Guardians of the Galaxy
2 Oscar Nominations
Rent/Purchase
Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser.
What critics thought
James Gunn's cosmic Marvel oddity won over the vast majority of critics with its anarchic humor, visual invention, and willingness to embrace genuinely strange characters — though a vocal minority felt the self-referential jokes and wall-to-wall spectacle worked against each other, leaving the freshness it aimed for slightly muffled. Chris Pratt's performance and the film's irreverent tone drew the most consistent praise, while dissenters zeroed in on an overstuffed plot and a reliance on nostalgia as a substitute for wit.
“James Gunn's presumptive franchise-starter is overlong, overstuffed, and sometimes too eager to please, but the cheeky comic tone keeps things buoyant—as does Chris Pratt's winning performance”
Scott Foundas·Variety
“Blessed with a loose, anarchic B-picture soul that encourages you to enjoy yourself even when you're not quite sure what's going on, the scruffy Guardians is irreverent in a way that can bring the first Star Wars to mind, in part because it has some of the most unconventional heroes this side of the Mos Eisley cantina.”
Kenneth Turan·Los Angeles Times
“terribly overstuffed and many of the jokes get drowned out by the special effects ... The pervasive movie references detract from the stab at freshness, and Guardians depends all too much on the whimsy of '70s anthems for an original beat.”
Jake Coyle·Associated Press
“In place of wit, Guardians offers a sort of generalized willingness to be amusing, an atmosphere of high spirits that feels like lots of people pumping air into a tire that has a hole in it. Everyone is clearly working, but nothing is really happening—and yet the effort is so evident that there's an impulse to reward it.”
Mick LaSalle·San Francisco Chronicle
“A brand new summer family blockbuster this may be, but it plays by old, half-forgotten rules; trimming out the clutter and cross-referencing for snappy, streamlined, Saturday-cartoon fun”
Robbie Collin·The Daily Telegraph
Genres
Action, Adventure, Comedy
Cast & Crew
DirectorJames Gunn
StarringChris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper
ComposerTyler Bates
Guardians of the Galaxy
2 Oscar Nominations
Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser.
What critics thought
James Gunn's cosmic Marvel oddity won over the vast majority of critics with its anarchic humor, visual invention, and willingness to embrace genuinely strange characters — though a vocal minority felt the self-referential jokes and wall-to-wall spectacle worked against each other, leaving the freshness it aimed for slightly muffled. Chris Pratt's performance and the film's irreverent tone drew the most consistent praise, while dissenters zeroed in on an overstuffed plot and a reliance on nostalgia as a substitute for wit.
“James Gunn's presumptive franchise-starter is overlong, overstuffed, and sometimes too eager to please, but the cheeky comic tone keeps things buoyant—as does Chris Pratt's winning performance”
Scott Foundas·Variety
“Blessed with a loose, anarchic B-picture soul that encourages you to enjoy yourself even when you're not quite sure what's going on, the scruffy Guardians is irreverent in a way that can bring the first Star Wars to mind, in part because it has some of the most unconventional heroes this side of the Mos Eisley cantina.”
Kenneth Turan·Los Angeles Times
“terribly overstuffed and many of the jokes get drowned out by the special effects ... The pervasive movie references detract from the stab at freshness, and Guardians depends all too much on the whimsy of '70s anthems for an original beat.”
Jake Coyle·Associated Press
“In place of wit, Guardians offers a sort of generalized willingness to be amusing, an atmosphere of high spirits that feels like lots of people pumping air into a tire that has a hole in it. Everyone is clearly working, but nothing is really happening—and yet the effort is so evident that there's an impulse to reward it.”
Mick LaSalle·San Francisco Chronicle
“A brand new summer family blockbuster this may be, but it plays by old, half-forgotten rules; trimming out the clutter and cross-referencing for snappy, streamlined, Saturday-cartoon fun”
Robbie Collin·The Daily Telegraph
Genres
Action, Adventure, Comedy
Cast & Crew
DirectorJames Gunn
StarringChris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper
ComposerTyler Bates
Rent/Purchase