Guardians of the Galaxy [Blu-ray] [Region Free]

I bought this recently in the build up to Vol.2 coming out in cinemas, It felt like the perfect time to finally add it to my collection. Watching this movie again (for the third time now) I was reminded why I love this franchise so much. I watched one of the featurettes befiore watching the film and was impressed with James Gunn's creative energy and all the pre-production work, concept art and writing that went into this movie. This movie has so many comparison's to the Star Wars franchise, and this attention to detail and mass of "World Building" (as Gunn puts it) is just one of them. I don't think many MCU movies come close to the pre-production efforts that went into Guardians of the Galaxy. Having watched the film again I flashback to when I came out of the cinema having watched it for the first time. My thoughts that night went something like "Wow, thats really got me warmed up for The Force Awakens", "I haven't seen space battles like that since Attack of the Clones" and "Match that JJ!". Flash forward to today and having seen two new Star Wars movies, I feel that Marvel pretty much 'out space-opera'd' Star Wars. Each time I've re-watched GotG since it's 2014 release, I've been worried that it would loose it's wow factor, that I'd watch it again and not be as enthralled. But my god, It's still bloody brilliant. Now I've got to say for fairness sake, Star Wars: The Force Awakens does get better each time you see it and also they are different beasts, so comparing them and saying GotG is better overall would be harsh. But there are elements, some that I've touched on already, which make it stand out. I'd recommend this Blu-Ray movie to anyone who appreciates Sci-Fi and has a creative intrigue into the 'World Building' that went into this smash-hit .

This movie was a huge risk for Marvel Studios, it was the first time they took a chance with characters unfamiliar to a lot of people, the 2nd big risk they took was Ant-Man a year later. Now one of my favourite movies, Guardians is just.........fun, lots and lots of fun, plus it's also really cool, it has a talking Racoon who fires a huge rifle for crying out loud, that could have easily been stupid but ended up being one of the best parts of the movie. This movie wasn't just successful, it was a major hit. My younger brother and both parents also thoroughly enjoyed this movie, especially Groot, and trust me, that's a pretty big deal. In a way, it's crazy, some parts a really crazy, this movie isn't a typical Sci-Fi movie, and it is silly in places, but that doesn't matter, it all adds to what I said before.....so much fun. It will be interesting to see where they go next with these characters. We have only until next year (2017) to wait, and we also get the new addition to the Marvel cinematic universe, the new 15 year old Spiderman in Spiderman:Homecoming. Let's go Marvel. Updated: Still is one of Marvel's best, I recently got this on 4K, sadly hit and miss picture, ranging from just a bit better than normal blu-ray to pretty good, so 3.5 out of 5 for that, but still a 4.5 to 5 movie.

I missed this movie at the cinema partly as I hadn't read any of the original comics and I wasn't sold on the concept by the trailer, and also partly 'cos I frequently wait until a movie is on disk before watching, so that I can enjoy control over the sound levels/snacks, etc. However, after a work colleague had enthused about this, I ordered a copy. Am I glad I did - what an enjoyable film. The slight tongue-in-cheek approach lends the characters a "depth" (i relative terms) I hadn't expected, and married with superb overall production quality makes for a highly enjoyable story. I particularly liked the nebulae colours used in space the scenes - a beautiful touch that added a better sense of depth and of the vast distances involved. Only quibble for me (and this is not just this film, but many modern productions) is the vast disparity of sound levels between dialogue and action sequences. In most movies these days I have to constantly ride the volume control to push it up for speech and down again when the guns and explosions start. Ok, so we need some heightened levels for the action sequences, but do we really need so much that the coffee table starts to vibrate when the volume was previously set at a comfortable level for hearing the dialogue? That said, it hasn't stopped me watching it twice already (I've only had it a couple of weeks). A definite go-to entertainment movie for wet weekends!

This film was quite funny and violent at the same time, the casting of Vin diesel as Groot was weird to say the least, a question remained unanswered at the end of the film though in how does our hero become part alien in the first place? as this isn't revealed unless I missed it, but a great typical Marvel film and a promise of more to come of the Guardians I think the cameo appearances of Stan Lee in Marvel films is hilarious I cannot help but look for him, reminiscent of the Old Alfred Hitchcock films. I will not give the plot away in case it detracts others from watching it, you just have to see it to make up your own mind, but for what its worth it was a great film, the only reason I give it 4 stars is because I would have liked to know about the origins of our Hero before the film got underway in full swing and not leave any questions unanswered.

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!

Although Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) has a few moments of corniness, generally speaking it's an hilarious, action-filled fantasy/sci-fi with convincing visual effects, whacky characters, and a great script. The cast is surprisingly star-studded with Chris Pratt in the leading role and arguably more well known stars taking back seats. For example, Glenn Close and Benicio Del Toro have minor roles. Nathan Fillion of Serenity-fame merely does the voice-over of a minor player, and Josh Brolin, as Thanos, is uncredited. Speaking of voice-overs, what a pity that only the voice of Vin Diesel, a favourite of mine, was used in this lively escapade. It seems such a waste and it surprised me that he wasn't cast in the role of hunky Drax (one of the good guys) which went to Dave Bautista, a WWE champion. Having said that, 6ft 4in Bautista, didn't disappoint. Quill is one of the few Earthlings in this 'out there' extravaganza, and the variety of aliens runs from a hard-nosed green woman (Zoe Saldana), to blue men (Michael Rooker), to a magical and daunting tree giant called Groot (voice of Vin Diesel) and an irascible raccoon-like invention called Rocket (voice of Bradley Cooper). My favourites in this movie though, and I expect they are the favourites of many, are the nutty duo: Groot and Rocket. They could have a show of their own. Groot can only say 'I Am Groot' which means that Vin Diesel wouldn't have needed to spend hours learning his lines. I wonder how much he got paid? Rocket was a psychiatrist's dream or nightmare, and the funniest of the lot. Talk about complex. Ronan kept reminding me of Tom Hiddleston's Loki, except that Ronan's lugging around a great big (Thor-like) hammer. And, if all that isn't enough, the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack is a treat. So, what's not to like? Guardians of the Galaxy is such fun. I saw it some time ago and decided to buy the BluRay because I have just ordered the Guardians of the Galaxy II, and I wanted to watch the first one first, if you get my meaning. The video and audio of the BluRay are excellent. The movie has such vibrant colours with equally vibrant characters. The soundtrack is superb, especially if you enjoy the early 70s music, and I do, and it fits the tone of the movie perfectly. The character, Peter Quill, who likes to be called Star Lord (Chris Pratt) loves his ancient Sony Walkman and the cassette he plays upon it. He will burst into dance at the strangest of times. Don't we all??? The BluRay comes with the usual extra which shows us how the movie was made. I would suggest that anyone new to the movie should watch the extra afterwards as, for me, finding out how special effects are done can spoil a movie for me. Who wants to visualise wires or a blue screen while trying to be mentally transported in the movie's world? If your spirits are low and you need a bit of a lift and your sense of humour remains intact, check it out. Oh, and it's not for young children.

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I have never heard of Guardians of the galaxy before, so I did not quite know what to expect and I wasn't to sold on the movie from the trailer either , but this is actually a pretty good movie. If you are a fan of comic book movies or even just a fan of movies set in space, then I would definitely recommend this movie. If you watch the marvel cinematic universe movies, then you probably already know that this movie ties in with them. I hope that this movie gets a sequel because it was very entertaining, full of action, visually stunning to look at and it is a great way to really bring the space element in to the MCU. All in all I give this movie a 10/10 for entertainment.