Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser. imdb

I LOVED this film.

Half way through it part of my brain was silently yelling ‘Yeehar!’ while the other half was saying ‘we sooo have to see this again’. I told them both to be quiet so I didn’t miss anything – but wow. Just wow!

It has everything I wish for in a space opera  – from completely seamless CGI to a sassy hero/bad boy who (like Captain Mal from Firefly) is a bit of a nerd. Ten minutes in I had forgotten there was a green screen and wanted to meet Rocket the raccoon and Groot the tree. Some time later I thought I saw Nathan Fillion (Captain Mal) and I was right! He cameos as a blue alien that tangles with Groot.

I could not keep the stupid grin off my face, even without the snappy one-liners that peppered the dialogue.

Then there is the soundtrack, or rather ‘Awesome Mix #1’. Our daughter, who works for a large sound and vision store commonly found in shopping malls, says they cannot keep stock on the shelves. The staff know when a movie session has ended because there is a stream of people coming into the store to buy it. Only to discover that the new restock has already sold out.

It is packed with the sort of  ‘70s and early ‘80s music that you wouldn’t admit to liking but you have hidden on your iPod – but that is all about to change. Even the Pina Colada song seems somehow cool now. No, really. As for Cherry Bomb, Hooked on a Feeling and I Want you Back – clear the dance floor! Our introduction to the adult Peter Quill is him, plugged into his Walkman (a prehistoric iPod for any young folk), dancing by himself on a deserted planet.

He is played by Chris Pratt but this is not the Pratt of Parks and Recreation, this is a Marvel Universe Pratt – fully ripped and totally spaceworthy. He would need to be to keep up with Zoe Saldana’s deadly assassin, who just gets better as the film goes on. Bradley Cooper voices Rocket like he was born to it and Vin Diesel gets lots of emotion (Vin Diesel?) out of just three words – ‘I am Groot’. These two have the most wonderful Han Solo/ Chewbacca vibe.

But that is just the tip of a stellar cast.

Well-known wrestler Dave Bautista is a revelation as Drax. He more than ‘the muscle’, he starts humourless and angry but is asked to grow emotionally as the film unfolds and he achieves this well.  It is like seeing Data and Mr. Worf melded together, growing a funny bone and tear ducts.

I did not know Lee Pace (Thranduil in The Hobbit) or Karen Gillan (light years from Amy Pond!!) were in the cast  – trust me, you won’t recognise them but you will love to dislike them. I must say Merle (from The Walking Dead) makes a good blue alien and Djimon Hounsou rocks blue eyes and augmentations. Gilmore Girls fans watch out for Sean Gunn (Kirk), who is also the director’s brother. The presence of Glenn Close and John C. Reilly in small roles says sequel to me (yay). Look for the sneaky look she gives at the end of the film.

So to the director – James Gunn – mostly known as a writer (Scooby Doo, Dawn of the Dead) and B grade film director for Troma studios, he has made some, erm, interesting choices (pilot for a TV show called Humanzee). With this he not only joins the big league, he pretty much busts their toys and yells at them. Better than the big league, he has joined Phase II of Marvel Studios bid for world domination.

That he comes across in interviews as a sanctimonious, nerdy git can almost be forgiven.

In the end though, none of this matters. Films are meant to entertain. They stand or fall on whether you enjoy them. I enjoyed this greatly – and so did my non sci-fi husband, who wanted to buy tickets to another session straightaway.