Marvel's Gamble Pays Off

Rating: 8/10 (4 August 2014)

The love child of "Mass Effect 2," "Chronicles of Riddick," and "Star Trek 09" all while being starred by Han Solo. "Guardians of the Galaxy's" pacing is very awkward and sporadic. The humor feels overabundant and forced at times, like as if Marvel was spitballing jokes figuring if they shot enough, then a few were bound to stick. Luckily, the movie does a solid enough job with its characters to keep most of the humor feeling organic. The action, though vivid, tends to drag. The dialogue ricochets back and forth between good and cringe-worthy. But the movie also spits in the face of clichés with quirkiness which creates adorable results. The set pieces are gorgeous too, you'll find yourself gazing around the scenery amidst all the commotion.
As for the cast, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel really steal the show as Rocket and Groot respectively. Vin channels "The Iron Giant" and shows us why characters like him and Groot are so lovable. This is not to say the others are bad, Zoe Saldana works with what she's given but Bautista does stand out as the weakest of the group. Chris Pratt though seemed in his element and his performance could very well be what "rockets" him into being Marvel's next big thing!
The soundtrack is amazing, the costumes are fantastic, especially Nebula's, and Easter eggs are scattered everywhere just waiting to be found.
Marvel took a gamble, and it's safe to say it paid off. This isn't Marvel's best film, but it is far far from the worst. Guardians of the Galaxy's wide range of humor, wonderful set pieces and color cast of characters will keep you enthralled in this scifi/comedy/epic. It's well worth a watch for the soundtrack alone. It begins the set up with big-bad, Thanos, and provides exposition on the infinity stones for the audience. If you are an MCU fan, then "Guardians of the Galaxy" is a must-see, if not, it is still totally worth it!