Popcorn-Entertainment at its Best.

Rating: 8/10 (2 September 2014)

"Guardians of the Galaxy" is a buoyant and joyful roller-coaster ride through a colorful, fantastically imaginative world somewhere on the verge between Sciencefiction and Fantasy only surpassed by "Avatar" in it's artistic abundance - and while missing James Cameron's sense for great dramaturgical peaks on a deeply emotional level that make you suffer with the protagonists, it in exchange comes up with a more or less great sense of humor.
Certainly not every punchline hits its target, however, there are some really, really funny scenes full of self-irony. The main protagonists, the heroes, who are refreshingly different from the typical superhero characters Marvel has to offer, since they all carry the image of being outlaws beyond ordinary social conventions, somehow succeed in managing the balancing act between silliness and seriousness, harmonizing well together and even providing one or two goose-bump moments towards the end.
The plot itself is not very elaborated and feels shallow at times, too much resembling other Marvel movies in its structural build up. More bravado and originality on part of the script authors would have given this in all other respects astonishing motion picture not only more substance and depth but also something that stays with you long after the curtain has fallen and the impressions of the visual effects have faded away. The good thing about the story is that it is fast-paced and does not need three hours to be told.
Also remarkable is the - for such a genre - rather unusual soundtrack consisting of famous pop songs of the 1960's-80's, it contributes much to the positive vibe of the movie since it is played throughout the movie, even serving as a plot device.
The 13 years old comic fan boy/girl will cheer at this, a more mature viewer can certainly appreciate the satirical quality and epic action scenes.
Very entertaining.