'Guardians Of The Galaxy' most pure fun blockbuster since first 'Iron Man'

Rating: 10/10 (12 August 2014)

Summer blockbusters haven't been much fun this year. Sure, we've had giant robots, action galore and some edge of our seat moments, but from the xenophobia of "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" to the daddy issues and nuclear nightmares of "Godzilla" the season's tent pole movies have been a bit gloomy.
"Guardians of the Galaxy," the new Marvel adventure, is a tonic for the troops. An old-fashioned space opera, it's a wild ride and the most pure fun blockbuster since the first "Iron Man" movie.
It's filled with one-liners, sight gags and funny moments that play off the more standard blockbuster-style action and battle scenes. Pratt has an offhand delivery that recalls Harrison Ford in Han Solo mode, Cooper does wisecracks like a skilled Catskills comic and there's Baby Groot to up the cute factor. There are characters with funny names, warring cultures and treaties to be enforced and broken. The exposition gets in the way of the story sometimes, but only occasionally. Director James Gunn doles out the information with spoonfuls of humor and action to keep things interesting.
"Guardians of the Galaxy" is clearly expected to be the beginning of a franchise. Near the end of the film Star-Lord says, "What shall we do now? Something good? Something bad? Bit of both?" and while that kind of presumptuous writing usually annoys me, in this case I wouldn't mind seeing what they get up to next time.