Guardians of the Galaxy

*This review will contain spoilers!*

I have a short attention span. I get bored and fidgety extremely easily. Because of this, watching films feels like running a marathon; tiring, irritating and I wish it would just end already. This means that I've had to install system when it comes to rating films and that is a running tally of how many times I think 'I am bored' or 'Please finish now' in the time period. 

For once, this tally ended on zero. 

I am extremely critical when it comes to films, particularly superhero films, but 'Guardians of the Galaxy' has something special that I can't quite put my finger on. Is it Chris Pratt, being equal parts hunky action hero and lovably awkward geek? Is it that the only piece of footage set on Earth occurs even before the iconic Marvel logo scrolls across the screen? Or is it the superhero duo of Rocket and Groot, the talking hybrid raccoon and the sentient tree-being who can only utter the same three words, "I am Groot"? I honestly don't know, but there is a spark in this film that means I'm already eager to see it again and my first showing only concluded just over three hours ago.

For a girl who pretty much despises films, this is mind-blowing. 

If you've been hiding under a rock for the last few months and have completely missed the hype surrounding this film, I'll give you a little bit of a back story. 'Guardians' follows the story of Peter Quill, a human who is abducted from Earth following the death of his mother, but this isn't a tale of a lost child attempting to get back home as the majority of the film is set twenty-six years later. Peter thrives in his new environment, stealing and dealing to gain money, but it's during the interrupted theft of an orb that all hell breaks loose. Thus causes the formation of the Guardians of the Galaxy (hence the film title) also containing Groot, Rocket, Gamora and Drax, who meet under extremely strenuous situations but form bonds that are both heart-warming and humorous.

I will admit there were times when my attention strayed, but that isn't a negative impression on the film, I'm just not that impressed by fight scenes (no matter how excellently executed they are) and the majority of the film is comprised of fighting, so this was the only issue I faced. Despite this my enjoyment of 'Guardians' was in no way lessened, because the hilarious dialogue combined with the easy to love characters made this a film that I will be recommending for years to come. 

Even better, it's appropriate for all audiences - yes, there is a fair amount of violence and some swearing (if you count a middle fingers and a "What the fu-" as swearing) but this film would still appeal so brilliantly to a younger audience as well as the intended, slightly older one. Kids will absolutely love Rocket and Groot (possibly even more than I do!) meaning that even if there is some slightly morally ambiguous content, as long as parents make sure to talk about it with their children afterwards, it will be perfect for a trip out for the whole family.  

There's one thing for sure; I'm going to be first in line when the sequel arrives. Even though that is three years away. In my opinion, most superhero flicks do not need a sequel. 'Thor 2: The Dark World' struggled and floundered when compared to the supremacy of the first film, 'The Amazing Spider-man 2' struggling with the same issues. But with the enigmatic commentary about Peter's father, coupled with the regrowth of Groot and the intrigue about who made Rocket, there are plenty of questions to be answered and a lot of different aspects that can be expanded upon. Three years away it might be, but I'm bloody excited.