Typical Denny, I say it's it's 8/10 and he goes out of his way to try and prove me wrong. (j/k Denny)
I finally saw this. Amazing movie, one of the best I've seen in a long time. It's a completely different aesthetic, but I enjoyed it in much the same way that I enjoyed the original Star Wars movies. The characters were surprisingly well-developed and likeable, the dialogue was fun and the humor was woven in skillfully, rather than being smirky and over-the-top which can land movies like this in the "bad spoof/parody" trash pile (not that this movie was made as a spoof or parody, but being heavy-handed with jokes can turn it into that). I'd give it a 10/10. I'll definitely see it again and am very much looking forward to the sequel.
I think the movie had to be really well done because the general public didn't know any of the characters. So the producers had to make it great for the industry to buy it and the general public to like it.
I almost never watch superhero movies and I had never heard of this comic book franchise. So I think they succeeded in making it a self-contained universe with everything you need to know explained as it goes, rather that needing to know anything about it going in. As far as I knew, it could have been a completely new intellectual property. Only after seeing it did a friend tell me that the universe this takes place in is the same universe that all the other Marvel comics take place in and that Thanos is the big bad in The Avengers too, or something. I'm hopeful, though, that other Marvel franchises won't cross over into any sequels. I think it works brilliantly on its own.
I think you're going to be disappointed. There are common themes/items (trying not to spoil anything) in Guardians as well as Avengers/Thor/Captain America. I think that will continue into Avengers 2, Guardians 2 and then lead to a major crossover of the 2. I could be wrong (I'm no comic book expert), but from things I've read/watched, it seems to be headed that way.
Well, I hope you're wrong (or that I'm wrong in thinking that it would be detrimental) but the sequel is still three years off, apparently, so a third movie is probably around 6 years off. So, at worst, I won't be disappointed for quite a while! I did just read an article about GotG 2 and apparently Thanos won't be a major part of it, nor will he be a major part of Avengers 2. But everyone expects that he will eventually be a focus, so that might also point to a third film in which he's the main objective for both franchises. But maybe that'll be Avengers 3 and not GotG 3.
For what it's worth I agree with porkchop, but I don't think it will be bad for the marvel movies franchise. Sure throwing that many personalities on the screen is often a recipe for disaster, but if anyone can do it then I think this set of writers and directors can. Word on the street is that thanos will play his first big part in avengers 3. The makers of gotg really pushed for thanos, they wanted him to be the bad guy in this film however the marvel head haunchos didn't want that. They had to settle with the short cameo that thanos got in the film. Edit: The thing about thanos is that he will likely mark the end of the last "phase" The movies before guardians were phase 1. Phase 2 started with the newest captain america (iirc) and includes avengers 2. Phase 3 is probably the uniting of forces, although only they know. I think it's genius that they have this shit staged out.
Saw it August 9th. Liked it. Seemed more like a set up for a great sequel which I will definitely go to.
Phase 2 so far is Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Cap 2, and Guardians (replacing Hulk's movie slot from Phase 1). The Avengers movies mark the end of each Phase.
GOTG is #1 again this weekend, after being 2nd to TMNT for two weeks. Looking at the wide release schedule, it might just stay #1 well into September. I don't know why I'm rooting so hard for this movie, but it really feels like the Little Engine that Could.
I know right? I sound like a lunatic. But GOTG was a creative risk they took and it paid off, and it's that I'm cheering for.
I was just teasing. I agree with you and I think it could be fair to call the director, James Gunn, something of an underdog in this context, since he wasn't exactly a marquee director. It was a big risk to give him creative control and it's paid off handsomely.
