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Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

★★★½ — Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

James Gunn had built his reputation on low-budget genre oddities, most notably the splatter comedy Slither (2006) and the darkly comic superhero deconstruction Super (2010), before Marvel took a considerable gamble by handing him a $170 million blockbuster built around a team of characters almost entirely unknown outside of comic-book circles. Guardians of the Galaxy, released in August 2014 during Marvel's Phase Two run, was widely regarded as the studio's riskiest venture to that point, a space opera fronted by a relatively untested lead in Chris Pratt and co-starring a CGI raccoon voiced by Bradley Cooper. The film was adapted from a 2008 comic series revived by writer Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, though Gunn significantly reworked the tone and roster. It went on to gross over $770 million worldwide, making it the highest-earning film of 2014 in North America.

Best Marvel Movie ever? This is probably the best Marvel movie. Honestly. It’s funny, heartfelt, action packed, and totally unexpected. When it came out, I remember thinking “who the hell are these fools?” but James Gunn absolutely smashed it. The soundtrack is legendary, Chris Pratt is actually great in this role, and the whole misfit family dynamic just works. It’s like Marvel’s answer to Star Wars but funnier, with better music, and more heart than it had any right to have. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but when it wants to hit you in the feels (Rocket’s pain, Groot’s sacrifice), it really lands. Colourful, loud, weird, but so much charm. If every Marvel movie had this much personality, the MCU would be unstoppable.

Rating: ★★★½ | Year: 2014 | Watched: 2025-04-25

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Where to watch (UK)

Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Sky Store
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Sky Store
Physical: Amazon UK

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