A roller coaster ride from start to finish.

Rating: 8/10 (1 August 2014)

This movie is pure popcorn entertainment.
I loved this film, it's probably my second favorite film, behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier in the Phase 2 of the MCU.
Chris Pratt leads the film with great comedic timing and snappy one-liners in the role of Peter Quill/Star-Lord. He's a very likable jerk/noble/con-man. He is the leader of these unusual bunch, and does a commendable job of bringing this group together and united to fight for whats right. Zoe Saldana is great portraying Gamora, showcasing she's somewhat conflicted, also she's not as cold and heartless like her sister Nebula, greatly portrayed by Karen Gillian. Dave Bautista brings out the best of Drax, full of honor and also full of ego.
Now the two stars in this film are Rocket Raccoon and Groot, respectively voiced by Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel. I guarantee that everyone(mostly everyone) will fall in love with these characters. They are basically Han Solo and Chewbacca. They're very lovable and have the most memorable moments. Both actors bring such life within their vocal talents.
Action sequences dazzle and are pure eye candy, as well as the visual effects. The film is paced very well and very fast, but at times it can get overwhelming, and a couple of action sequences can be dragged out a little.
I absolutely ate up Lee Pace's performance as Ronan. It was over the top, corny, and deliciously evil. He held nothing back, he was aggressive and he knew what he wanted. The only problem is that I wish he was just a little more fleshed out. I wanted more of Ronan, he is by far one of my favorite villains so far in the MCU. I was disappointed to see him "die," but I have hope that someday he'll make his return.
Djimon Hounsou has a relatively small role as Korath. I would have also liked to see more of him as well. He was kind of a throw away character. Glenn Close, John C. Reilly, and Benicio Del Toro both have a small supporting role, but their roles do serve a purpose for the plot, where as Hounsou does not, especially if he plays a supporting character along the lead villain Ronan and Nebula's side.
What James Gunn does very well is managing humor and providing real moments for all the characters. The core five are fleshed out more than I expected and are not two dimensional, therefore as an audience member you're able to go on a personal journey with them. It's not overdone, but there is just enough for you to care about all these characters. Again, I just wish there could have been more Ronan.
This is Marvel's Star Wars. That may be an overstatement, but it truly is. It's filled with fun humor, fun action, and dazzling visuals. Also with some nice tender character moments. Can I also mention the awesome appearance of Thanos voiced by Josh Brolin. It was worth the wait and I can't wait to see more of him in the future.
What Kevin Feige and the rest of the amazing crew at Marvel are doing are so impressive. They took a property like Guardians of the Galaxy, cream of the crop C or D-Listers, and speared them into an A or B-List territory. Props to them, these guys care for the source material(except Iron Man 3 lol) and really know what they're doing. I attended San Diego Comic-Con for the seventh straight year and their presentation at Comic-Con as always is great, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man footage both looked incredible.
I truly believe, for anyone who is a Marvel fan, we have been spoiled by them.
Anyways go see this film. IMAX 3D is also very good, if it's not the fake IMAX like in some AMC theaters.
As always stay after the credits, there's a humorous scene involving a certain duck.
8/10