Guardians of the Galaxy [4K UHD]

This was a movie that could have been very good, or very bad, depending on whether it was done right. Fortunately, it was and the result was a very fun, and funny action movie. The story revolves around the formation of Marvel's "B Team" of heroes, or as the Honest Trailer calls them, Space Avengers. It is set in the Marvel Universe, so while superheroes exist none of the guardians have powers. The closest is Groot, who is a 7 foot plus tall tree looking thing. There is some cross-over with the other films as well. Thanos, who was last seen in the end credits to Avengers plays another background bad guy in this one, and the collector who was in Thor 2 also makes an appearance. The story revolves around an orb which is more powerful than most know. It is in fact another infinity stone which can destroy almost anything (or anyone) who touches it. Chris Pratt's Star Lord/Peter Quill character, who ends up the leader of the group, is basically a thief hired to steal the orb. Which sets off a huge galactic chase leading to the end battle with Ronan the Accuser, played by Lee Pace. What makes these characters interesting is that even the good guys are not all good. And they all have very different motives. Drax is after Ronan on a mission of revenge, Gamora is an assassin for Thanos wanting to get away from him, Rocket, Groot and Quill are basically all bounty hunters in it for the money. But what separates them from everyone else is when they need to do the right thing to save each other, and stop the bad guy, they do. Like I said in the beginning, this was totally a movie that could have bombed. Considering 2 of the main characters were totally CGI, and one was an ex-wrestler who was never known to have what passes for good acting skills even in the world of pro wrestling, it could have gone bad quickly. Luckily they wrote Drax's lines totally deadpan and made his character so monotone and serious that Bautista really did not have to do much other than be big and scary. And the animators did so well with the CGI characters, that unlike how they would have looked back at the beginning of the CGI craze, they did not look fake or out of place at all. Bradley Cooper brought great life to a wisecracking smart-a** racoon and the animators did such a great job giving Groot a personality, it ended up being Vin Diesel's best acting performance yet despite him only repeating the same line over and over. For those who get the discs, the movie sounds and looks great on blu ray. I did not watch the 3D version, but the regular version was flawless. As far as extras go, they pretty well mirror what was on Thor 2 and Captain America 2. A couple behind the scenes and making of features, deleted and extended scenes, a gag reel, and short look at the making of Avengers 2. The movie does have a Star Wars meets Marvel Universe feel to it. Or even more appropriately Spaceballs meets Marvel Universe feel. It is as much a comedy as it is an action/adventure movie, and both aspects work very well. If you are a fan of the other Marvel movies and are in any way on the fence about this one, I definitely think it is worth checking out.

The past few years have been very good to movies based on comic books. While those based on DC comics have been slow out of the gate movies based on Marvel comics licenses have skyrocketed. Perhaps the most surprising of these was a movie based on a lesser known and not hugely popular comic that took the box office by storm. Not only was it a surprise hit it just might be the best of the Marvel movies released to date. That movie arrives on DVD this week and is called GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. The movie opens with a young boy confronted with the death of his mother to cancer. Running from the hospital he finds himself beamed aboard a UFO. Fast forward some years later and we see that boy now grown landing on a desolate planet devoid of human life forms. He steals an orb from a futuristic safe and is then set upon by minions of Ronan the Accuser out to take the orb for their leader. When he tells them his name is Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) otherwise known as Star Lord they are less than impressed, not even recognizing it. That adds to their surprise when he takes back the orb and flees with them hot on his trail. Quill is out to make some money by taking the orb he was sent to steal to a dealer and bypassing his leader, the head of the Ravagers known as Yondu (Michael Rooker). At the same time Ronan (Lee Pace) has set his own special warrior to retrieve the orb, Gamora (Zoe Saldana). The dealer cancels the deal when he learns of Ronan’s involvement and Gamora tries to take the orb. At that same moment an unlikely pair of fortune seekers reads that Yondu has put a price on Quills head. The pair is Rocket Racoon (Bradley Cooper) who actually is a raccoon, and his partner Groot (Vin Diesel), a walking talking plant. As the four struggle for control of one another they are eventually captured by the space police known as the Nova Corp. Sent to the worst prison in the universe the four make a deal to get the orb and take it to a buyer Gamora is aware of. It turns out she hates Ronan and is double crossing him. When they arrive at the prison she is set upon by a few inmates, specifically Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista). When Drax learns that Gamora was not responsible for the murder of his family, he joins with the foursome to plan their escape so he can seek revenge. Escape they do and from there the adventure moves forward with alarming speed. Moving from one part of the universe to another, pursued by Ronan who is working for a cosmic bad guy named Thanos (Josh Brolin) and wanted by the Nova Corp, the five misfits join forces to do what it right. Eventually that comes down to facing off against Ronan after he has taken the orb and utilized it to his advantage. By the third act the now called Guardians of the Galaxy have united with the Nova Corp and try to save a world from being obliterated. I have to say that words cannot begin to describe how much I enjoyed this movie, so much so that watching it on DVD was my third viewing. I can tell you that it holds up to multiple viewings and is one that I’ll probably watch every few months, enjoying it each and every time. This movie offers the near perfect combination of action, humor, worlds of wonder and space opera unlike any seen before. Watching this movie brought back memories of the first time I saw STAR WARS. It is that good. The driving force that brought this about was director James Gunn, a man who labored under some truly bad movies for Troma but who has grown into an accomplished director who knows how to do it right. Once you include some amazing performances by all around and in particular Pratt who brings Quill to life, you have a great flick. That is just added to by the eye popping special effects on scene here from the basic aliens done with make up to the state of the art CGI effects that bring Rocket and Groot to life. While these things combine to make it look great, the story itself takes it over the top. This is a tale of misfits, a group of people who don’t quite fit in anywhere, who band together to form something good. In the process they begin to become friends and to care for one another. At times they frustrate one another and at others they’re willing to sacrifice themselves to save their group as well as the Universe. In so doing these criminals become the greatest of heroes. This year I’ve seen more movies than usual not just on DVD but in theaters. I can say now without a doubt that this was by far my favorite film of the year. My guess is that due to its popularity and the fact it is comic book based it won’t be nominated for any major awards with the exception of effects. That’s too bad because for me this was the best movie of the year. Add it to your collection today.

I've spent the last 30 minutes or so reading comments on this movie, good and bad, and even replied to a few, so now it's time to put my two cents worth in. First, I find it interesting that roughly half of the negative comments I've read were directed at technical issues, not the movie itself. Now, on to my review. Among the most common negative comments are poor character development, lack of a plot, uninteresting characters, not making much sense, being "stupid", and the music. I will address these first. Guardians is not a perfect movie. (Is there such a thing?) There were some foolish points in the plot, such as why the prison guards fired their rocket launchers one at a time, at different windows, instead of unloading everything they had at one window and blowing both the guard tower and the Guardians themselves to smithereens. I also wonder, if the Infinity Stone is so sought after, why it was left completely unguarded on an abandoned planet, and that no one had stumbled across it until Quill found it, at which point everyone showed up for it. I also wonder why Ronan sent just a handful of men for it. If it was that important, I'd have brought my whole fleet for it. Also, it doesn't make much sense to me that bloodthirsty, revenge-driven Ronan would allow himself to be distracted from his life's purpose of destroying Xandar by some idiot singing and dancing. What did it matter what Quill was doing? It would have taken just one movement of his arm and Quill would be no more, along with everyone else on the planet. I also thought Yondu's destruction of all the Sakarran's was a bit unbelievable. In the time it took that arrow to make its way around, SOMEBODY should have shot him. Yet, these points don't detract from the movie in any significant way. It is, after all, a work of fiction, and no good writer lets the truth get in the way of a good story. I thought the character development was a bit shallow, but we did see all of the main characters grow and change a bit, even Groot, who saved the life of someone who had earlier tried to kill him and Rocket. There was certainly a plot, and a fairly easy to follow one. I liked all the characters, finding them believable and sympathetic. As for it being "stupid", that's a matter of taste. Some people like sci-fi, some don't. I love it, if it's done right, which I believe Guardians was. Yes, there's a sentient tree and a talking raccoon, but this is a work of fiction. I find them no more foolish than vampires, werewolves, zombies, and people who can fly, shoot energy beams out of their eyes, and control the weather, which can be found in a number of blockbuster movies. The music was one of my favorite things about it. I grew up in the 70's and 80's, and there wasn't a song on Quill's tape I didn't love. Now for the positive. I absolutely LOVED this movie! I thought it was one of the best I've seen in recent years. It had humor, action, a decent, if somewhat cliché plot, believable, likable characters, excellent acting and direction, and an alien version of Merle Dixon. I half expected a green skinned Daryl Dixon to show up at some point. I also liked all the little references to other Marvel movies and comics, and the scene with dancing baby Groot at the end was just awesome. I also loved the way these diverse characters, who started out fighting each other, gradually became true friends, to the point where they were willing to die for each other. It was that strong bond, and nothing else, which gave them the strength they needed to defeat Ronan. I have no trouble giving this movie 5 stars, despite its flaws, because they are far outweighed by the positive aspects. My advice, check this movie out if you haven't already. Chances are you'll be glad you did, and if not, well don't watch it again, and let everyone know why. I expect most will disagree.

Great movie and great price. Overall a 10/10 movie, and the 3D is perfect for a great movie

Love this one

I would describe it as better than the Avengers, and by far one of the most enjoyable movies I have ever watched. It is an action packed movie with a lot of comedy in it, and even better effects than the Avengers. The story is logical, and rather than just having a basic villain or hero, they are complex. You can see how the bad guy is bad, but you also learn that his father, and his grandfather and countless others died in the war against Nova, and he wants revenge. So you see the evil in his actions, but also need to respect that he is doing what he thinks is right, whether or not he is wrong is depending on your position. He is a true Avenger, in the way that the Avengers movies were never really Avengers. While the Heros are wildly varying, with none of them being your classic hero. Certainly none are as boring as Captain America. Pratt does a great job portraying Star Lord and the movie was an extremely enjoyable experience. I'd suggest conservative parents prevent children under 10 yrs from watching it, as it does have a lot of inappropriate yet funny moments. I watched this in theaters, day one showing, loved it, bought it the moment went on sale. There are parts for everyone, the dramatic and awesome hero fight sequences, and the more emotional scenes of sacrifice, and the many, many hilarious moments. All in all it has good effects, great story, and diverse characters.

First of all, I am really not a person who goes for this certain superhero-type genre. In fact, my husband had to cajole me to go to a big screen theater to see this one and did I ever Love this action filled fun story filled with the actors and two exclusive character's voices of Bradley Cooper and his sidekick Vin Diesel. Beginning with a dancing Chris Pratt (Star Lord) to an electric and eclectic soundtrack overflowing with earlier generations of music. This has love stories in several ways besides the central theme too, a sarcasm that is done perfectly which I am a fan of in the humor and massive CGI filling the big screen which I usually don't care as much about as the acting. See this on a large screen - if possible - with great sound. On the other-hand, this film was a spectacle; a feast for your eyes and your ears and definitely a great time. Before anyone like me who usually goes for drama or romantic comedies shuns this space romp, give this a look as I think you will not be disappointed. I even bought the Rocket 'action figure' for a Christmas gift following the film. It was such fun at the movie theater that I purchased the Blu-ray for my enthused husband and, let's face it, me too! Sounds and looks great on our large screen and surround sound stereo. I will be getting the second volume of this when it is released too. I suggest, though, to see this first. A wonder on screen and a great date night to my happy surprise...

Great movie!

What can I say, this is simply the best. I’m sure Tina Turner agrees. Guardians of the Galaxy shocked cinema audiences when it graced our screens last year. Everyone expected it to flop and who can blame them. If you explained the plot of the film to someone, it just sounds completely mental. However, Marvel really pulled out all the stops to make a highly entertaining, thrilling adventure that appeals to all the family. The film follows Chris Pratt’s character Peter Quill/Starlord from his alien abduction as a young boy then jumping ahead to him as a grown man, being a wise-cracking bounty hunter. When he inadvertently steals an all-powerful orb coveted by Ronan, an evil villain looking to commit genocide and conquer the universe, he makes an alliance with an unlikely group of individuals to save the day: a genetically-enhanced racoon called Rocket, a tree-like humanoid of few words called Groot, a green-skinned female assassin called Gamora and a revenge-driven, blue-skinned, muscly Drax. The main cast all give top notch performances: Chris Pratt completely owns his character and absolutely nails his one-liners – a superb lead. Bradly Cooper similarly is excellent bringing Rocket to life. You don’t even know it’s him voicing the character. Vin Diesel, all credit to him, somehow manages to convey an awful lot from just the same 3 words “I am Groot”. Gamora is wonderfully played by the gorgeous Zoe Saldana, showing the character’s inner torment with superb acting whilst being a badass. The former WWE wrestler Dave Bautista also, I’ll admit surprisingly, puts in a good performance, giving the audience many laughs with his dead pan delivery. I tip my hat to Lee Pace (Ronan), Michael Rooker (Yondu) and for you Doctor Who fans, Karen Gillan (Nebula), who also give it their all. The film rattles along a great pace and by the end, you’re sad that it’s over. I cannot convey how enjoyable a film it is. It has everything you could possibly want: fantastic visuals, captivating performances, developed characters, laugh-out-loud moments, jaw-dropping action, scenes that tug on your heartstrings and ones that make you cheer plus a wonderfully chosen selection of 70s classic tunes that you can’t help but sing along to or at least tap your foot to. I took my partner and father-in-law to see it and though initially sceptical, they came out with big grins on their faces. They loved it and you will too. Overall, for the reasons given, I have to say that this is probably my favourite Marvel film, even beating the incredible ‘Avengers Assemble’. The film never misses a beat and hits every nail on the head. It’s flawless! Definitely pick up a copy on blu ray, so you can enjoy the beautiful settings, graphics and colours in the best-quality picture. I can’t wait for the sequel in 2017! Highly Recommended: 10/10!

Excellent movie in so many ways. I laughed more often in the theaters watching it than with most comedies. Pluses and minuses about the combo pack: I purchased in presale where the written description listed a dvd as well as blu ray and digital HD. This was a mistake and there was no DVD. This was a bit of a problem because I had promised to show it at another home that did not have a blu ray player. I was thinking I would have to run out for a second copy but I was saved by the flexibility of the Digital HD options. I picked this version due to the bluray/dvd combo for a reasonable price. Usually the Digital HD is not a factor because I have not had much luck with that in the past. The pleasant surprise came with the options for digital HD redemption which included GooglePlay along Ultraviolet and itunes. Because I can use Google Play on all pcs, android tablets and phones, and tvs through my Chromecast dongle it makes this a much more flexible option for my family. Itunes is too restrictive if you do not have all Apple products and Ultraviolet is a huge mess of frustration with multiple log ins needed to all the studios AND ultraviolet AND then the playing aps (flixster, cinemanow, etc. of which many dare restricted in Canada). Redemption to Google play was extremely fast and simple in comparison and the playback was good even on our rural internet. Only a few studios are giving the options of Google Play & iTunes & Ultraviolet with Digital HD combo packs. Hopefully more will follow their lead and let paying customers make their own choices without the hassle to discourage digital piracy. That will make the Digital HD listed on the front of blu ray sleeves an actual selling feature for me.

Ich muss leider zugeben, das wird keine kurze Kritik weil es einfach so viel gibt, was man zu dem Film schreiben kann beziehungsweise muss - allerdings fast nur Gutes. Das ist aber wenig überraschend, schließlich wissen die Marvel- und Disney-Studios ja mittlerweile wie man großartige Filme macht, die eine riesige Fanbase und somit auch einen großen Erfolg haben. Und Erfolg ist ein gutes Stichwort, schließlich hält "Guardians of the Galaxy" inzwischen den Rekord für den besten Kinostart im August und führt somit wenig überraschend die Kinocharts an, was ganz sicher auch bei uns der Fall sein wird. Da ist es wenig überraschend, dass Marvel bereits vor Filmstart einen Nachfolger angekündigt hat und viele schon auf ein Aufeinandertreffen mit den Avengers hoffen, da es dazu schon einige Gerüchte gab. Da fragt sich der ein oder andere natürlich zurecht, ob das mit den Comicverfilmungen nicht langsam reicht, schließlich hatten wir bereits alleine von Marvel 3 Iron Man Filme, Thor 1 und 2, Captain America 1 und 2, zwei verschiedene Hulk Steifen und natürlich The Avengers, sowie mehrere X-Men Ableger. Aber ganz ehrlich, wenn die Filme qualitativ so großartig sind wie die letzten Comic-Verfilmungen, dann kann man davon doch gar nicht genug bekommen - und dieser Film ist sogar noch großartiger als die meisten bisherigen Filme, wofür es so viele Gründe gibt. Der obligatorischste Grund ist das Effektfeuerwerk das hier abgefeuert wird. Das ist bei einem so großem Filmprojekt aber nichts neues, verdient es aber immer wieder erwähnt zu werden, vor allem wenn einem die Optik wie hier so oft ins Staunen versetzt. Viele Planeten, die Galaxie, das Weltall, Aliens, die Figuren, die Raumschiffe und natürlich auch die Action sehen einfach nur sensationell aus und sollten unbedingt auf einer großen Leinwand gesehen werden, da sie auf kleinen Bildschirmen viel an Faszination verlieren. Auch Inhaltlich überzeugt der Film auf ganzer Linie. Ich hatte die ganze Zeit die Befürchtung, dass es der Film nicht auf die Reihe bringen würde, die 5 neuen Superhelden in nur einem Film ordentlich zu etablieren ohne dass dabei irgendjemand zu kurz kommt, muss nun aber zugeben dass jede Skepsis unangebracht war. Denn jeder Charakter bekommt mehr als genug Aufmerksamkeit und es gibt kein fünftes Rad am Wagen, da sich alle großartig ergänzen und zusammen für unglaublich viel Spaß sorgen. Und Spaß wird bei dem Film größer geschrieben als alles andere. Zwar bekommen wir eine interessante Geschichte in dem gewohnt großartigen Marvel-Universum, welches dank Weltraum spektakulärer aussieht den je und für Fans einige Easter-Eggs beinhaltet, weswegen man nach dem Film unbedingt bis NACH den Credits sitzen bleiben sollte. Auch eine Menge Action wird geboten, welche mit einigen Raumschiffen und Weltallkämpfen sogar etwas Star Wars-Feeling bringen. Da sind aber nicht die größten Stärken des Films, genauso wenig ist es auch der unglaublich geniale Soundtrack mit tollen Songs aus den 80ern nicht. Die größte Stärke ist nämlich der stets vorhandene Humor und die lockere Art des Films. In keinem anderen Marvel- oder Comic-Film wurde so oft und so laut gelacht wie hier Der Film nimmt sich zu keiner Zeit ernst und haut einen Lacher nach dem anderen raus, wo ich vor allem den sprechenden Baum Groot unglaublich genial fand, obwohl er wahrscheinlich den kleinsten Wortschatz der Galaxie hat musste ich immer wieder lachen. Aber auch der Rest der Truppe ist verdammt lustig und der ganze Film macht einfach nur Spaß! Spaß! Spaß! Haben wir es hier also mit einem perfektem Film zu tun? Nein! Fast perfekt? Ja! Denn es gibt dann doch etwas, was mich etwas enttäuscht hat, nämlich die Fähigkeiten der Helden. Denkt man an die Helden der letzten Jahre, denkt man an die vielen coolen und besonderen Fähigkeiten die sie haben. Iron Man mit seinem coolen Anzug voller Technik, Hulk mit seiner Kraft, Thor mit seinem Hammer, Wolverine mit seinen Krallen und alle weiteren Größen der letzten Comic-Verfilmungen - sie alle haben einmalige Fähigkeiten. In "Guardians of the Galaxy" haben wir einen kleinen Waschbär der spricht, einen Baum, der coole Sachen machen kann (die ich jetzt hier nicht spoilern will) und einen mächtigen Bösewicht. Die anderen Hauptdarsteller sind einfach nur Söldner beziehungsweise Soldaten und Kämpfer, die zwar gut schießen, prügeln und allgemein gut kämpfen, aber leider nicht mehr können - da bieten ihre Genre-Kollegen viel mehr. Fazit: Dieser Film ist ein Traum für Comic-Fans und ein riesiger Spaß für jeden Kinogänger. Er bietet tolle Effekte, coole Helden, viel Action, eine tolle Story, aber vor allem sehr viel Humor und ist der bisher lustigste Marvel-Film aller Zeiten. Absolutes Pflichtprogramm für Fans und trotz kleiner Schwächen sogar für Nichtfans mehr als nur sehenswert - reingehen!!! Wertung: 4 1/2 von 5 Sternen

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY [2014] [3D Blu-ray + 2D Blu-ray] From the Studio That Brought You the MARVEL Avengers Assemble! From the MARVEL Studios that launched the epic franchise of ‘Iron Man,’ ‘Thor,’ ‘Captain America’ and ‘The Avengers,’ comes a new team – the Guardians of the Galaxy. The MARVEL Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill steals a mysterious orb and becomes the object of a relentless bounty hunt. To evade his enemies, the ever-persistent Ronan, Peter Quill forges uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits with Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Peter Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals misfits for a last desperate stand — with the galaxy's fate in the balance. Featuring amazing new characters and exclusive bonus features, this must-own blockbuster will have you hooked on a feeling . . . of pure adrenaline! MUSIC TRACK LISTING: “I’m Not in Love” [Performed by 10cc]; “Go All the Way” [Performed by Raspberries]; “Hooked on a Feeling” [Performed by Blue Swede]; “Moonage Daydream” [Performed by David Bowie]; “Cherry Bomb” [Performed by The Runaways]; “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” [Performed by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell]; Come and Get Your Love” [Performed by Redbone]; Mad Scene from “Lucia Di Lammermoor" [Performed by Bergamo Musica Festival Orchestra and Chorus]; “Escape” (The Piña Colada Song)” [Performed by Rupert Holmes]; “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” [Performed by Elvin Bishop]; “O-O-H Child” [Performed by The Five Stairsteps] and “I Want You Back” [Performed by Jackson 5]. Cast: 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, Laura Haddock, Sean Gunn, Peter Serafinowicz, Christopher Fairbank, Krystian Godlewski, Wyatt Oleff, Gregg Henry, Janis Ahern, Solomon Mousley, Lindsay Morton, Robert Firth, Melia Kreiling, Tom Proctor, Nick Holmes, Max Wrottesley, Stan Lee, Nicole Alexandra Shipley, Sharif Atkins, Brendan Fehr, Tomas Arana, Mikaela Hoover, Emmett J Scanlan, Dominic Grant, Spencer Wilding, Alison Lintott, Alexis Rodney, Nathan Fillion (voice), Keeley Forsyth, Frank Gilhooley, Alexis Denisof, Enzo Cilenti, Richard Katz, Enoch Frost, Ronan Summers, Ophelia Lovibond, Laura Ortiz, Marama Corlett, Rosie Jones, Abidemi Sobande, Alex Rose, Ekaterina Zalitko, Emily Redding, Fred (Cosmo the Space Dog), Stephen Blackehart, Jennifer Moylan-Taylor, Bruce Mackinnon, Ralph Ineson, Rob Zombie, Naomi Ryan, John Brotherton, Graham Shiels, James Gunn, Douglas Robson, Rachel Cullen, Isabella Poynton, Imogen Poynton, David Yarovesky, Miriam Lucia, Adrian Allan (uncredited), Freddie Andrews (uncredited), Habib Anibaba (uncredited), Jozef Aoki (uncredited), Helen Banks (uncredited), Tyler Bates (uncredited), Richard Blenkiron Alysson Da Silva (uncredited), Wayne Devlin (uncredited), Simara Dixon (uncredited), Barny DuPlessis (uncredited), Seth Green (Howard the Duck voice) (uncredited), Victoria Gugenheim (uncredited), Lee Edward Jones (uncredited), Jonathan Lipow (Sakaarans voice) (uncredited), Erica Melargo (uncredited), Serhat Metin (uncredited), Nigel Murfitt (uncredited), Louise Port (uncredited), Deborah Rosan (uncredited), Wesley Von Spears (Holographic Dog) (uncredited), Paul Warren (uncredited) and Tatiana Zarubova (uncredited) Director: James Gunn Producers: Alan Fine, David J. Grant, Jamie Christopher, Jeremy Latcham, Jonathan Schwartz, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Nikolas Korda, Stan Lee and Victoria Alonso Screenplay: James Gunn (screenplay), Nicole Perlman (screenplay), Andy Lanning (based on the Marvel comic book and Dan Abnett (based on the Marvel comic book) Composer: Tyler Bates Cinematography: Ben Davis Video Resolution: 1080p [Technicolor] Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 [Anamorphic] Audio: English: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English: 2.0 Descriptive Audio, Spanish: 5.1 DTS Digital Surround and Hindi: 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Portuguêse, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish Running Time: 120 minutes Region: All Regions Number of discs: 2 Studio: MARVEL Studios / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’ [2014] is a stunning awesome action packed film, that is filled with natural and artificial beauty that is a testament to modern filmmaking with seamless practical and equally stunning computer CGI visual effects that blend together to create a dazzling space adventure world. It’s the best MARVEL Studios Blu-ray, it is visually flawless. Every crack in Groot’s bark, each line in Drax’s tattooed body, and every hair on Rocket’s head stand out with perfection, totally blowing away any imitators, because ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’ pristine transfer will blow it away. MARVEL Studios swaps gloomy superheroes for snappy, Saturday-cartoon fun. And it is a total gem. ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’ is based on one of Marvel Comics’ lesser known franchises, this is the tale of Peter Quill [Chris Pratt], an earthling abducted as a boy who, a quarter of a century later, is working as a Han Solo-style outlaw-for-hire under the self-ordained nickname “Star-Lord.” When his quest for a mysterious orb attracts the attention of some blue-skinned intergalactic troublemakers, Quill throws in with a team of fellow outsiders including green-skinned warrior princess Gamora [Zoe Saldana], genetically enhanced raccoon Rocket [voiced by Bradley Cooper], comically literal man-mountain Drax [Dave Bautista] and a self-regenerating, semi-sentient walking tree named Groot [Vin Diesel] being his usual muscle man agenda. Basic scenario is that you have a good vs. evil plot in here somewhere, but it’s rendered largely impenetrable by a profusion of MARVEL-verse asides which will only make sense to those who have followed the mythology across the entire comic and film franchise. No matter of this space opera, the rest of us can just sit back and enjoy the ride, as the film ricochets from one dazzling, frazzling action set-piece to the next, pausing only to charm our socks off with another pithy retort, classic bubble-gum-pop hit or cutely random alien character. ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’ specialises in total adventure fun, served by the sugar-sprinkled ice-cream-scoop loaded in seeing this odd quintet bluster through space battles and alien brawls that would have defeated anyone smarter and better-equipped. Chris Pratt is a swaggering space adventurer, Peter Quill, and with the group’s self-appointed leader, sets Guardians of the Galaxy’s tone from the start. Abducted from Earth as a boy in 1988 and raised by intergalactic mercenaries, he is a cocky, charismatic outlaw in the Han Solo mould and gets in and out of scrapes by means of bluster and bravado rather than especially quick wits. Peter Quill’s most treasured possessions is a battered, outlandishly out-of-place Walkman and a mixtape that preserves the pop songs of his beloved mother’s youth, hence the presence of such cheesy, engagingly memorable numbers as ‘Hooked on a Feeling’ and ‘The Pina Colada Song’ on the soundtrack. For reasons that is too complicated and confusing to go into here and believe me it doesn’t really matter, but Peter Quill winds up in a very run down space prison in the company of a bunch of bad-ass and wise-ass: green-skinned alien Gamora [Zoë Saldana] who is no stranger to playing weirdly pigmented extra-terrestrials, and there is tattooed, slow-on-the-uptake hulk Drax the Destroyer [Dave Bautista], and a sarcastic talking raccoon named Rocket [Bradley Cooper] and his sidekick Groot [Vin Diesel], a walking tree whose vocabulary is limited to the three words “I am Groot.” But with this ragtag bunch of misfit’s oddball crew bands together to retrieve an all-powerful orb and stop it falling into the hands of genocidal bad guy Ronan the Accuser [Lee Pace]. But in the meantime Peter Quill says, “This orb has a real shiny blue suitcase, Ark of the Covenant, Maltese Falcon sort of vibe… what is it?” and where upon Peter Quill gives us the wink that the plot is just a marvellous excuse for fizzing CGI-boosted action and larky, tongue-in-cheek bantering. Some may find the film’s self-satisfaction attitude a mite grating, but I loved the whole film, as it is one great rollercoaster action packed film from start to finish. Chris Pratt is a very likeable character, but to some people he will be compared his character to Harrison Ford, which of course he is not, however hard he tries and there are some real moments where the sheer brain-melting relentlessness becomes slightly over powering, but again I loved it for its sheer adrenaline action pack adventure film, especially viewing it in the awesome 3D. But overall this is giddy, ridiculous fun filled, witty, wacky and wonderfully generous sugary gift of a space adventure film that was a total blast, but also with the added bonus of a brilliant music soundtrack. MARVEL fans like me, will love it! Finally, I loved at the very end of the credits where it states, “No raccoons or tree creatures were harmed during the making of the film.” Also watch right to the end of the film for a very nice surprise. One thing that slightly confused me is in wanting to know where Peter Quill was able to get extra batteries to keep his Walkman tape machine to be played. Of course when the film comes to an end, I started to feel very sad, as it was such an exciting rollercoaster action packed Sci-Fi film, but of course there was no need to feel sad, as at the end of the film we get informed that a new ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2’ film is coming out in the very near future and so my fears have now subsided and I will be there ready when I can purchase the 3D Blu-ray disc when it is finally released. 3D Blu-ray Video Quality – With the combination of MARVEL Studios and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment brings you ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’ from a far off distant galaxy in a highly detailed and gorgeous 1080p ultimate encoded image and also with an equally impressive original theatrical 2.40:1 aspect ratio. This 3D Blu-ray presentation is Blu-ray high definition at its best. This Blu-ray also brings you a wide pallet of stunning colours and with lots of fantastic bright neon colours on everything from environments to starscapes to crazy alien skin tones and all of these are reproduced really wonderfully. The 3D film mixes a number of brightly lit exterior sequences with tons of shadowy space and interior worlds, rendering a visually engaging world in outer space that is never monotonous. Black levels are spot on too. Special Effects too are very highly detailed, with fully CGI characters that come to life in an almost photographic realistic way. ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’ is one long ultimate show-stopper on this 3D Blu-ray disc that is totally perfect for the ultimate demonstrating to people who say they hate 3D Blu-ray discs. 3D Blu-ray Audio Quality – Again with this MARVEL Studios and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment brings you ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’ in stunning 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. It also I can assure you that it definitely boasts very engaging ultimate reference quality audio surround experience. Dialogue is wonderfully clear, even in the kore chaotic action sequences in the film. Sound effects are aggressive in a brilliant way, especially with the laser blasts and space ships enveloping your home cinema surround sound environment that is deep and punching, accentuating thrusters and thudding explosions. Finally, for classic rock music fans are going to rejoice at how great and expansive all the music sounds that wrap around the listeners. If like me, you are also an audiophile with a high resolution audio system, you probably haven't heard this classic rock music songs sound this well before. Overall ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’ is a fantastic 3D Blu-ray audio experience. Blu-ray Special Features and Extras: As an added bonus, these special features can be viewed in 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Special Features: Featurettes: Here you get to view two separate features that are as follows: 01. Guide to the Galaxy with James Gunn [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [20:56] This particular feature starts off in a very confusing way, in making think you are about to start a video game, especially as it is titled “GALACTIC ADVENTURER” Featuring James Gunn. But despite this, here you get to view a decent string of behind-the-scenes vignettes that cover world building, makeup, and the Kiln prison sequence, including the sheer size of the set. They are strung together with a series of side-scrolling 8-bit video game segments, during which time Star-Lord [James Gunn] encounters animated avatars into several scenes from the film as he introduces himself to the characters. Contributors include James Gunn [Co-Writer/Director], Richard Roberts [Set Decorator], Chris Pratt [Peter Quill/Star-Lord], David White [Special Make-Up Effects Designer], Zoe Saldana [Gamora], Dave Bautista [Drax], Michael Rooker [Yondu], Charles Wood B.S.C. [Production Designer], Benicio Del Toro [The Collector], Victoria Alonso [Executive Producer], Lee Pace [Ronan] and Vin Diesel [Groot]. 02. The Intergalactic Visual Effects for ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’ [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [7:11] Here with this feature we get an extra look behind-the-scenes of actors doing their voices for the characters in the film, plus the other actors talking about their part in the fil, as well as seeing how the CGI effects were done, especially focusing on bringing the digital characters to life, one gets a sense of how much work went on behind-the-scenes. Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel shared their thoughts about their respective characters and the massive amount of work it took to bring those characters alive onscreen, courtesy of the visual effects team. The spot even mentions Oreo, the real raccoon that was used to help the team create Rocket’s movements and behaviour. Contributors included Vin Diesel [Groot], Chris Pratt [Peter Quill/Star-Lord], Victoria Alonso [Executive Producer] and James Gunn [Co-Writer/Director]. Special Feature: Exclusive Look at MARVEL's ‘AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON’ [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [2:16] This is a short promotional film looking at behind-the-scenes at the making of the next Avengers adventure film. The film was shot in New York, Italy, South Africa, and South Korea to give the story a much more global epic feel. Screenwriter and director Joss Whedon talks about the new characters coming to the MARVEL cinema universe near you. Not much more here than what we already know, but it is okay and definitely aimed at the MARVEL nerdy fans who will drool over it. Contributors include Kevin Feige p.g.a. [Producer], Joss Whedon [Screenwriter/Director], Jeremy Latcham [Executive Producer] and Elizabeth Olsen [Scarlet Witch]. Special Feature: Deleted and Extended Scenes [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [4:22] Here you have a selection of six different scenes, which are as follows: The Kyln will have to Do; Sisterly Love; No, I'm the Stupid One; Fake Laugh and Dancing Guard. These include a wonderful scene between Gamora and Nebula, and a prison guard dancing to Pilot’s 1974 song “Magic.” You have the option of playing all what you view with an audio commentary by James Gunn or without. Scenes work best when you have the audio commentary turned on. Special Feature: Gag Reel [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [3:54] They say you will Experience Cosmic Shenanigans and Celestial Goofs with this so called hilarious Gag Reel, but overall it is just the usual in-joke bloopers they like to think MARVEL fans will be eager to watch. But I have to admit the last but one where the cast do this “Dance Off,” which to me is the funniest blooper scene of the lot I have seen in a very long time. Audio Commentary with Director James Gunn: Here James Gunn introduces himself while watching ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.’ James Gunn gets really enthusiastic and engaging at times, and also delivers a very candid, and extensive scene-by-scene rundown of the entire film, delving into the script, style and tone, the process of casting the characters and the subsequent actors' performances, designing and realizing the worlds, technology and aliens on display, striking a balance between action, drama and comedy, integrating practical and computer-generated effects, and more. At the start of the film James talks about when we first introduced to the young Peter Quill and when doing the screenplay he wanted to focus on the SONY Walkman, as he felt it was a pivotal part of the plot of the film, and especially Peter Quill’s great attachment to his Mother, whose character reflects to the music on the mixed tape. When you see Peter Quill 26 year later, landing on the MORAG planet searching for the Orb with using the special hand unit we get a holographic image, and the dog we see is James’s pet dog, which he named it “Doctor Wesley Von Spears” and why this name we never find out. But originally the dog was found roaming the streets of Carson City, California, and was taken in by the local dog shelter there when he was just a few months old. He was later on adopted by James Gunn. “Doctor Wesley Von Spears” is a mixed breed with large parts of Cocker Spaniel and Siberian Husky with a little bit of Greyhound thrown in. James Gunn talks very glowing about the British actor Christopher Fairbank who plays “The Broker” and really praises this actor and says that Christopher was very easy to work with, and felt he put in an amazing performance and wants to use Christopher in future Guardian films. When we see the Guardian group in the tower in the prison trying to escape, well James informs us that this huge set was built in the Pinewood Studio and consisted of 150,000 lbs of steel and after they finished shooting, they melted all the steel down and sold it off to get their money back and praises Charles Wood [Production Designer] who built the set with help from the Production Design Team. One thing I noticed throughout the audio commentary, that James Gunn keeps saying, “this is my favourite moment in the film,” which I do not really think he realises he says it and I surprised the people with his in the viewing room did not point this out. When you get near to the end of the film you see Drax and the Baby Groot, when you see it dancing, that is in fact James Gunn dancing and was captured via computer motion reference CGI and comments that is how he does his sweet dance floor moves and also his unique dance style, so watch out John Travolta, James has got you covered. Anyway, more importantly, James Gunn addresses the more curious choices he made in the making of the film, and fills in a few blanks, and answers questions posed by the fan community, and generally enriches the experience with extra layers of detail and backstory. All in all it is a totally enjoyable, engaging brilliant director’s audio commentary that never ever gets boring. Definitely gets a 5 star rating from me. Blu-ray and Digital HD Trailer [2014] [1080p] [2.40:1] [1:30] Here you get to view the Original Trailer for ‘CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER.’ This is slightly different from the Original Theatrical Trailer. Finally, ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’ in 3D is an absolute blast and comes as a breath of fresh air for this type of Sci-Fi film that blends space opera action with the 1970s and 1980s Americana pop culture, making the whole thing feel fresh and proving once again, MARVEL is not yet done defining the Super Hero Genre. As for this Blu-ray, ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’ boasts a reference quality 3D presentation that is definitely on the short list as one of the best 3D visual experience ever, as well as the equally high quality 2D Blu-ray disc presentation, plus of course it has the fantastic 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio surround audio experience, and a nice collection of bonus materials, which rounds off this nice little Blu-ray package. But of course if you love 3D then this edition represents the best value in your 3D visual experience ever, which is totally enhanced with an amazing visual experience that is really exciting. But of course if you are not a great fan of 3D, then of course you have the choice of viewing the 2D Blu-ray disc for your visual enjoyment. Very Highly Recommended! Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado Le Cinema Paradiso United Kingdom

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