Not just the best movie of the summer, quite possibly the best movie of the year

Rating: 9/10 (4 August 2014)

This is the first time I've written a review in my 15 years of being a member on here, but this is the movie that has inspired me to write my first user review.
I will admit, I had little interest in seeing this movie when it was first announced. I thought that it would just be a B-level Marvel movie that Disney was making in order to milk the Marvel cash cow for all it was worth. Boy was I wrong. I tend to be very hard to please when it comes to movies but this one had me smiling the whole 2 hours and wanting more.
James Gunn has accomplished with this film what many comic book movie directors and to a lesser extent all directors fail at---He made a fun and entertaining movie for everyone and isn't that what it's supposed to be about? No brooding superheroes and unnecessary melodrama here. He made a movie that is fun and entertaining all the way through. Zach Snyder take note.
I've watched and read everyone talking about how the box office is down this summer, but let this movie be a lesson to all filmmakers. If you make a movie that is fun and entertaining for all, they will come, and come back again. This movie will easily make $450 million plus at the box office on the strength of word of mouth and repeat attendance.
The casting is superb, and this is the film that has transformed Chris Pratt into an instant movie star. The rest of the cast have excellent chemistry and you get the impression that they must have had a blast making this film. Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel and even Dave Bautista are excellent in their respective parts. Michael Rooker and Benicio Del Toro are especially noteworthy in small supporting roles.
The music also plays a major role in the film, the song choices and their placement in the film by James Gunn are perfect for the tone of this movie. The opening sequence showing Peter Quill as a child, that merges into Quill as an adult singing and dancing to "Come and Get Your Love" has you hooked and doesn't let go.
This is quite possibly the best superhero movie ever made, and I can't wait to see what James Gunn has in store for the sequel in 2017.