I love this film. At around my fifth viewing, I'm amazed how well the plot, action and characterisation stand up as well as how much it still makes me laugh. Guardians of the Galaxy is a master class of the superhero genre, with perfect comedic timing, stunning effects, a
clear moral message and some very clever, comic-panel vignettes. Casting is superb, acting on point throughout and that soundtrack? Stunning! Guardians will remain one of my favourite films and comfort watches for a very long time.
Review
Spoilers Ahead: My reviews are not spoiler-free. You have been warned.
Rewatch
I'm beginning to be convinced that this film is addictive. I otherwise cannot explain how it continues to get better with almost every watch. Chemical mischief must be involved. Still makes me laugh hysterically, tear up occasionally and love every damn minute.
Rewatch
Rewatch
Although we own the DVD, the Disney+ HD version is now better, so we opted for that. Oh dear.
In other news, damn this film continues to hold up. I was a little worried that returning to Guardians after seeing the MCU evolve so much would highlight a dulling around the edges, but far from it. The story is just so darn enjoyable, the actors are perfect, the jokes land every time, the characters are so nuanced, and the plot beats are so tightly directed. With the further context that some characters gained from Captain Marvel it was somehow more interesting watching Lee Pace's villainous Ronin and gave a little more weight to Drax's killing of Korath. Sure, there are a few moments which now feel a little odd, such as how Ronin feels the need to explain he is Kree in his introductory speech, but I guess if you're coming to the film outside of the wider MCU they're still very relevant.
The CGI stands up seriously well, too. There are a few wide shots – particularly on Xandar – which don't feel completely real any more, but Rocket and Groot are imperceptible. We watched the VFX extras afterwards and one of the artists comments really rang true: there are many scenes in which I never doubted that these characters were physically on set during filming. That's nuts 😮 and Groot is such a darling. Honestly, being reminded what wise, old Groot was like makes me wish we'd got more of him in the other movies, rather than resetting his character each time (no matter how fun that evolution has been).
Also, still a full five stars (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐) to that soundtrack *chef's kiss*. The way Gunn has weaved the Walkman into the film remains some of the cleverest film work in the MCU and (arguably) beyond it. The music is so critical to some of the biggest story points and it never once feels forced that it would genuinely be originating from Peter's Walkman.