Unrepentant

Rating: 7/10 (11 November 2015)

Version I saw: UK cinema release (2D)
Actors: 7/10
Plot/script: 8/10
Photography/visual style: 7/10
Music/score: 9/10
Overall: 7/10
My key word to describe Guardians of the Galaxy is 'unrepentant'. It is what it is, and it stands proud of that, refusing to change to suit anyone's tastes. The genius of the film is that it convinces us to agree.
British comics writer Dan Abnett revived the 1960s superhero team in 2008, imbuing it with the spirit of comics legend Jack Kirby, but also giving it a distinctly British edge. In American comedies, the characters are fundamentally friends, but the Guardians are more like those in a British sitcom: they hate each other, but are tied together by circumstances.
The setting is that of a pretty silly, far-fetched space opera of the kind that might have existed in the 60s and 70s, but it is brought right up to date by several factors. The most obvious is the look: the most modern CGI is used, bringing two of the main stars - Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel's voice) - to life in a way that would not have been practical even 5 years ago. The settings and backgrounds are also massively enhanced by computer technology.
While I am on the subject, it's worth pointing out that the film is as full of stars in the celebrity sense as astrological bodies. Cooper and Chris Pratt (as 'Star Lord' Peter Quill) have shown that they can headline major movies, while Diesel and Zoe Saldana can do the same for medium-sized ones. Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Michael Rooker, Benicio Del Toro, Karen Gillan, Lee Pace... The list goes on.
Something so massive in scale can become humourless, but that is never a risk with GotG. The film is so packed with humour that I would class it as at least partly comedy by genre, and this neatly punctures any sense of pompousness, roundly mocking every character even while enjoying their antics.
The music is key. I never would have thought I could like these cheesy 60s and 70s pop tunes, but they are well chosen and inserted perfectly into the narrative - and even the plot - with great skill. In fact, one is part of the scene which I think is the thematic heart of the film. In a brief down-time, Star Lord tries to explain to Gamora (Saldana) why his music is so great, but she only understands when he just plays it to her. The message is the same for the film: "If we explain it, you won't get it. Just watch it, and you'll realize it's awesome." And I did.
The message goes further, when applied to yourself: accept who you are, don't compromise or change for anyone, and people will eventually 'get' you. It's a wonderful sentiment, and very laudable, if a little convenient for fanboy nerds like me, who are presumably the core target audience. Maybe they were actually addressing themselves, and their shallow Hollywood colleagues; I don't know.
Before its release, GotG was predicted by some to be Marvel's first big cinematic flop, but its joy, exuberance, wit and sheer self-confidence have made it, for many, the MCU's absolute highlight.