A really fun space opera

Rating: 8/10 (15 August 2019)

One night in 1988 Peter Quinn's mother dies and then he is abducted by aliens... not a great day. Twenty six years later he is roaming the galaxy as a thief known, if only to himself, as Star Lord. He steals a mysterious orb and soon everybody is after him; some because there is a bounty on his head others because there are those who want the orb for the power it holds. The soon crosses paths with bounty hunters Rocket and Groot; a genetically engineered racoon-like being and a walking tree, and Gamora, an attractive green woman who is after the orb. They are all arrested and while in jail form an unlikely partnership; they are joined by a fifth member, Drax, who wants revenge against Ronan, the being who murdered his family. They manage to escape but there troubles are far from over; Ronan wants the orb as it holds the power to destroy those he opposes. Few people they approach can be trusted and much of the time they don't trust each other... it will be a miracle if they can save each other let alone the galaxy!
When I saw that this was a Marvel film I initially thought it might be yet another superhero film; it isn't. Instead we get a space opera which is full of action, humour and some fine lead characters. It may not be quite as high camp as 'The Fifth Element' or 'Jupiter Ascending' it is in that ballpark with over-the-top villains and exotic aliens. The plot might not provide too many surprises but it does give exciting scene after exciting scene. The characters are great; I particularly liked Groot; despite his very limited vocabulary. The cast does a fine job; this includes those we see and those who provide the voices for the animated characters. The special effects are top notch; they make the animated characters fit seamlessly into the live action and provide spectacular backdrops to impressive action. The use of music from the '60s and '70s was fun and nicely justified by the fact that Quinn had a tape of his mother's favourite music... of course the idea that he could play it for over twenty years without it being chewed up is perhaps the most unlikely part of the film! Overall I'd say this is a really fun sci-fi romp that can be enjoyed by anybody who enjoys the genre but doesn't take it too seriously.