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Guardians Of The Galaxy | 4.5/5

SINGAPORE — By all accounts, it shouldn’t work: A movie based on a somewhat obscure Marvel title, directed by a man known better for his low-budget films, and starring a “chubby” actor as the leading man and an action hero. But it’s a success — Guardians Of The Galaxy ranks as one of the best superhero movies yet.

The Guardians Of The Galaxy is imbued with fun and humour. Photo: Disney

The Guardians Of The Galaxy is imbued with fun and humour. Photo: Disney

SINGAPORE — By all accounts, it shouldn’t work: A movie based on a somewhat obscure Marvel title, directed by a man known better for his low-budget films, and starring a “chubby” actor as the leading man and an action hero. But it’s a success — Guardians Of The Galaxy ranks as one of the best superhero movies yet.

The newest in Marvel Studio’s movie franchises, Guardians is the first to take place predominantly in outer space. A ragtag group of oddballs — called the Guardians of the Galaxy — team up for various reasons (revenge, freedom, greed), all thanks to events triggered after Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) steals an orb that villain Ronan the Accuser (The Hobbit’s Lee Pace) also wants.

Star-Lord, a human abductee-turned-galactic smuggler, is the leader of the Guardians. Joining him are the ever-watchable Zoe Saldana (Gamora, “the deadliest woman in the universe”) and Dave Bautista, who turns in a commendable performance as Drax the Destroyer. Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel round off the team as the voice actors for Rocket (a murderous genetically-modified bounty hunter raccoon) and Groot (a sentient tree) respectively.

There’s just so much to enjoy about this film, and a lot of it is thanks to writer-director James Gunn (Slither, Super), who delivers a tightly-paced movie that’s full of wonder and excitement, and a lot of humour to boot.

The movie’s galaxy feels expansive and lived-in, whether it’s the polished city of Xandar, the Kyln prison or the city in a giant decapitated head, Knowhere. But what truly makes the movie work is that even with all the explosions, the characters remain the heart of the film.

It might take place in outer space, but the Guardians will have you cheering for them even though they don’t seem as heroic as, say, Captain America. Pratt — usually the bumbling sidekick — shows off his leading-man chops as he leads our heroes with a likable, roguish charm (think Han Solo meets Luke Skywalker).

There’s also an amazing supporting cast: Pace is joined by Doctor Who’s Karen Gillan and Djimon Hounsou as Ronan’s lackeys, while John C Reilly, Michael Rooker, Glenn Close and Benecio Del Toro add to the movie’s cred.

Fanboys will also be pleased with what Gunn has stuffed into the movie, from cameos to nods to previous Marvel movies and even the comic books — but never does it become purely for the fanboys.

While the odds were stacked against this movie from the start, Gunn has managed to take the usual loud, explosive summer blockbuster and imbue it with fun and humour to root for these “losers”.

Sure, the movie might not be Oscar bait, but what it does is harken back to the rollicking-good adventures we had in the ’80s with Indiana Jones and Back To The Future.

And yes, don’t forget to stay after the credits. Alvin Chong

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