Guardians of the Galaxy

The second to last installment of Marvel's "Phase Two" is quite possibly the best by the film studio yet. Drawing from inspiration ranging from Star Wars, Star Trek, The Fifth Element, and yes, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy digs deep into the bag of comic book creativity and throws a motley crew of anti-heroes together into the galactic fray, yet together they are able to defeat the powerful forces of evil that threaten to destroy the known universe.

We start on Earth in 1988, where 10 year old Peter Quill says goodbye to his dying mother before being abducted by a UFO. 26 years later, we find him on a distant planet in a distant galaxy, scavenging to the tunes of his walkman and his awesome mix tape. He shows us more in those few minutes about his character than we could have discovered in twice the dialogue. It's a perfect introduction to a character who is certain to appear again soon, and will no doubt be legendary in the sci-fi nerd realm (G of the G 2 is already in the works). He is a "Ravager", a scoundrel who capitalizes on using his dirty, beaten up ship to take him from job to job, dealing with seedy beings like "The Broker" or "The Collector". I know, not very original, but it keeps it simple. Anyhow, he finds himself caught up in drama with Ronan the Accuser tracking a powerful object (The Orb), and finds himself working with a rag-tag group of self-pronounced "A-Holes" to stop him from destroying everything that they all love and loathe.

Chris Pratt is the reincarnation of Han Solo for the 21st Century. He's cool, carefree, quick with a snarky line, and uses his natural charm and humor to nicely lead the band of misfits in perfect sync with the tone of the film. He's been on the rise for years, and is so much more than just the doofus Andy on Parks and Recreation (although that particular character is hilarious). He has impressed me with his choice of films over the past few years, with roles in Moneyball, Zero Dark Thirty, Her, and The Lego Movie. He'll next be seen in next summer's Jurassic World, is already lined up for Guardians 2, and is rumored to take on the iconic role of David Hasselhoff in the big screen adaptation of Knight Rider. Who says Hollywood has run out of new ideas? He has physically transformed himself into a fit action star, and his personality and wit will ensure that he'll be around for a long, long time.

The supporting cast has Zoey Saldana as the green-skinned adopted daughter of Thanos (we caught a glimpse of him at the end of The Avengers). She is a bitter assassin with some trust issues, but uses facial expressions expertly to inject levity to the action. WWE superstar Dave Bautista is my favorite, Drax the Destroyer. He is hellbent on revenge after Ronan killed his family. He has the best lines of the film, delivers them with precision and timing, and is simply a mammoth of a man. No doubt the CGI/make up didn't need to add much to his frame other than coloring and some cool red tribal tattoos covering his body. Rounding out the cast are the voices of Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon, and Vin Diesel as Groot, a giant tree beast whose only lines are "I am Groot". They are buddies that reminisce of R2-D2 and C-3PO, but a little more effective in a fight, and a little more fun.

The great thing about the ensemble is that these five are so different, yet so perfect together. I marvel at the creativity of the writers. A tree? A genetically engineered raccoon? Awesome. They all do their jobs with aplomb, and the story is a bit weak and recycled, but it doesn't matter. This film is a character driven vehicle and they could really do anything as long as they banter. It's the formula that has made so many of the other sci-fi films successful (the ones with alien creatures). Unlikely allies. Various skill sets. Great costumes and makeup. Guardians of the Galaxy is the closest thing to the Star Wars or Star Trek franchises since Firefly/Serenity, which never gained enough mainstream traction, but could certainly happen once Joss Whedon is done with his Avengers gig.

James Gunn puts some pressure on JJ Abrams with this one. Despite Abrams' recent epic Star Trek reboots (OK, maybe just the first one) the field becomes a bit more crowded with quality directors and films. With Abrams rolling out Star Wars next year, Guardians raises the sci-fi action bar above what Abrams himself has set. Not straight sci-fi, that's reserved for Christopher Nolan in the upcoming Interstellar (which just might be a game-changer). Gunn brings his writing and directing talents into the spotlight after a few lesser seen, but extremely entertaining projects (if you haven't seen the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead, you're missing out). He announced his intent to write and direct Guardians 2, and just might break out with one more solid effort. He's a relatively young filmmaker (44), and represents a generation of filmmakers taking over Hollywood. I'm excited to see what he creates over the next few years.

Marvel outdoes themselves. With a $94 opening weekend, Guardians is the most successful domestic opening in August ever. Kudos Marvel, it is truly deserved. Going forward, Marvel has a timeline laid out for what seems like the next decade, and with their astronomical box office success, why not? They have done an unprecedented job thus far in destroying the competition and wisely choosing projects (and directors) since the first Iron Man back in 2008. "Phase Two" will wrap up with next summer's Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man, and will then move on to "Phase Three" in 2016. My sources are rumored at this point, but upcoming projects start with 2016's Captain America: The Fallen Son, and Doctor Strange (Joaquin Phoenix and Benedict Cumberbatch are the rumored actors). 2017 has Thor: Ragnarok, Guardians of the Galaxy: War of Kings, and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman is the leading candidate). 2018 would hold Avengers: Civil War, World War Hulk (YES!!!) and The Inhumans (think a group of alien superheroes with infinite spinoff potential).www.lightlybuzzed.com/2014/08/04/marvels-phase-3-movie-titles-leaked-legit/.

I love the Marvel films, and Guardians of the Galaxy epitomizes why. It is fun, fast-paced, cutting edge effects, makeup, and costumes, it is filled with humor, and excellent character development and non-conformist casting decisions that tend to work out perfectly. Guardians is far and away the most fun action film of the summer. And just in time to salvage what was the weakest summer in recent memory. If you see one film to end the summer, make sure it is Guardians of the Galaxy. 10/10.