An astounding sci-fi entry into the MCU

Rating: Null/10 (14 November 2019)

If you want to describe Guardians of the Galaxy to the uninitiated, I guess you'd describe it as Star Wars, except there's no force and everybody is either Han Solo or Chewbacca... or both.
Before 2012 I never even heard of the GOTG. I was introduced via the character Rocket Raccoon who was in Marvel Vs Capcom 3. When I saw the trailer for GOTG I was... kinda blown away. I was like hmmm, this could be damn good!
I was wrong. This movie isn't damn good, it's frickin' AMAZING. I guess another way of describing Guardians of the Galaxy is that it's The Avengers... except they're all anti-heroes. Although Joss Whedon's Avengers is really good, I'm not sure it's as great as GOTG.
What makes this story work is the characters... starting with actor Chris Pratt as Peter Quill. Chris Pratt (to use a perhaps exhausted phrase) is this generations Harrison Ford. Before 2014 I never even heard of Chris Pratt. I never saw Parks and Rec. This was one of those cases where I instantly fell in love with the character of Peter Quill, which I heavily credit to Chris Pratt's awesome performance. Chris Pratt pulls off the funny, charming scoundrel personality very very well.
Zoe Saldana is amazing as Gamora, the adopted daughter of an intergalactic despot, our big baddie that you love to hate... Thanos. Karen Gillan is also amazing as Nebula, the real daughter of Thanos. Dave Bautista is a lot of fun as the very lunk-headed Drax.
To be honest though... one of my favorite characters in the MCU is Rocket Raccoon, voiced by the fantastic Bradley Cooper. Guardians is such a great movie, in that it made me feel real emotions for a computer generated, gun-toting anthropomorphic critter. Rocket Raccoon is bad ass, and I frickin' love him.
Oh yeah, and I guess Vin Diesel does the voice of Groot. If I am being fair though, GOTG had a very hard job. This movie has to establish all these great new characters, have them straddle the line between being heroes and out-laws and make us the audience tear up during the final 15 minutes of this scene.
James Gunn did an INCREDIBLE job. It also helps that the soundtrack to this film is incredible and immerses you into this fun and vast universe. People like to complain that the character of Ronin is kind of a typical villain, but in my opinion that doesn't hurt the film at all. Why? Because this film is all about the Guardians and their consciences motivating them into doing the right thing... even if that doesn't mean them doing the right thing ALL the time.
Guardians of the Galaxy is in the top 5 of MCU films thus far(As of November 2019), and I highly recommend it for anybody who needs a cold introduction to the MCU. Adults will love it, and so will the kids... although just be aware the kids might ask you what Star Lord was talking about when he mentioned Jackson Pollock...