GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

I can’t tell you much about Marvel’s signature after-credits scene in ‘Guardians’ (as the screening I saw didn’t yet have it), but rest assured there will be that extra little link to the other films. Marvel movie fans like me will enjoy mentally slotting the film into the rest of the Marvel universe, which it does so seamlessly. However, not having seen a single one of those movies won’t matter one bit for ‘Guardians,’ as the characters and action stand on their own.

What I can tell you is that Chris Pratt is excellent, and (I predict) the next big thing. Zoe Saldana pretty much plays the same character as always – tough girl with a troubled past and a good heart. Glen Close is a minor surprise, as was Vin Diesel (as Groot), but not in a good way. Diesel is severely underused in the role of the inarticulate tree-person.

Bradley Cooper’s voicing of Rocket the Raccoon is so good you won’t be able to help visualising the actor as he snaps out all the best lines. Dave Bautista is unexpectedly hilarious as the humourless Drax, a muscle-bound alien set on avenging his family. Bautista might well be the next Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

The Collector (Benecio Del Toro), first seen in an after-credits scene in ‘Thor: The Dark World’, plays a much bigger part in ‘Guardians’ and acts as a catalyst for much of the events of the film. It certainly looks like the cast were having the time of their lives making this movie.

The special effects are spectacular. The soundtrack is a riot, and plays an integral part in the story. Costumes are great, the aliens are awesome, and the settings full of detail. There are some genuine laugh-out-loud moments, along with a few glimpses of emotion. The pace cruises long nicely – there are no draggy scenes, no awkward pauses.

If I could say one thing about ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, it’s that I’ll be seeing it again, and buying the Blu-ray. It’s that much fun.