Film Illiterate, wherein the proprietor records movies seen, and sporadic progress through assorted lists of the "best". Originally started after regretfully renting something forgettable for the third time. I've forgotten what, but never again! A tedious endeavour since 2005. Hello. 🙂
Guardians of the Galaxy holds an interesting place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel's comic universe has always had an unusual tension between small-scale concerns (DareDevil battles crime in Hell's Kitchen, etc.) and its extraplanetary cosmic threats. If it is hard to take The Kingpin of Crime seriously when compared with HYDRA, both are small potatoes compared the empires of Skrull and Kree, Thanos, Galactus, the Living Tribunal etc.
The Thor films have explored the Asgardian cosmology, but other than a cameo in The Avengers only the Guardians have explored the vast, colourful universe away from Earth.
Unsurprisingly, the result is a CG-heavy spectacular forced to try and ground itself with concerns of family and friendship even as the plot progresses through hordes of golden-skinned Mean Girls and a living planet. The requirement to further develop the characters proves somewhat problematic, particularly in the case of Drax (Dave Bautista), recast from dangerous fighter to obnoxious comic relief, and Quill (Chris Pratt), whose character arc is hurt by the requirement that he stay amusingly childish. The lightness of tone and seriousness of action -- e.g. Yondu's (Michael Rooker) lighthearted slaughter -- is occasionally jarring.
It's delightful, though, so have a story so much weirder and wilder than most of the MCU canon, a throwback to Silver Age psychedelia. It's entertaining as heck.