching "Old Yeller" for example. But in the case of GOTG, it's pretty much shoveled in our mouths from the beginning, and with more than a spoonful of sugar.

Some have compared this movie to Star Wars (which it's not), and even while that film was derivative of Saturday morning serials and classic science fiction films and TV, what made Star Wars unique is the creative ways it tips it's hat at the genre, and more specifically how hard everyone worked to make it their own. There was more depth to it, and it left you wondering, "didn't we see that in something else"? However GOTG embellishes with pop culture, very much like the roller-coaster ride operator who turns on the top 40 or R&B station while he locks you in your seat. That's not creating something unique, it's hopping on the back of something that's previously established, and it takes no effort to do so, only money.

But don't take my word for it, see for yourself. In going through the other reviews, on almost every page someone writes their summary as "Hooked on a Feeling". If that doesn't resemble Pavlov's Dog, I don't know what else could.

I DID like Guardian's of the Galaxy for it's art design, effects, stunts, sound design, and the battered underscore by Tyler Bates which was brilliant. But with scenes in which we have Chris Pratt making Kevin Bacon sound like a universal liberator of man during a romantic scene with Zoe Saldana, (and who references his name later in the film like a punch line) this movie is the epitome of that age old prediction, "Pop Will Eat Itself".

Speaking of Pratt, I felt he's probably the weakest leading man I've ever encountered in a blockbuster film. He felt like a composite of Indiana Jones, Norma Rae and Oliver Twist all mixed into one. I cared not a single moment for his well being, his past or even his future.

So no, Marvel didn't play it safe. Not by a long shot. They knew what they were doing when they licensed these songs, filled the dialog with prime time nods and then threw a bunch of fireworks at us. Not having read the comic, if these same kinds of references are in there, I'm sure I will find out soon enough. But that just reinforces my argument anyway, and leaves one to ask if we should expect more depth of storytelling, character development and not-so-easy references to day to day life from big budget features (I do!), or is it safe to say that today's blockbuster films will sacrifice originality for commonality and we should just go with it?

Either way, since this is obviously the first in a new franchise, I'm sure we will find out what Marvel's priorities are in the next installment. Let's hope it's not just "The next Empire Strikes Back".

Guardians of the Galaxy is a pleasantly surprising SyFy thriller for this generation. The film stars Chris Pratt as Peter aka Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, and Dave Bautista as Drax. This all-star cast does an amazing job bringing these characters to life. If you like any of the Marvel Avengers movies you will love the humor and action of this family-friendly film. Peter is a human from planet Earth that has a bounty on his head when Rocket, a talking raccoon that was developed in a lab, and Grout a walking tree come along and try to capture him to collect the bounty on him. In the meantime, Gamora comes along trying to steal the Orb that Peter has in his possession. This group of misfits that end up crossing paths, all at the same time, end up being put into prison where they meet Drax. Drax lost his family at the hands of Gamora's gang, therefore Drax wants revenge and to kill her. This group of enemies ends up having to rely on each other to escape prison. In the beginning, they are trying to kill one another or use each other for personal gain. In order to ensure their personal gain, they end up having to try and keep one another alive. By protecting each other they begin to create a bond. I feel that the music along with the special effects that were used for this film is what makes it great. The music speaks to what is happening in the film and the emotions that the character is feeling at that time. They were consistent and the use of the music shows the time frame in which Peter left Earth. The differences in the feeling during the scenes are also shown in the lighting and special effects. The lighting and special effects during the fight scenes show quicker cuts, as opposed to the times during the film when the characters are more relaxed, in which the director pans across the scene moving with the characters. The director and the all-star cast pull the audience in and do an excellent job bringing the characters to life while leaving them asking what could be next for this group of friends. If you like humor in your SyFy films you will love this cinematic sensation.

The plot was predictable. The characters aren't original. I guess the younger crowd and die hard fans will probably like it but as an avid movie fan Guardians kind of disappointed me. Acting was kind of terrible too. Bautista played Drax as if Drax was TRYING to sound intelligent. He couldn't pull off the smart brute. Zoe tried too hard to be bad a$$ and it wasn't natural. The Collector... Don't get me started... What reason was there for The Collector to even open and show anybody the Infinity Stone? It's a super powerful object that he knew was very powerful, why show Thanos' daughter or the outlaw? The bad guys were the worst, so campy. Ronin reminded me of a pro wrestler during an interview. Like Ultimate Warrior on a rant. Only good acting came from Thanos and Rocket. Yep, the CGIs. The final battle was whack. The ships lined up to form a net to stop the super ship and the good guy ships were below shooting bad guy ships who we're dive bombing the city. The worst was when they tried to replicate that scene in Avengers when Hulk was slamming Loki around but instead it was Groot shooting his tendrils through a bunch of bad guys and skewering them then slamming them unnecessarily back and forth against walls. The ending was so cheesy when John C Reiley was all sappy about his wife and kid being saved who they showed in the end as a woman and her daughter who earlier was part of a scene where they were almost crushed. Booooring.... The movie wasn't terrible but after reading the super reviews on IMDb, I had to say something.