This movie has everything. It has action, humor, a solid story that is part of a much larger continuum, conflict, tough choices, and villains who seem unbeatable. I hate to start the review with such a glowing recommendation, as a lot of people will just read that part and not bother with the rest, but I'm willing to take that risk.
I didn't expect to like Chris Pratt in the role of Star-Lord, as I had gotten so used to him as the bumbling fool in Parks and Recreation. He never really had the physique to be the leading man, he didn't seem to have the presence, and he was hard to take seriously. How do you work around that? Well, you have him work out, give him a good character, and make the movie funny enough that his natural comedic ability has the opportunity to set the level.
Zoe Saldana takes a break from being awesome in so many damn movies to be an attitude-wielding bad ass in this one. From the drama of Out of the Furnace to the action of Star Trek and the wild ride of Avatar, Zoe has earned a reputation as a beautiful and talented actress who can kick butt whenever it's called for. I think she did some of her best work in the unloved and underrated film The Losers (which was overshadowed by a movie with bigger names, a bigger budget, and a similar premise called The Expendables).
Dave Bautista is the newcomer. When I heard that they were getting a pro wrestler to be in this movie, I feared that this would take a turn like the crap fest of See No Evil. The good news is that the laconic straight man that Dave plays as Drax was pitch perfect, as was Vin Diesel's simplistic Grood. Bradley Cooper's voicing for Rocket was also very, very good. Even though I've seen him in comedic roles before, I never found him nearly as funny.
One of the interesting things about these characters is how different they are from their comic book counterparts. I'm sure this will cause a bit of confusion or consternation among the comics fans (I myself had to look up Drax to validate that he was even supposed to be the same character) but these were all characters that were ripe for interpretation. It's hard to imagine an entirely different Superman or Spiderman, but the lesser-known characters can be a basic slate for a new style.
Direction was great
Acting was great
Effects were great
Story was great
Dialogue was great
Bottom Line: I loved this movie from start to finish.
5.0/5