GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Marvel take a risk in adapting one of their lesser known comics, Guardians of the Galaxy (12A), for the big screen. Bringing us five brand new superheroes to love with a whole new universe to protect, do the Guardians live up to the previous Marvel successes?

Set in space, five misfit criminals unite together to protect the galaxy when they realise that the villainous Ronan (Lee Pace) intends to destroy it once he gets hold of a powerful orb. Together wise-cracking, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Ronan's former prisoner Gamora (Zoe Saldana), vengeful convict Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), and his tree sidekick Groot (Vin Diesel) must do everything that it takes to ensure the safety of the galaxy and its inhabitants.

There was much apprehension when it was revealed that Guardians of the Galaxy was to be Marvel's next big adaptation;
 in a world with Spider-Man, the Hulk, Iron Man, and Wolverine (to name a few) there was doubt if Marvel's most unknown comic book characters would be up to scratch. Despite this, Guardians of the Galaxy ends up being a pleasant surprise from start to finish in one of the funniest and most entertaining Marvel movies to date.
With all that has been said, the film could have lacked in characters, cast, and storyline and still been an amazing watch due to the flawless and mesmerizing visuals. Setting the film in space really opens the door to some mind-blowing graphics which Marvel and director James Gunn did not do by half; the galaxy truly comes to life and is fascinating to watch with the 3D effects enhancing an already beautiful backdrop as well as throwing you into the midst of the action.
Love,

Set to the soundtrack of a 1970s-80s mix tape, the film consistently oozes with tongue-in-cheek charm with a constant self-aware humour that balances out the sometimes-cheesy superhero conventions to create a smart, cheeky and well-rounded summer blockbuster without scuppering on the comic book tone.

The five characters that make up the Guardians are a refreshing change to the usual superhero line-up. All five have their own personal motives and are mostly carrying out the mission with the hope of a personal gain. Instead of being the usual savvy heroes who want to spread goodness and make the world a better place, the Guardians are incredibly flawed; they are selfish, self-motivated, gritty and a little bit stupid... And this is exactly what makes them so lovable and the storyline so enjoyable- they just seem real and this ensures that the plot isn't just another recycled comic book plot that we have already seen dozens of times before.

The strong mix of characters are greatly aided by the strong cast that bring them to life; although far from the usual A-List that you may expect from Marvel, the cast are second to none with leading man Chris Pratt especially excelling in the role of Peter Quill. It is sometimes difficult to pull of a character that is constantly cracking jokes and goofing around without making the film look as though it is desperate to be funny, however Pratt brings a charisma to the character that makes the wise-cracking appear genuine and the vast majority of his plentiful one-liners incited big laughs from the audience with none falling flat and, most importantly, never getting tiresome.

Overall, it is clear to see that all of the apprehension that followed the film's announcement was completely misguided and there were no better men for the job than James Gunn and Chris Pratt as together they pave the way for the most dynamic and original superheroes to date. The combination of a great cast, amazing visuals, strong characters and a brilliant, consistently hilarious script together creates what can only be described as the summer blockbuster of 2014!

Guardians of the Galaxy is in UK cinemas from July 31st!

★★★★★

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10 Exciting Films Still To Come in 2014...

We are only four months into 2014 but it has already shaped up to be a pretty memorable year for film. With the likes of The Wolf of Wall Street, Dallas Buyers Club, Noah and Divergent already done and dusted, you'd be forgiven for thinking that 2014 cinema has peaked already. However, you would be wrong - and here I have 10 exciting films that 2014 is yet to bring....

Cheer up Tobey

1. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Release Date: April 18th
Not long to go now! Peter Parker fans have been excited for the second installment of Marc Webb's take on the Marvel comic ever since the first film in 2012. Andrew Garfield continues to replace Tobey Maguire as everybody's favourite insect-based superhero in a film that promises to remain as faithful as possible to the original comic book story, thumbs up all round!

2. Maleficent
Release Date: May 28th
If you are anything like  me you will feel like you have been waiting for Angelina Jolie's portrayal of Disney baddie, Maleficent, forever. Telling the story of Sleeping Beauty from the villain's point of view, Maleficent will reveal what it was that made her so cold-hearted and why she cursed Princess Aurora. One thing is for sure, Maleficent will be visually stunning and bring out the child in even the hardest of adults. 

3. Jersey Boys
Release Date: June 20th
This may be mildly exclusive to me due to my absolute love of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, but as somebody who simply can not afford to go and see the West End production of Jersey Boys every single week, the prospect of it being a film is overwhelming. Even if you think that you don't know who The Four Seasons are think again and give the film a chance; you will be surprised to discover just how many of their songs that you know and you will be dancing and singing along in no time!

Love you, Eddie

4. Jupiter Ascending
Release Date: July 25th
An interesting sci-fi adventure that stars Mila Kunis as Jupiter Jones, a young woman who is targeted for assassination by the Queen of the Universe (nice job title!) and consequently realises her destiny to end the Queen's reign. It unarguably sounds like a great story, but did I mention that Eddie Redmayne is also in the film? Because that sealed the deal for me. 

5. Guardians of the Galaxy
Release Date: August 1st
Another Marvel film but this time on the lesser known Guardians of the Galaxy. I am just sold on the concept that each of the guardians have their own flaws but together they discover their greater mission. There is also the presence of Rocket Raccoon and Groot, animated characters that are voiced by Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel respectively, who serve as just one example of the CGI and special effects spectacle that this film is set to be!

6. The Inbetweeners 2
Release Date: August 6th

Do you really need a reason? Do you really?! After the success of The Inbetweeners television show and their first film back in 2011, it is about time that Will, Simon, Neil and Jay reunited for some more laughs, chaos and many, many awkward situations.

7. Sin City: A Dame To Kill For
Release Date: August 29th
Even if it wasn't a sequel to the brilliant 2005 film Sin City, the star-studded cast would be enough to lure in the most cynical of spectators. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Juno Temple, and Bruce Willis are just a few of the names to top the list, alongside a surprise cameo from none other than Lady Gaga. Whether the film is good or not (it will be), watching it is certain to at least be an experience.

Blurred-Lines-Girl

8. Gone Girl
Release Date: October 3rd
Gone Girl was the book of 2013; everywhere you looked people seemed to be reading it and even those who weren't reading it seemed to be talking about the global bestseller. Neil Patrick Harris is set to make his  first serious film debut since.... God knows when, and the 'Stunning-Blurred-Lines-Girl', aka Emily Ratajkowski, will also be featuring as Andie Hardy. 




9.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
Release Date: November 21st
I have said it before and I will say it again, for me Mockingjay is the weak link of The Hunger Games book trilogy. Especially the first half of it. And especially the ending. That is why I was so surprised that of the three books it was Mockingjay that got split into two films. Saying that, I am still heavily invested in Panem and the lives of Katniss and Peeta and nothing will stop me from seeing how this film plays out on the big screen. Although frustrating we will then have to wait another year before we see the final chapter, the hope that director Francis Lawrence will change the book's ending is enough to see me through.




10. Unbroken
Release Date: December 26th
Angelina Jolie is allegedly staying firmly behind the camera as she directs this true life story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who was taken prisoner by the Japanese in World War II. With rising star Jack O'Connell starring as Zamperini there is no doubt that this will be one of the most emotional and powerful films of the year!




Special Mention: Madame Bovary
Release Date: WHO KNOWS?!
There has been a Madame-Bovary-Shaped thorn in my side ever since I got excited about the film adaptation, starring Ezra Miller, back when it was announced in 2012. Originally billed for release in 2013, the year came and went and no cheating Doctor's wife was to be found. Now it is apparently going to be released in 2014 but with no production news, no set date, or even month, I remain apprehensive. Fingers crossed for a release this year - how much longer are we expected to wait?!

Where are you, Ezra? We miss you.

So there we have it! Alongside the 10 films mentioned above there are a multitude of other great pieces of cinema set to come before the year is out. Keep an eye out on my blog and Twitter page for updates and reviews on all the films mentioned, and then some!

Love,