If you read the review I did for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, you understand how I feel about the current comic book film wave when it comes to Marvel versus DC Comics.  DC Comics has faltered significantly over the past few years, generating only a few films which were mostly publicly panned.  When I first heard news about Guardians of the Galaxy, I wondered whether or not Marvel had finally hit the block they had been able to push through since 2008.  Being a fan of comic book characters, I was shocked when this film was announced, as I had never heard of the comic book series this movie was based on.  It seemed obvious that this was a test by Marvel, to see what they could get away with.  Could they really make a successful movie based on a comic series that few people even recognize?

The movie follows five rogue “criminals”, each of whom have their own moral code and motivation, whom are forced to band together in order to stop the evil Ronan from conquering the galaxy.  These five include:  Peter Quill (Star Lord), a human taken in his youth from Earth by a band of thieves; Gamora, a reformed assassin bent on defeating her evil father, Thanos; Draz, a man fixated on Ronan, who murdered his wife and child; Rocket, a genetically modified racoon, who works as a bounty hunter;  and Groot, Rocket’s simple-minded tree-man sidekick.  While this may seem like a lot to take it at first, the movie does an excellent job of giving each character a distinct personality, making them easy to differentiate.

And that is the movie’s biggest benefit.  Director James Gunn and writers Gunn and Nicole Perlman understand that the universe the movie creates is huge, and makes the characters relatable in order to keep the audience hooked.  They also realize that the movie needed to have a sense of humor, and deliver excellently in that field.  All of the characters bring something funny to the table, but I personally found the stoic Drax and the loud-mouthed Rocket to be the most entertaining.  It’s the kind of movie that anybody can find a favorite character in, and the characters carry the film tremendously.

Not only are the characters great, but the world is extremly visually appealing, with its bright colors and cool designs.  While the looks of the alien creatures and intergalactic space ships may not be the most original, they still look great and do a good job of tying the world together.  Everything from Star Lord’s helmet and guns to the Nova Federations ships (which form a protective net when connected) to even Groot himself look great, and add beautifully to the world that Marvel has been creating since 2008.

There isn’t much in the way of a plot, seeing as it follows the general three-act structure of most sci-fi movies, but this movie help to reinforce my newly-formed film theory.  This film, more than any, proves that a film’s characters and atmosphere are far more important than its plot.  Having characters that you can relate to or enjoy watching, and placing them in a world that in enthralling is enough to create a good film experience, and this film delivers in that way.  I can’t wait for the next film in the Marvel franchise, to delve deeper into its expansive world.