'The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part' Review

Synopsis: The citizens of Bricksburg face a dangerous new threat when LEGO DUPLO invaders from outer space start to wreck everything in their path. The battle to defeat the enemy and restore harmony to the LEGO universe takes Emmet, Lucy, Batman, and the rest of their friends to far away, unexplored worlds that test their courage and creativity.

Runtime: 106 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG (for some rude humor)

Who should see it? Appropriate for all ages.

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part may have one of the most redundant subtitles ever, but thankfully The LEGO Movie 2 is nowhere near being an unnecessary sequel. Since Phil Lord and Chris Miller were preoccupied producing Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and *sigh* developing Solo: A Star Wars Story before leaving the project late in production due to creative differences, Mike Mitchell's wound up in the director's chair. It's undoubtedly an unenviable task to build a better sequel considering everyone's unexpected obsession with The LEGO Movie, but Mitchell leans into Lord and Miller's frenetic style that made the original so beloved. However, Lord and Miller are still solely responsible for the sequel's screenplay while Matthew Fogel lent the duo a hand constructing the story.

Picking up right where The LEGO Movie left off, audiences are treated to an opening sequence of the DUPLO destruction teased in the original's ending. After a five year time jump (mirroring the distance between The LEGO Movie 2 and its predecessor), viewers discover that Bricksburg has become a Mad Max: Fury Road-esque apocalyptic wasteland in the wake of said mayhem. Consequently, every citizen of Bricksburg is now edgy and battle-hardened, paralleling the newfound teenage angst of their owner Finn, except for Emmet... Emmet still has the cheery, naive disposition audiences will remember from the last movie, so Lucy asks him to change with the times, believing a tough exterior is the only way to survive in their world. When Lucy and co. are kidnapped, this all sets Emmet's arc into gear.

Also voiced by Chris Pratt, Rex Dangervest enters the picture as an amalgamation of Pratt's live action roles and a fascinating foil to Emmet. Dangervest is the prime example of a hyper-masculine tough hero Lucy wants Emmet to be. Now, EVERYTHING I've mentioned thus far is showcased prominently in the trailers, but I thought it ought to be regurgitated before I continue. I'm about to touch on story elements which could be considered somewhat spoilery, but I can assure you these are things you will quickly pick up on in the first fifteen minutes or maybe have already gleaned from the trailers. They aren't bombshell revelations in the slightest, but if you're sensitive to knowing story information beforehand, I figured I'd give you the courtesy of a warning so you can click away and come back once you've seen The LEGO Movie 2. With that said, the sequel's thematic material is a progression of the original's message to be yourself. This time around, it's more about staying true to yourself and not compromising your identity when growing up. Additionally, The Second Part trades in the parental-child dynamic for an allegory about sibling relationships.

Coexistence is key, and as someone with three younger sisters, I relate to the depicted central struggle between siblings. I've witnessed many overblown misunderstandings firsthand where both sides were well-intentioned. This fits together nicely with the arc mentioned above. Maturing doesn't mean you have to ditch the compassion in favor of cynicism. There's room for skepticism, but also a healthy dose of optimism. It's up to us to find the balance. 

Lord and Miller haven't abandoned the witty meta-humor that popularized the first though. From the get-go, they satirize the concept of darker sequels by offering the antithesis and poking fun at the notion in their dialogue. The LEGO Movie 2 often delves into self-parody by becoming a full-blown cheery musical. If you thought "Everything is Awesome" was an obnoxious ear-worm, you better prepare for a soundtrack filled with upbeat, original pop-tunes (I promise there's a narrative purpose). "Catchy Song" in particular delivers on the promise of its lyrics and WILL get stuck in your head for a while. The music may alienate viewers who perceive it as annoying, but I found the lyrics in most songs to be utterly hysterical. On that note, there's not a post-credits scene, but stick around during the first part of the credits and just listen carefully to the song playing over the credits. Trust me, you won't regret it.

Otherwise, the animation offers plenty of sensational spectacle. In addition to improving on the LEGO animation style, the animators ensure the sequel's more colorful, dynamic, and eye-catching than the original. There's extraordinary attention to detail in the mini-figure's restrictive movement and the reflection of light off the brick-built people which enhances the authenticity of the animation. Regarding the music, Jon Lajoie's responsible for the aforementioned original songs while Mark Mothersbaugh's score serves as an excellent accompaniment to the whole ordeal.

As I previously mentioned, Chris Pratt voices both Emmet and Rex Dangervest, effectively differentiating the two while often bantering back-and-forth with himself. In the meantime, Elizabeth Banks lends Lucy an abundance of spunk to further downplay the character's insecurities. Pratt and Banks once again have a wonderful on-screen dynamic. 

Reprising their roles, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, and Nick Offerman click into the grand picture as quality comic relief, playing Batman, Unikitty, Benny, and Metal Beard respectively. Joining the cast, Stephanie Beatriz's General Mayhem and Tiffany Hadish's Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi prove to be exciting additions. As a fan of The Florida Project, I was also VERY delighted to see Brooklynn Prince show up in the live action segments as Finn's younger sister Bianca. Acting alongside her are Jadon Sand, Will Ferrell and fellow franchise newcomer Maya Rudolph.

Though it may not be quite as groundbreaking as the original due to some convoluted plot contrivances, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part is a well-constructed sequel with plenty of heart, meta-humor, and exquisite eye-candy!

Film Assessment: A-

Recollection Reflection Review: 'The LEGO Movie'

It's been a while since I last reviewed a non-recent film release, but I wanted to revisit The LEGO Movie before I discuss The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part later this week. The reasoning behind this is that the sequel releases this weekend and the first review I ever shared here was for The LEGO Movie almost five years ago (we're days away from that anniversary where I'll share a 5th-year-anniversary post). In other news, I saw The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part at an advanced screening and hoped to complete and share my review Wednesday, but I may wind up seeing it a second time tonight and just wait till Friday. It really depends on when I finish writing this review.

'The LEGO Movie' Review

Nominated for: Best Original Song "Everything is Awesome."

Recollection- The LEGO Movie Review.

Reflection- I can recall seeing The LEGO Movie with especially low expectations because I figured it would be a feature-length advertisement for LEGOs, but being pleasantly surprised to discover an excellent animated feature brimming with heart, humor, and creativity. My opinion of it honestly hasn't changed much since I first saw it almost five years ago, but I'm excited to share a more in-depth review this time around.

Review-

Synopsis: An ordinary LEGO construction worker, thought to be prophesied as "The Special," is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the LEGO universe into eternal stasis.

Runtime: 100 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG (for mild action and rude humor)

Who should see it? Appropriate for all ages.

Co-written and co-directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, The LEGO Movie is the third feature from the writer-director duo and one of the most unique animated films to emerge in recent years. Moving at a breakneck pace, the brick-built flick is a remarkably kinetic, witty, and self-aware feature that encapsulates the core concept of LEGO better than a commercial ever could. However, the film takes on a much deeper meaning when the central conflict is revealed as an allegory for a struggle between father and son. Rewatching it with that perspective actually reveals layers-upon-layers of subtext about conformity vs. expressive individuality. However, it's very encouraging that a movie about toys which include an instruction manual is endorsing kids to be creative, and more importantly, be themselves.

Lord and Miller take the stock out of Chosen One prophecies by revealing no one in the film to be THE special because everyone is special in their own unique way. What makes you you is what makes you special, and sometimes a simple heart-to-heart conversation is all it takes to cultivate change. Everyone has the potential to be great and the capacity to make a difference in their home life, community, or even the world at large. All that's required of them is self-acceptance and initiative. With the proper motivation, anyone can complete a journey of self-discovery that will maximize their potential and ultimately make the world a better place. Cynics can criticize that optimistic perspective all they'd like, but it doesn't make the message any less meaningful because there's no harm in being yourself.

Stepping down from my soapbox, I must applaud the animators for materializing a brick-built world that's true to the brand. I've said it before, but I'll say it again... The animators captured the stilted, restricted movement of LEGOs so authentically that I often forget The LEGO Movie isn't a stop-motion production while watching it. Additionally, it all takes place within the imaginative mind of a child, so I love the little storytelling flourishes like the casual mixture of various IPs, the incorporation of common household products as mythic objects, and all the lasers, blasters, and weaponry going "pew pew" whenever fired. Each of these subtle details foreshadows the big twist in addition to giving that reveal much more credence. They're nice touches which flesh out the world in a fun, idiosyncratic way. 

As for the stacked voice cast, everyone constructs a memorable min-fig from the pieces of Lord and Miller's script. Chris Pratt provides the ideal excess of optimism and naivety required for the role of Emmet while also selling the character's self-doubt. Opposite Pratt, Elizabeth Banks' Wyldstyle (Lucy) is the sidekick who's clearly a more qualified hero. Banks strikes a wonderful balance juxtaposing Lucy's go-getter attitude with her underlying insecurities. Of course, I'll also never pass a chance to hear Morgan Freeman's voice share sagely wisdom through the mini-fig form of Vitruvius. Amongst the ensemble, Alison Brie's bipolar Unikitty, Charlie Day's space-ship obsessed Benny, and Nick Offerman's swashbuckling body-less pirate captain Metal Beard each serve as effective comic relief.

If there's a stand-out of the bunch though, it's undoubtedly Will Arnett's LEGO Batman. Arnett's narcissistic, self-serious take on the Dark Knight is legitimately a stroke of satirical comedic genius. Listening to him brag about his edginess will never cease to make me chuckle. It's no wonder he was the first to get a LEGO Movie spin-off!

Meanwhile, Will Ferrell delightfully chews the scenery as the megalomaniac Lord Business and even explores a more nuanced side to the character towards the film's conclusion. Serving as dual-personality law-enforcement, Liam Neeson quite literally spins his head around between voicing Good Cop and Bad Cop which remains an utter treat.

With plenty of heart, humor, and worthwhile messages to impart, The LEGO Movie proved itself to be much more than an hour and forty-one minutes of product placement. Impeccable animation, a charming voice-cast, distinct direction, and a smart script all worked in tandem to build a solid franchise foundation that likely won't get knocked down any time soon. After all this time, I'm happy to report that everything in The LEGO Movie is still awesome!!!

Film Assessment: A

'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' Review

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom proceeds three years after the incident at Jurassic World which caused the park to close down. Dinosaurs roam free on Isla Nublar, but Owen Grady and Claire Dearing must return to the island to save the remaining dinosaurs from an extinction level event and relocate them to a sanctuary when the island's dormant volcano becomes active. Along the way, a conspiracy is discovered that threatens to disrupt the Earth's natural order.

The adjustment that most excited me about Fallen Kingdom was the switch-up of directors behind the camera, with Colin Trevorrow handing the franchise baton off to J.A. Bayona for this fifth installment. Though I enjoyed Jurassic World, the 2015 rebootquel lacked Trevorrow's directorial voice and was seemingly genetically engineered by Universal Studios to rake in all the dough (wound up grossing $1.6 B worldwide and currently is the fifth highest grossing motion picture of all time). On top of that, I haven't whole-heartingly loved a Jurassic film since the original, so I was really hoping Fallen Kingdom might rectify that and reinvigorate my interest in the series. After seeing Bayona's work in A Monster Calls, my anticipation then went through the roof though because that flick showcased his sensibilities and skill as a filmmaker who could tell emotional, character-driven stories with striking visuals. 

Fortunately, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom does the same whenever the suspense-driven blockbuster is at its best. Viewers are in for a treat anytime Bayona and his longtime collaborative cinematographer, Oscar Faura, get a chance to play around with suspenseful scenery. The third act is full of gothic horror-esque imagery that will have your spine tingling as you venture closer and closer to the edge of your seat and your heart sinks further and further to the bottom of your chest. It's probably the first film in the franchise since Jurassic Park to feature such inventive uses for the dinosaurs as devices of horror, and it's all thanks to Bayona's brilliant work behind the camera. Those key sequences work wonders for the film as a whole, truly elevating the more lackluster elements which I'll discuss in a second.

Also, be prepared to bear witness to the best opening the franchise has seen in quite some time. It's tense, riveting, and an utter delight that harkens back to the days when Spielberg was at the helm. I only wish Bayona had been given more control over the story so he'd have the opportunity to make more sequences like it...

However, there are some caveats I should probably mention... As skilled of a director as Bayona may be, there was nothing he could have done to salvage the atrocious script he had to work with. Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly were the only writers to stick around after Jurassic World and it's abundantly clear that they had ideas for the third installment which they actively wanted to set up here. Fallen Kingdom unfortunately falls prey to the reoccurring trend in which a franchise focuses on the future rather than telling a solid standalone story (I'd cite The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Pacific Rim: Uprising as prime examples of this trend). Laying the groundwork for a sequel is fine so long as it doesn't take precedence over the story at hand, but Fallen Kingdom is much more concerned with getting to Point B that Trevorrow and Connolly didn't seem to care how they got there. Therefore, logic is thrown out the window and there are retcons galore to ensure the writers reach their destination.

Fallen Kingdom borrows plenty of plot beats from its prehistoric predecessors, but it takes from The Lost World: Jurassic Park most egregiously. The first hour or so veers very closely in the direction of blatantly ripping it off altogether. As a result of all this, Fallen Kingdom is probably one of the more infuriating entries in the franchise. It's a film that's very confused for so many reasons. It wants to paint a picture of dinosaurs as creatures who deserve to be preserved and protected, but simultaneously shows them to be rampaging murderous beasts who are incredibly dangerous. This establishes an interesting debate in regards to whether humanity should be responsible for these animals almost immediately, but Trevorrow and Connolly hardly scratch the surface of that idea despite bringing it up fairly often. There's simply no nuance to the discussion because their script doesn't give the characters much opportunity to sit down and discuss the issue. Besides that, the pacing and narrative flow feels ridiculously jumbled as everyone seems to be in a hurry to reach the closing credits in spite of having two hours and eight minutes to do so.

While the script may be messy, Bayona still sets aside enough time for some truly beatuiful moments which serve as sweet, subtle homages to the beloved original. Most memorable of these was a scene involving a brachiosaurus (you'll know exactly what it is once you see it). From a visual standpoint, Fallen Kingdom is a substantial improvement over Jurassic World's flat aesthetic with spellbinding cinematography from Oscar Faura and a better blend of practical and digital effects which are quite convincing. Meanwhile, Michael Giachinno's score is a swell accompaniment for the onscreen insanity, although not nearly as memorable as any of John Williams' legendary work in the first two.

In regards to performances, Chris Pratt continues to be the charming movie star whom studios can always count on. It doesn't seem like Owen Grady is a challenging role for him whatsoever, but Pratt portrays him well thanks to stellar comedic timing and his perky personality simply lends itself well to the character. He's mostly just playing an extension of himself, but I wouldn't say that's a bad thing since Pratt's a guy who seems fun to be around.

Returning opposite Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard's Claire Dearing has drastically improved her choice in dino-park footwear (no high heels to be found this time around) and has a more active role in the action than her administrative position last time. Here, Howard seems to have more personality as Claire in addition to more believable chemistry with Pratt, both of which were somewhat lacking in Jurassic World. Newcomers Justice Smith and Daniella Pineda play animal rights activists Franklin Webb and Zia Rodriguez, but both prove to be little more than plot devices in the grand scheme of things. Franklin, in particular, is an incredibly obnoxious character who seemed unnecessary because all he did was hack things and scream really loud anytime they saw a dinosaur. He's basically the token hacker that all blockbusters have these days and just might be the most annoying character in the franchise thus far...

Isabella Sermon has a peculiar role as Maisie Lockwood because her character is relegated to her grandfather's mansion so she can snoop around and gather intel for herself and the audience to understand exactly what's going one. There's one twist involving her character that I found to be really strange because it serves almost no purpose towards the story at hand. It simply left me scratching my head in response. In relation to her, James Cromwell is introduced as Benjamin Lockwood and does a fine job as the kindred old man somewhat akin to John Hammond. 

As for baddies, Fallen Kingdom's got little more than generic corporate types up its sleeve. Rafe Spall, Toby Jones, and BD Wong are a greedy businessman, auctioneer, and familiar mad scientist respectively. These archetypes are nothing new for the franchise, but the actors each gleefully chew up the scenery with their cartoonish characters. 

If you're going to see Fallen Kingdom in hopes of seeing a solid supporting role for Jeff Goldblum, you're going to be woefully disappointed as the actor is totally wasted in a glorified cameo. He's probably in that Jeep ad which aired at Super Bowl more than he is in this movie, and about 90% of his screentime has already seeped into the trailers. 

My feelings towards Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom are complicated to say the least. Despite everything J.A. Bayona was able to accomplish which made me love Fallen Kingdom more than its predecessor, there were many components that I absolutely hated and lead me towards a middle-of-the-road opinion when reflecting on this fifth series entry. Regardless of my growing indifference towards these sequels, I still can't quite justify the franchise's extinction since I'm admittedly interested in seeing where the next one goes from here. Here's hoping Trevorrow steps up his game...

Film Assessment: C+

'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' Review

Nominated For: Best Visual Effects.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 commences shortly after the events of Guardians of the Galaxy as our heroes are tasked by an alien race of supremacists, the Sovereign, to guard some big ticket batteries from a ferocious beast known as the Abilisk. The Guardians defeat the monster, receive their bounty, and are on their way. At least till they discover Rocket snatched a few of the batteries and the Sovereign are hot in pursuit. After a series of events I won't go into, the group stumble across Peter's father and Quill begins to learn the truth behind his ancestry. I won't delve into any further plot details because that sums up the first fifteen/twenty minutes of the movie, which is almost everything that's been showcased in the marketing material.

James Gunn returns to write and direct Vol. 2, taking the unconventional sequel approach by providing meaningful character exploration as opposed to substantial spectacle. If the first was about bringing the team together, this installment's more about fleshing out the dysfunctional family. The characters you've come to adore are back and the team dynamic is as enjoyable as ever, but I found it interesting how Gunn paired characters we hadn't really seen together and utilized those respective dynamics to bring out their subsequent backstories. 

One example being the role reversal between Rocket and Groot. Where Groot was Rocket's muscle in the first, this time it's the opposite as Rocket (and the team to some extent) really have to watch out for Baby Groot seeing as he's just a little sapling. While this may not be one of the new pairings, it's something familiar that feels fresh thanks to the spin Gunn employs. Of course Gunn has more hilarious zingers up his sleeve and just about every scene featuring Baby Groot had me laughing my head off, one in particular left me chuckling for a good minute or two. I was most impressed that Gunn and his crew didn't exploit Baby Groot to be the sole provider of the film's levity or charm like I was expecting. 

Every character has their time to shine with a few stepping up to the plate as standouts I didn't see coming. The story of Vol. 2 navigates plenty of surprise twists and turns and creeps up with some intensely emotional moments that certainly had me welling up unexpectedly. Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of Vol. 2 though was that the story being told was never compromised to set-up another Marvel entry down the line. If you're hoping for some Avengers: Infinity War groundwork to be laid, you're going to be woefully disappointed. However, the traditional Stan Lee cameo arises with some insane implications for those of you who read Marvel comics and there are five post-credits scenes so you know the drill, stick around till the screen fades to black one last time. 

The cinematography captures the neon-florescent aesthetic to paint a breathtaking backdrop composed of hauntingly marvelous hair and makeup, professional production design, and vibrant visual effects. The tracks wound in the Awesome Mix Vol. 2 cassette tape and Tyler Bates' sensational score play just as well as the tunes featured in Vol. 1 and Bates'  prior compositions. There's a fair share of toe tappers on the mix tape like "Mr. Blue Sky," "Fox on the Run," and "The Chain" and Bates' "Dad" is epic and emotional, making the ideal accompaniment to the film's third act showdown. 

The enlightened ensemble returns and successfully elevate everything you came to love about their prior portrayals. Chris Pratt brings the star power to Peter Quill, projecting the guise of a confident criminal with an underlying tenderness. Kurt Russell... Well... He does his Kurt Russell thing... I don't want to really talk about him to stray from spoiling anything about his character but Russell's Ego the Living Planet is as charming as you'd expect Kurt Russell playing a humanized planet could possibly be so you see where Peter gets it from. Zoe Saldana and Karen Gillan have far more to do this time around with the sisterhood between Gamora and Nebula further explored. Both actresses prove up to the task of kicking butt, taking names, and occasionally wearing their hearts on their sleeves. 

Dave Bautista's Drax lets out his hearty chuckle and some self serious one-liners that bode well when juxtaposed with the naive nature of Pom Klementieff's Mantis. Their interaction is incredibly amusing because neither characters truly grasp social norms, leading to the film's funniest moments. 

As for the rest of the crew, Bradley Cooper imparts all the sardonic sarcasm to Rocket you can possibly imagine and Vin Diesel projects a soft-spoken sapling as Baby Groot that's absolutely adorable. Gunn's brother Sean Gunn not only lent himself to Rocket Raccoon's motion capture portrayal but returns as the Ravenger Kraglin and served as an amusing source of comedic relief in a larger capacity. It was also awesome to see Sylvester Stallone pop up in a minuscule supporting capacity that shows promise for future outings. Elizabeth Debicki's Ayesha and her Sovereign race were more a nuisance than actual threat as supposed antagonists and Chris Sullivan's Taserface is as big a joke as you'd imagine someone with that name to be. 

The surprise standout though was undoubtedly Michael Rooker as Yondu. Rooker's performance puts forth more of Yondu's heart and explains the gruff, hardened exterior with such a delicate balance between the two that plays out beautifully in the film's conclusion.

I'm sure it will be a source of contention to decide whether Vol. 2 reached the heights of its predecessor but I personally enjoyed it more. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a blast! Vol. 2 amplifies everything you loved about the first; the characters, the sights, the sounds, and most importantly, the story. Vol. 2 rocks and rolls its way into your heart with the cheeky charm and ostentatious enjoyment of the original, deepening your love and appreciation for these characters along the way.

Film Assessment: A-

Recollection Reflection Review: 'Guardians of the Galaxy'

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is nearly upon us and while I won't have a review for that installment up till later this week, I figured this would be an appropriate time to revisit the original. Keep in mind this review will be include some spoilers though considering it's been nearly three years since the film's release. The review's a bit long but I promise it's a significant improvement over my last attempt.

'Guardians of the Galaxy' Review

Nominated for: Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Recollection- Guardians of the Galaxy Review

Reflection- I remember around Guardians of the Galaxy's initial release when it was predicted to be Marvel's first flop yet caught the world unawares, bursting onto the scene and becoming an instant pop culture phenomenon! I love the first Guardians but I'm admittedly not over-the-moon on it as many other people I know seeing as it's not quite my favorite MCU film (read more about this at my most recent Marvel Cinematic Universe Ranking). That's one of the reasons I thought it would be fun to revisit this one on-top of the fact I reviewed it back in 2014 when I was relatively new to blogging. Really, the most interesting part of these Triple-R Reviews, as I like to call them, is that I can show how much I've improved and grown as a writer and critic. I plan on introducing other new review formats soon that will be more akin to short essays on behalf of a detested film and against ones I consider over-rated.

Review- Guardians of the Galaxy opens in the year 1988 as a young Peter Quill must watch his terminally-ill mother pass away and is immediately abducted by a crew of space pirates known as Ravengers. Fast-forward to 2014, Quill now goes by the monicker Star-Lord and has stolen an ancient intergalactic artifact resembling an orb for an intermediary broker. Quill soon discovers about half the galaxy wants the orb, including the militant Kree fanatic Ronan the Accuser, and winds up working alongside a rag-tag group of misfits to save the galaxy when the orb ends up in the wrong hands.

Guardians of the Galaxy was something no-one expected to succeed, making it all the more exciting when it was launched to interstellar heights at the box office for a property practically no-one was familiar with. For starters, the team included a talking raccoon and a tree whose vocabulary consists of the three words "I am Groot." Writer-director James Gunn had to sell audiences on these obscure characters if he was going to pull this off, and fortunately he did. Gunn understands that these characters are weird and kinda messed up but finds touches of humanity within them all so that these characters can not only be likable but relatable. Gunn succeeded in spades on delivering Marvel's most outlandish property yet by trusting in the unconventional nature of the cosmic characters.

The script penned by Gunn and co-writer Nicole Perlman focused first and foremost on bringing out character and succeeded in making the most of a roguish outlaw, an assassin, a vengeful maniac, a smart-aleck raccoon, and a walking, talking tree. Every character has his or her own arc that plays out beautifully, the only flaw lies in Ronan the Accuser coming across as yet another forgettable baddie. However, I must credit the duo for crafting heaps and heaps of quirky quips and hysterical one-liners, resulting in Marvel's consistently funniest entry to date. I've seen Guardians of the Galaxy countless times yet still find myself chuckling at just about every single joke the Guardians have at their disposal.

Another element that makes Guardians of the Galaxy so great is that Gunn and Perlman never lost sight of an emotional through-line when striving for a light-hearted affair, I'll even admit to welling up at the film's devastating outset and towards the stirring conclusion. Not only are the characters and story in the far reaches of Marvel's cosmic space interesting but the sights and sounds of Guardians of the Galaxy are simply out of this world! The visual effects remain among Marvel's best-to-date with stimulating space battles and motion capture that's probably the closest you can get to bringing a talking raccoon and amiable arbor to life. The unique production design meshes with the visual effects seamlessly to make numerous wacky worlds plausible and the hair and makeup team responsible for the looks of Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, Yondu, Nebula, and Ronan the Accuser do an exceptional job.

That's not even to mention the stunning cinematography capturing all the cosmic craziness, the aesthetic is astounding from start-to-finish, and I absolutely adore the full aspect ratio that enlarges during some of the film's key action sequences. On that note, the action to be found in Guardians is a stirring spectacle that's only enhanced by the film's rocking Awesome Mix Vol. 1 soundtrack and Tyler Bate's incredible score. The Awesome Mix Vol. 1 has plenty of retro-hits that will get your mouth moving and your toes tapping like "Hooked On A Feeling," "Spirit in the Sky," "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)," "Cherry Bomb," and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" to name a couple. Don't count out Tyler Bates' sensational score though, because none of his compositions miss a beat!

While all the aforementioned components are crucial to the film's success, none of it would have worked if it weren't for the correct cast. Chris Pratt lends the ideal mix of charisma and space swagger to Peter Quill that makes his Star Lord alias click perfectly with his personality. Pratt's leap to stardom basically began here and he exhibits all the qualities of a memorable movie star audiences have come to appreciate. Pratt's able to serve as the unlikely hero, but simultaneously exhibited roguish charm that made it seem like it couldn't have happened any other way. Zoe Saldana brought the right mix of sentiment and grit to Gamora that makes the claim she's a killer with a conscience seem all the more real. I appreciate that her character doesn't fall into the camps of being subservient sex appeal or the conventional love interest but rather something in-between that stands apart from the archetypal heroine. My one gripe about Gamora is that her character doesn't come across to be nearly as complex as the source material, but I guess that could change in Vol. 2.

Dave Bautista hits it out of the park in his feature film acting debut, I truly believe he will stand alongside Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as one of the best wrestler-turned-actors in Hollywood. Bautista's got the bulk that you'd imagine would accompany someone going by the designation Drax the Destroyer and gets so much mileage out of being the moronic muscle. Bautista's blunt, straightforward line delivery matches Drax to a tee and allows some of the film's funniest dialogue exchanges to occur.

Bradley Cooper's snarky demeanor matches the wisecracking Rocket Raccoon eloquently, while Vin Diesel lends his oaky voice to Groot. If it weren't for these two, the entire enterprise would have fallen apart, but luckily Marvel's casting department haven't floundered yet. On that note, I've gotta credit Sean Gunn and Krystian Godlewski for providing the motion capture element to the portrayal of these two character.

Among the supporting ensemble, Micheal Rooker injects a sleazy, roughness to Ravenger captain Yondu Udonta, Benicio Del Toro lets loose as the eccentric Collector, Laura Haddock will bring tears to your eyes as Meredith Quill, and John C. Reilly, Peter Serafinowicz, and Glenn Close play straight laced space cops known as the Nova Core. Lee Pace's Ronan the Accuser makes for another vaguely-motivated Marvel menace with Djimon Hounsou and Karen Gillan by his side as cyborg Korath and the inscrutably freaky Nebula.

Oh, and Josh Brolin sits in Thanos' throne for a bit as the Mad Titan. Maybe we'll see him get up from that chair in a little indie called Avengers: Infinity War coming next May but only time will tell.

To sum it all up, none of the individual elements of Guardians of the Galaxy could work independently and they actually rely on one-another to collaborate as one grand, booming superhero space opera that's forever fervent fun. Guardians of the Galaxy may not be the best Marvel Studios release in my eyes, but for the time being stands as their most amusing and entertaining effort yet!

Film Assessment: A-