Guardians of the Galaxy

I had avoided most of the previews and trailers of Guardians of the Galaxy, other than a short trailer at last year’s D23 Expo out in Anaheim. Basically, what that trailer told me was that it was sci-fi, not your average superhero movie, and there was a raccoon and a tree involved. So walking into the theatre last night, that’s pretty much all I knew, other than it had been getting great buzz online from those who had seen screenings. And rightly so, as I found myself loving it from frame one.

I don’t want to give away too much from the film, as I like to think of the Marvel Universe as a giant puzzle, so when you get these little pieces from the various films or after-the-credits tags, it’s quite satisfying (for me anyway) to be able to say “ohhhh, that’s what that means.” or “that’s who that is!” I am certainly no comic book expert, other than reading Donald Duck, Casper, Richie Rich, and Archie comics on summer vacations in Maine. But Guardians of the Galaxy made me want to read Marvel comics. And I really think that is a testament to the storyline and fun of this movie. It was not so much about any one character like Iron Man and his anxiety issues or Captain America trying to fit in to today’s society, it was more about a group of unlikely friends and heroes who did great things despite their background and issues. And can’t we all relate to that in some way?

The movie was filled with amazing visuals, music and special effects that are everything you want in a summer action film. I really loved the various costumes and color choices throughout the movie. The space flight and fight scenes are enough to keep any Marvel fan happy too. I started out worrying that I wouldn’t be able to keep all of these new characters and their place in the Marvel world straight, but by the end, it all made sense and of course, made me wanting more and I can’t wait to see where the story takes us next. Best of all, at the end of the film, we are promised that “The Guardians of the Galaxy Will Return” which is a win win for everyone!

The special effects were spot on…I never thought “Oh, that’s just computer animation” and it was totally believable that there was a talking raccoon and a walking and sort-of-talking tree on screen. Everything just fit seamlessly and I loved every minute of it.

Parents Guide: Parents should be aware that there are a lot of non G-rated words in this movie, some crass humor and lots and lots of space fighting and real fighting. But nothing too graphic or gory. If your little person enjoys the other Marvel films or Star Wars movies, you should be fine.

Run, don’t walk to the theatre to see Guardians of the Galaxy, you won’t regret it! It opens today in many theatres and everywhere on August 1.

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