Spartan Scroll

by MATTHEW BAHK

“Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy” has not only introduced the most beloved team of superheroes to the Marvel Cinematography universe but has also won our hearts—and cash.

Since its Aug. 1 release, “Guardians of the Galaxy” (GOTG) earned $296 billion domestically and $588 billion worldwide. It surpassed both “Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “The Lego Movie,” earning the title ‘Movie of the Summer.’ With a 92 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.6/10 rating on IMDB, it has been well-received by the audience and critics, and has also become the highest grossing movie of the year.

In the movie, Peter Quill/Star-Lord, played by “Park and Recreation’s” and “Zero-Dark Thirty’s” Chris Pratt, is caught into a intergalactic skirmish over an orb sought out by Ronan the Accuser, played by Lee Pace. To protect the orb, a rag-tag team of assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax the Destroyer (David Bautista), gun-happy Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), “I am Groot” Groot (Vin Deisel) and Star-Lord is formed as the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Director James Gunn orchestrates the events and chemistry between these characters in a fashion that grows on the viewer in unexpected ways. Although the characters are simplistic, their interactions with each other are collective and comical. Through their witty lines and the explosive action demonstrated throughout each act, audience members will become attached to the beloved characters and cast.

As a stand-alone, the film strays from the current Marvel Universe; it shows only a few connections to it while remaining true to its own story. Although the original Guardians were created 1969, the recent version is based on the Guardians of 2008.

The film features no main characters from “Marvel’s The Avengers.” However, its popularity and fan base has grown exponentially since the announcement of the movie, resulting in a $38.7 million opening day and the potential to surpass the last extremely successful August movies in terms of sales, 1999’s “The Sixth Sense.”

The official soundtrack, titled “Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Mix Vol. 1,” spent two weeks as No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. Its compilation of cheerful 80’s pop songs included the upbeat opening number “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone and the movie’s title song “Hooked on a Feeling” by Blue Suede.

This team of vigilantes will be back in 2017 for “Guardians of the Galaxy 2,” in which it is predicted that their timeline will align more to that of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

“Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy” is a complete summer blockbuster, offering everything a moviegoer needs in a movie and more.