Marvel does it again...

Rating: 9/10 (31 July 2014)

... in the best possible way!
'Guardians of the Galaxy' was highly praised by pretty much every critic. They were right. It's very, very good indeed.
The cast are uniformly excellent. The visuals are stunning. The soundtrack is perfect. The plot is typically marvelesque in it's simplicity, strength and scope. No-one puts a foot wrong. No-one. But this is not the usual Marvel fare that we've come to know and love.
The Point here, is that the film is largely being played for laughs. And it works. All the recent offerings from Marvel have had comedic elements and moments and they've been done very well. However, 'Guardians' sustains the laughs for the duration without losing the action/adventure flavour that Marvel films are all about.
As expected, the Infinity Stones story is continued and some previously teased elements are confirmed. Noticeable exposition is kept to a minimum, but some back story for The Big Picture is provided and the direction of future films is hinted at. 'Guardians' may be different, but it's still part of the wider story in the MCU. The already announced sequel is going to be very eagerly anticipated indeed.
To sum up, Marvel have hit gold. And it's a rich vein that can be mined for years to come. Don't miss it.