Guardians of the Galaxy by Marvel Studios Movie Review

by Denise Holcomb. Denise attended a free Advance Screening in exchange for her honest opinion.

Guardians of the Galaxy is an action-adventure in space with a sense of humor. The movie is based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. It delivers on all counts with fun for the family—it is rated PG-13. I was fortunate to take my three sons, and a son’s girlfriend, to see the movie which was in 3D. Everyone enjoyed the film.

The movie starts with a backstory in 1988 where we watch young Peter’s mom’s final moments before death–telling him his father will find him, stay with his grandfather, and giving him a gift. He runs out of the hospital and is abducted into a spacecraft. Fortunately, he has his Walkman with a mixtape of 70s music. This Walkman and music is extremely important to Peter throughout the movie.

Twenty-six years in the future–Chris Pratt stars as Peter Quill, an adventurer calling himself “Star Lord,” who begins the movie stealing an orb for a high-end fence. Immediately attacked, he fights off several groups looking for this orb, no one knows why it’s valuable, just that it is wanted, and there’s a high bounty for it. After the fence learns one of the groups who attacked him wants it for Ronan, he refuses to buy it. Peter is ambushed while leaving, first by Gamora, played by Zoe Saldana; then by Rocket, a gun-toting, bomb-making raccoon, voiced by Bradley Cooper; and Groot, a tree-like humanoid, voiced by Vin Diesel.

After being thrown in prison, they learn Ronan wants it for evil, and is supposedly going to give it to Thanos, but he intends to keep it to use against the Nova to destroy everyone on Xandar for revenge. These four misfits team up with Drax the Destoyer to escape from prison, and ultimately become the Guardians of the Galaxy—a team bonded by having lost all their loved ones and willing to die in friendship than be killed alone by evil.

Not only is this band of Guardians led by Peter trying to get the orb back—it’s stolen after they deliver it to The Collector–they want to make sure it’s safely in the hands of Nova after learning the power the orb contains is from one of the Infinity Stones. As they try to retrieve it from Thanos before he destroys Nova, they team up with bounty hunters and the Nova defense system to save Xandar.

In the end, they prevail after an epic battle and are able to contain the Infinity Stone in another orb which is safely secured by Nova. Peter is rewarded with his ship being repaired, and the Guardians of the Galaxy leave for an unknown adventure. The movie is setup for a sequel: we still don’t know who his father is (the bounty hunters do), but he does open the gift from his mother—another mixtape with 60s/70s music, and he has learned he is only half-human.

The special-effects, continual action, comic relief, along with great music will keep the viewer happy. Overall, I’d recommend it for teenagers and adults who are looking for a great movie. It’s worth splurging for the 3D. Guardians of the Galaxy opens in theatres on August 1, 2014 and is rated PG-13.

Guardians of the Galaxy is now available for sale on Blu-Ray or DVD!

Guardians of the Galaxy Trailer

Guardians of the Galaxy Online

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Denise Holcomb, mom of three boys in the ‘Burbs of Baltimore, is an alpha/beta reader, copy editor, and reviewer of products, books, and movies. Follow Denise online: @momof3boysj on Twitter, Tumbler, @momof3boysj on Pinterest. Denise attended a free Advance Screening in exchange for her honest opinion.