Chris Pratt, an actor known for his roles as the funny everyman (Parks and Recreation, Her, The Lego Movie) gets to show us a little more of his versatility as the lead in an action film that some have stated is ‘The Avengers’ of this summer, but with a more groovy, extraterrestrial twist.

Peter Quill (Pratt), after obtaining a peculiar item in exchange for money, he is forced to work with a group of delinquents to ensure that the orb is far from Ronan, a revel warrior who has rather destructive plans for the galaxy.

Although ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ features a group of people (or in this case, 1 human, 2 aliens, a humanoid, and a genetically reconstructed raccoon) determined to stop a villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s not that similar to ‘The Avengers’. Instead, ‘Guardians’ is a film that pays homage to the original Star Wars trilogy and other space epics similar to it. Although the film features post-modern technology (that we can only hope to own one day), watching ‘Guardians’ is like stepping back in time theatrically. We are brought back into the ‘70s with both the featured soundtrack and the cinematography. With how the scenes are shot and the speakers blasting the likes of David Bowie, The Runaways, Marvin Gaye, and Blue Swede, it’s as if we’re being given the classic film treatment, but with a bit more of a comedic edge. Ignoring what may be too deep of an interpretation, the film’s classic feel seems to resonate with that of our main character, Peter “Starlord” Quill, a man haunted by a childhood tragedy and, therefore, holding on to what he’s lost (which also happen to be—at this point—relics of the past). Nevertheless, these quaint features make ‘Guardians’ distinct.

The classic feel, however, isn’t the only thing that makes ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ difficult to hate. A trait that has seemed to follow Marvel films starting with ‘Iron Man’ is that they seem to be less serious than we’d expect (relative to their DC counterparts such as the Dark Knight trilogy and Man of Steel). In fact, a lot of scenes in these films are devoted to making the viewer laugh out loud. While this is a nice goal, not all films execute this in the best fashion. However, ‘Guardians’ sets itself apart by introducing us to a world in which we’re not meant to take situations less seriously than we deem appropriate and keeping with that same tone throughout the film. The jokes featured in this film, especially with how our anti-heroes work with each other given their traits and in the situations with which they presented. It’s not only a testament to our actors’ abilities, but also to the screenwriters and to the casting directors. This cast obviously enjoyed their time on screen, which makes our ‘Guardians’ experience all the more exciting.

‘Guardians’ is a very fun film and there’s no reason as to why you shouldn’t make a trip (or 3) to cinemas to see it. However, for those of us who require a bit more than just action and hilarity (if only it were that easy), this film remains a bit more one-sided. The film’s main villain, Ronan (Lee Pace), should feel like more of a threat to our Guardians. However, because Ronan’s motivations for why he wants to destroy so much isn’t clarified leaving us with a flat character. He serves only as a means to an end rather than someone with whom we can sympathize. Our main characters are thieves and assassins; having to choose between them and another criminal should be a harder choice in order for us to reach a more fulfilling storytelling experience. Granted, it’ll ultimately be our anti-heroes that we side with due to yet another unique, redemptive quality. Even so, what makes a hero’s journey to redemption and victory is that of the villain’s character. Unfortunately, Ronan is no more interesting a character than any of the supporting characters in the film.

Of course, there’s plenty of hilarious and brilliant moments scattered throughout this film that outweigh some of these characterization setbacks. ‘Guardians’ is great fun with a great score and soundtrack, decent acting (especially Bradley Cooper’s voice acting) with several tributes and references to similar films of the past. Although it suffers from some of the same formulaic writing that the Marvel movies have been famous for producing, ‘Guardians’ presents us with a new set of faces, personalities, and moments to enjoy in the near future.

Jim’s Rating: 8.25/10