Guardians of the Galaxy

[The Laughing Fish]

The first trailer for GOTG has been released. It's almost the same as the exclusive trailer at Comic-Con.

I'm still not impressed with it, so far. Looks way too goofy.

[johnnygobbs]

Personally, I loved the trailer.  The goofiness is what sold it for me.  What's wrong with a comic-book movie that is funny?

I suspect this will be the kind of CBM for the people who loved the 'Mandarin twist' in 'Iron Man 3' rather than the ones who hated it.

Also, prior to watching this trailer I didn't know what to make of GotG.  It's not a comic-book I'm particularly familiar with in relation to the Avengers.  But this has really sold it for me. 

[The Joker]

Like Gobbs, I'm not really familiar with GOTG at all, but thought the trailer was alright.

Looks like the humor is going to be dialed up a notch or two from the usual found in the other Marvel films, but I guess the property, atleast in the sense of introducing it to the general audiences, lends itself for that type of approach quite easily.

[Silver Nemesis]

Just got back from seeing this. It currently has a 91% 'Certified Fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 9/10 rating on the IMDb. Far be it from me to contribute to hyperbole, but I have to say it's pretty darn good. I think analysts have severely underestimated its box office potential. I didn't think it was as good as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but it's definitely in my top 5 Marvel Cinematic Universe films.

I don't know an awful lot about the Guardians of the Galaxy comic, so I can't comment on how faithful it is to the source material. I'm just judging the film on its own merits. And in those terms, it's a colourful, tongue-in-cheek space adventure that delivers on the promise of the trailers. It has more in common with Star Wars than it does most other comic book films, and is strongly evocative of eighties sci-fi cartoon shows like Transformers, Defenders of the Earth, Visionaries, Thundercats, Bravestarr, etc. In fact it does a much better job of capturing the feel of those shows than Michael Bay's Transformers films do. For people of my generation, that makes GotG instantly preferable.

I'm not sure there's an awful lot of depth to the film, and there are a number of set pieces where I felt the special effects overwhelmed the characters and plot. But I still enjoyed the ride while it lasted. It's a vibrant, imaginative and often funny roller coaster that represents yet another successful gambit on Marvel's part. Not a great film by any means, but a very entertaining movie. For those who were concerned about the tone, be warned it is a very goofy film. In fact it's the most overtly comedic MCU movie to date. Even more so than the Iron Man films. But that just contributes to the eighties cartoon vibe, which, for me at least, is one of the film's greatest strengths.

The casting is spot on and further exemplifies Marvel's skill at selecting the right people for the right job. This is also true with regards to director James Gunn. Apparently his background is in Troma films, and there's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo by Troma head Lloyd Kaufman when the main characters first arrive at the prison. Despite the impressive line-up of actors, I did feel that some of the cast weren't utilised to their full potential. Particularly Glenn Close and Benicio del Toro. The plot moves so quickly from one adventure to the next that there's precious little time left to develop the supporting characters. And there are a lot of supporting characters. But with a sequel already in the works, these minor characters might yet get their chance to shine.

I suppose the most significant thing about the film, besides just generally expanding the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is that it introduces Thanos and the Infinity Stones. Josh Brolin only has a couple of scenes as Thanos, but he commands considerable presence with the small amount of screen time he's afforded. Presumably he and the Infinity Stones will play an important role in Phase 3. For those who haven't seen him yet, here's a screencap I took from Marvel's YouTube page.

More than ever, this makes me wish Warner Bros would produce a movie based on Jack Kirby's Fourth World. Will we DC fans ever get to see Darkseid on film?

Anyway, back to GotG. I'm sure most people have already heard this by now, but one of the most surprising things about the movie is the post-credit cameo by SPOILERS Howard the Duck! END SPOILERS. Now there's one character I never thought I'd see resurrected from the celluloid ashes of his last big screen outing. The fact he's in this movie shows just how far Marvel's Cinematic Universe has come, and just how confident (and with good reason) the producers have grown.

So those are my initial thoughts on the movie. I saw a 2D screening, so I can't comment on how good the 3D is. But if you're a fan of Marvel's Cinematic Universe so far, or just a fan of eighties sci-fi cartoons and space adventures, you'll probably enjoy this one. I rate it a solid 7/10. Go see it!

[Silver Nemesis]

So has no one else seen this yet? It's been a huge hit at the box office, and critics and comic fans alike have responded positively to it. It's currently at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes with a worldwide gross of over 420 million dollars and counting. I thought more people on the site would have seen it by now.

[riddler]

Ironic you post that I saw it today in 3D

The 3d is very impressive. As a huge green lantern fan, I kept thinking I wish they did the GL movie like this one. I enjoyed myself quite a bit. I've read quite a few avengers and marvel cross over stories but not too many Guardians of the galaxy stories. Now I'll admit I'm not an uber-geek; while I don't believe everything has to be Nolanized, I do prefer more grounded films/shows/comics as opposed to the far fetched ones such as Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who etc. so even after seeing all the fantastic reviews the last 3 weeks I had my doubts I'd enjoy it more than the Avengers (even though it currently has higher ratings) and sure enough I didn't. But overall the characterization was great, every actor live or voice impresses.


My only complaint was I felt they got Groot wrong; in the comics he looks like a big stupid tree and only says the same line but is deceivingly intelligent; this film implied that he was rather stupid.

It doesn't tie in that much to the Avengers saga, there's some easter eggs here and there but it isn't a prerequisite to see any of the Avengers films.  It is the type of film which is a classic example of what Marvel gets right and DC is afraid to do; DC would have cut down on the humour and great sound track (heck the detractors STILL complain about the Prince music)


As far as the post credits scene you refer to; I was shocked as well. I'm not sure if Marvel intends to use the character in question again but if they do it speaks volumes of their confidence.

I'd rank it behind the Avengers, Cap 2, and the first two Iron man films (I'd need to see IM3 a second time to compare it) as well as the incredible hulk but it is definitely better than the thor films and Cap 1. I do think it's overrated on the IMDB, I'm actually surprised it's that high especially with hard core DC fans and Nolanites likely giving it a 1. I rated it a 7.

[johnnygobbs]

So has no one else seen this yet? It's been a huge hit at the box office, and critics and comic fans alike have responded positively to it. It's currently at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes with a worldwide gross of over 420 million dollars and counting. I thought more people on the site would have seen it by now.

I should have posted something earlier, but I saw it last week, and it's brilliant.  I'll type something more in-depth later on, but I see Riddler has already beaten me to the punch.

For what it's worth I'd rank it only below 'The Avengers' as far as the Marvel movies go thus far.

My current top three are as follows:

1. The Avengers
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
3. Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier

By the way, it's currently about $30 million dollars ahead of CA2:TWS in terms of its domestic box-office at an equivalent stage of its run, and looks set to be the biggest film of the year!  Personally, I think it's well-deserved, and although the 'Marvel Studios' brand certainly helps its success is also a testament to what can be achieved with relatively obscure characters (from a wider public perspective) when filmmakers are willing to inject fun, genuine warmth and a personal stamp upon a group of characters. 

Also, the soundtrack is absolutely awesome.  The opening credits song, Redbone's joyously infectious "Come and Get Your Love" has been bouncing around my head since I saw the movie (it perfectly sets-up the exuberant tone from the start, and as soon as this scene started there was rarely a single moment during the film's run that I didn't have a giant grin plastered across my face).

[Silver Nemesis]

Global box office is up to $503,597,268. The domestic gross is at $258,297,268 and is about to surpass The Winter Soldier's $259,766,572. It's currently at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes with an 83% rating amongst 'Top Critics'. Not bad for a movie based on a comic most people had never even heard of.

And to think, some people were predicting this would be Marvel's first flop. It's also quite funny that the latest rumours about the DC Cinematic Universe concern an alleged "no jokes" rule. And yet this, the most successful comic book movie of the year, is a comedy.

My current top three are as follows:

1. The Avengers
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
3. Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier

I'm not sure how I'd rank them. My two favourite MCU films are definitely The Avengers Assemble (2012) and Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014). I think perhaps Cap 2 slightly edges out The Avengers for my top spot. I liked Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 3 (2013), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) more or less equally. The Thor films are definitely the weakest IMO. They're not bad, they're just not as good as the other MCU films.

[johnnygobbs]

Global box office is up to $503,597,268. The domestic gross is at $258,297,268 and is about to surpass The Winter Soldier's $259,766,572. It's currently at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes with an 83% rating amongst 'Top Critics'. Not bad for a movie based on a comic most people had never even heard of.

My current top three are as follows:

1. The Avengers
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
3. Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier

I'm not sure how I'd rank them. My two favourite MCU films are definitely The Avengers Assemble (2012) and Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014). I think perhaps Cap 2 slightly edges out The Avengers for my top spot. I liked Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 3 (2013), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) more or less equally. The Thor films are definitely the weakest IMO. They're not bad, they're just not as good as the other MCU films.

I agree with you about the 'Thor' films.  They're my least favourite in the MCU franchise too, although like you I still enjoy them.  Also, I think the first 'Iron Man' film is slightly below par.  I remember liking it at the cinema but not being dazzled by it (I may be one of the few people who slightly preferred the same summer's 'The Incredible Hulk', another MCU film, albeit one that seems to have been forgotten as such).  I saw it again recently on TV and I still feel the same way.  It's a great story but the direction is not always as assured and kinetic as the second and third 'Iron Man' films, far less the brilliant 'Captain America' movies, 'Avengers' and 'Guardians of the Galaxy'.

And to think, some people were predicting this would be Marvel's first flop. It's also quite funny that the latest rumours about the DC Cinematic Universe concern an alleged "no jokes" rule. And yet this, the most successful comic book movie of the year, is a comedy.

I read about that 'no jokes' policy rumour too.  I was going to bring it up on a thread here, seeing as this is a 'Batman' site and we're mainly concerned with DC films, despite the current, deserved success of many of the Marvel movies.

If this rumour has any truth to it that's a massive shame and demonstrates yet again why DC/Warner Bros seem to be completely clueless when it comes to how to handle their comic-book properties.  The DC characters have always been slightly more aloof, austere and less goofy than their Marvel counterparts, befitting of characters who are more god-like.  However, a little levity as Tim Burton and Richard Donner demonstrated most effectively in their respective Batman and Superman films (for me the two sets of live-action films that come closest to capturing the spirit of the entertaining comic-books) make for a much more enjoyable movie that the ponderous, oh-so-earnest and relative snore-fests of 'Superman Returns' and 'Man of Steel', and as good as 'The Dark Knight' films are I do wish we could move on and see a more fantastical Gotham on screen again.

If DC/Warner Bros want a perfect, successful template for the tone of their next set of films they could do far worse than look to 'Batman: The Animated Series' as their guide, the perfect blend of fun and serious.

[Silver Nemesis]

Wow, even Pacino's a fan!

"I just saw Guardians Of The Galaxy... It was amazing. I did find it the most entertaining, inventive, beautiful film."

http://comicbook.com/blog/2014/08/30/al-pacino-on-guardians-of-the-galaxy-it-was-amazing-/

Can you imagine Tony Montana sitting in a theatre laughing as he watches baby Groot dance to the Jackson 5?

I've been on a Pacino binge during the last month, rewatching Godfather I & II, Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico. He's one of the greatest living American actors IMO, if not the greatest. Imagine if Marvel could get him on board with the MCU. He played a comic book villain in Dick Tracy back in 1990. But what Marvel character could he play? It's got to be someone suitably epic to warrant his skills.

Also, I think the first 'Iron Man' film is slightly below par.  I remember liking it at the cinema but not being dazzled by it (I may be one of the few people who slightly preferred the same summer's 'The Incredible Hulk', another MCU film, albeit one that seems to have been forgotten as such).  I saw it again recently on TV and I still feel the same way.  It's a great story but the direction is not always as assured and kinetic as the second and third 'Iron Man' films, far less the brilliant 'Captain America' movies, 'Avengers' and 'Guardians of the Galaxy'.

I sympathise to an extent. I think Iron Man 1 is a good film, but it's not one I particularly enjoy revisiting. I saw it on TV a couple of weeks ago, and I felt like I was reading the slow first chapter in a novel that gets more interesting later on. I didn't like the soundtrack much either. The inclusion of the Black Sabbath song was inevitable, but the rest of the score felt generic and bland. I'd have preferred it if they'd used the catchy theme from the nineties cartoon show.

But it's still a good film.

If this rumour has any truth to it that's a massive shame and demonstrates yet again why DC/Warner Bros seem to be completely clueless when it comes to how to handle their comic-book properties. 

Warner Bros seem to think the key to beating Marvel is to make their own films as dark and miserable as possible. Their formula appears to be: furrowed brows + angst + overbearing percussive score + filters that drain all colour from the screen + cynical, po-faced script = epic masterpiece.

Then again, maybe these "no jokes" rumours are unfounded and we're underestimating them. I hope that's the case.