Movie Title: Guardians of the Galaxy
Genre: Superhero, Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Writer: James Gunn, Nicole Perlman
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio del Toro
Review: I am Groot! Brash space adventurer Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) finds himself the quarry of relentless bounty hunters after he steals an orb coveted by Ronan (Lee Pace), a powerful villain. To evade Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with four disparate misfits: gun-toting Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), treelike-humanoid Groot (Vin Diesel), enigmatic Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and vengeance-driven Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista). But when he discovers the orb's true power and the cosmic threat it poses, Quill must rally his ragtag group to save the universe.
Guardians of the Galaxy is a movie that comes with a rare blend of hilarious comedy, high-flying action, real stakes that threaten the existence of the universe, and pure unadulterated fun. Chris Pratt plays Star-Lord, who leads a ragtag group of space outlaws on a quest across the galaxy to prevent one of the infamous infinity stones from entering the wrong hands, and the ride could not be more entertaining. Complete with a fantastic, upbeat soundtrack packed with '60's and '70's classics. Not to mention, Star-Lord's team consists of an orphaned alien, a warrior devoid of sarcasm, a talking raccoon, and a humanoid tree. Despite their differences, it's really cool to see the Guardians band together for the greater good. I really enjoyed this movie, and applaud it for its message. I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish, whether it was from the witty banter of our heroes, a high energy battle scene, or a tender moment of friendship. This is one of my favorite films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and you should definitely check it out if you haven't already done so. WE are Groot!
Fun Fact: According to Vin Diesel, his performance as Groot helped him through a dark time in his life. He was dealing with the loss of his best friend and The Fast and the Furious co-star Paul Walker: "It was the first time I came back to dealing with human beings after dealing with death, so playing a character who celebrates life in the way Groot does, was very nice."