GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (A-)

Bottom Line: If STAR WARS was considered a space opera, then this free wheelin’ flick – delivered riotously with a mindfully reckless abandon – is a joyfully smarmy, breezily charismatic and intergallactically goofy fantasy space jam session.  You’ll definitely feel the force of that aforementioned classic (among others like the latest STAR TREK reboot, THE FIFTH ELEMENT, MEN IN BLACK, SERENITY, et al)  – an evil empire, bounty hunters, aliens…you know, spaceships and stuff…  GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY respectfully embraces those films and manages to create a universe that’s welcoming and uniquely its own.  …and if it’s super hits of the 70’s, awesome mix tape, damn-I-love-this-song soundtrack doesn’t win you over (I feel sorry for you if it doesn’t), then it’s perfectly cast band of rabble-rousers will – with Pratt and Cooper (as the gun totting, talking ‘raccoon’) delivering the bantha’s share of jokes and general wise-assery.  It’s a great cast, and they’re all clearly having a frat-like, kegger-fueled, star blazing blast!  The story itself is fairly wafer thin and yet still convoluted (some guy wants to rule the galaxy, some other people wanna stop him), but that’s not the point.  This is a character and action driven piece that demands to be seen on the big screen…  The rowdiness may be lightly woven in to the fabric of THE AVENGERS universe, but this is largely a ‘superhero’-free affair.  No hammers, no shields, no suits of iron.  It’ll all come crashing together someday – so sit back, buckle in and enjoy this really fun first course.  Aside from a few sporadic curse words that are almost entirely lost amidst the mayhem, this is a perfect family flick built on heart, trust, honor, friendship and a whole lotta butt kicking!  Go see GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY today and get hooked on the feeling that this just might be the most fun you’ll have at the theater all year!

Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, David Bautista, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Kren Gillan, Glenn Close, John C. Reilly, Benecio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Djimon Hounsou and the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel

Directed by: James Gunn (SUPER and SLITHER)

Running time: 121 minutes

Studio description: From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team-the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits-Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand-with the galaxy's fate in the balance. (C) Walt Disney

Official site: www.marvel.com/guardians