Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy take advantage of the fact that people love galactic soap operas and don’t worry about the rest, and it is given to them because they belong to the Marvel universe. In other words, one thing is not true of this film: it really is not subversive. The film always smirks slightly at the right time, but that doesn't change the fact that it takes full advantage of the potential of cosmic heroic sagas and Marvel hubs. Its humor is similarly superficial as the choice of 70's musical hits, but it works as a well-trodden galactic sitcom with excellent characters, and even in serious moments it seriously entices as a "superhero" spectacle (it got to me 2 times with the pure essence of heroic pathos, only to then laugh at myself along with the heroes). It's touchingly childish, yet very adult self-aware. And calculated to the last detail. When it comes to Marvel films, they simply know. Years ahead of the competition. [75%] (07/08/2014)

Okay, so at first I thought I'd just switch off and enjoy this popcorn movie. It was going well, but then I ran out of popcorn in the first half and started to focus more on the movie. The music was great, no question about it, so it gets a star for that. The other star is for a successful joke here and there, for some pretty good effects that look like every other Marvel movie or Michael Bay movie... Unfortunately, I got bored from the middle onwards, suddenly this Star Wars parody, which at times played at being more than a parody, lost the charm it had at the beginning. It was like I suddenly woke up from hypnosis. Even though it wasn't New York that was being destroyed, but a city that looked like an amusement park, it oozed American patriotism and the kind of stuff that makes my teeth ache. Of course, some people don't mind it, some people enjoy it and all that. But I'm a bit of a curmudgeon, and I just rolled my eyes for the last half hour. I went to the cinema expecting to be entertained (the ovation on FilmBooster really got me hooked), only to get the same thing I've gotten in other Marvel movies and other American movies where XY is being saved (XY = Earth, the USA, the president’s daughter, Beetle Baggins, ...), and I just wasn't entertained. Yup, my brain. I just didn't want to turn it off and be entertained. So we get a cynical raccoon, we get Prince Hardbody, we got the girl from Avatar, only painted green instead of blue, we got a tree who has the biggest heart out of all of them, and we got a tattooed typhoon who lost his family but found a friend. We've got such a cool crew that you're just guaranteed to have fun, of course!! (02/08/2014)

Hit me over the head with an Orb, but this well-shot but desperately unimaginative action should have been saved by an unconventional group of superheroes, and yet they sprinkle the witty dialogue in there so stiffly that I wondered if I was in another galactic quadrant; or how important it is to have a solo act. (17/11/2014)

I am Groot – and that's great. Complaints about the fact that Guardians of the Galaxy turned out to be just an "ordinary" Marvel movie can be attributed primarily to the extensive media massage all around, which deprived us of any surprises. It is difficult to imagine a stranger situation than when the main blue-black villain is faced with a group consisting of an 80s fanboy, an unfunny fighter, an unpredictable talking raccoon with a machine gun, and a tree in the foreground. And, of course, it's another pursuit of the devilish stone that can destroy everything. Because why not, when all the teams, villains, and artifacts successfully merge into one pile a few years later in the spectacle called Avengers: Infinity War. However, for now, the Guardians are struggling as a cohesive group with an incredibly positive song-filled soundtrack, shockingly self-assured direction by James Gunn, and an opulent finale that dazzles with every new idea, even in a relatively small space. I usually don't find pure space journeys particularly enjoyable, so this exception is all the sweeter. (07/08/2014)

The plot rides on the wave of traditional comic book clichés, there’s the die-hard bad guy who wants to wipe out the galaxy and a bunch of oddballs trying to stop him. But the ubiquitous self-deprecating humour takes this tale up a level of fun, as do a bunch of likeable characters who have each picked up an extra bucket of charisma and whose fates keep you interested. James Gunn has capitalized well on his Troma beginnings, and he handles the wisecracking bizarre characters with aplomb and with humor that doesn't feel awkward or hammy. And tell me, is it possible not to love a film in which the protagonist is willing to put his life on the line to save his beloved prehistoric Walkman? I myself once, many years ago, as a poor student, bought my first Walkman with the last money I had saved and was happy as a pig in shit, so I understand Chris Pratt's feelings :o) And it wasn't even  a gift from my mother. (12/08/2014)