REVIEW: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Is A Funny, Engaging, Modern Space Opera (Spoilers)

By Cameron Logan

After running this site for a year and a half, I have to say my expectations for Guardians of the Galaxy were pretty high. It felt like Christmas Eve, sitting in the theater, waiting for the film to start. I couldn't wait to finally open my present. Once I did, well...what a great present it was! Guardians of the Galaxy is by far the most fun I've had at the movies since watching The Avengers back in 2012. Marvel Studios has possibly even topped The Avengers when it comes to rewatchability. This is a film I feel like I could watch five times this weekend, and never get tired of it. Who knows? I probably will watch it five times this weekend (just joking....or am I?).

Now, I'll be honest. I am the creator of a Guardians of the Galaxy fan site, so obviously I am a little biased. This review is more of a list of pros than cons, so don't expect much criticism. Here we go (Spoilers after the jump)...

When the film starts off with Peter Quill as a boy in 1988 on Earth, his mother is on her death bed. Not since the movie Up have I teared up so early on in a film. The film quickly moves from the harsh reality of losing a loved one to the wonder of sci-fi within the blink of an eye, but never once do you stop feeling something. A lot of props go out to Wyatt Oleff, who played young Peter Quill, for conveying so much emotion in that scene. This kid will undoubtedly be a big star.

Twenty-something years later, the introduction of the film's movie title to the song 'Come and Get Your Love' by Redbone lets you know that you're in for something good. The juxtaposition between the seriousness of the title, and the hilariousness of Star-lord dancing is one of the most memorable moments in the film. We quickly find out that Star-lord is stealing an ancient artifact, which may or may not be an infinity stone (it is).

Three of the other Guardians (Gamora, Rocket, and Groot) become acquainted with Quill on Xandar, during an all-out battle for the orb. I thought the introduction of each character was very effective, especially Rocket's, while he harshly judges many citizens of Xandar (including Stan Lee). It's during this scene that we get a sense of Rocket and Groot's relationship. Rocket is the loveable, rude leader, while Groot is the loveable, sweet follower. Their scenes together work so well, because you really get a sense that these two have known each other for a very long time.

Once our "heroes" arrive in prison, they begin to become allies, but they still don't necessarily like each other. Drax is introduced as wanting to kill Gamora, but Star-lord manages to talk him out of this. This may be the first moment that we see Peter do something truly heroic in the film, risking life and limb for someone else.

The prison escape sequence does a fantastic job of showing Rocket as the brains of the team. His ability to tinker with technology makes him one of the smartest characters we've seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Once the Guardians break free from prison, they head to Knowhere, which I'd love to see more of in the sequel. The Collector's prison is something that I would love to pause every shot of once I get the Blu-ray, as it's undoubtedly a treasure trove of hidden alien races from the Marvel Universe.

Seeing Cosmo appear in the film had to be one of my favorite moments. When Rocket and Cosmo growled at each other, my brain almost exploded. We NEED more Cosmo in the sequel. Please James Gunn, make it happen.

Each member of the team gets their time to shine, whether it's through comedic moments or dramatic. At no point in the film did I not want to see these character succeed, although they did plenty of bad things along the way.

The villains are effective as well. Lee Pace as Ronan was possibly my favorite villain of any Marvel Studios film, achieving a presence throughout the film as someone who no one would dare cross. Nebula (Karen Gillan) also shines through the film as one of the most compelling villains I've ever seen. I can't wait to find out more about her in the sequel. She obviously still has good in her.

Once the Guardians band together in the film's climax, we really get a sense that these characters have grown to love each other. They finally have found a family and a place to belong. The scene where Drax begins comforting Rocket, who is crying over the loss of Groot, is especially heart wrenching.

The film continues to pull at the heart strings when Peter Quill finally opens the present that his mother gave him on her death bed. It's another mixtape, which will give us more tunes to groove to when Guardians of the Galaxy 2 rolls around in 2017.

Overall, I loved this film, and I thought it was really true to the tone of the comics. Galaxians will undoubtedly love it. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and see it in the theater. If you have seen it, you already know how special it is. 

Rating: 10/10