Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

July 30, 2014 (US) • Action, Science Fiction, Adventure • 121m

Overview

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.

Director

Chris Pratt

Keywords

spacecraft based on comic space orphan adventurer aftercreditsstinger duringcreditsstinger marvel cinematic universe (mcu)

Where to watch

Free / Included

Rent

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Top Billed Cast

Crew

Collection

Guardians of the Galaxy Collection

Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Reviews

Binawoo

August 17, 2014

This movie was so AWESOME! I loved it all and i had a bad day before watching it but it turned it around. I love action packed movies and this was great.

Andres Gomez

⭐ 8/10

August 17, 2014

Really funny and with great spcial effects. Probably, one of the movies not to miss this year.

Eazyryda

⭐ 10/10

August 25, 2014

I ΛM GЯӨӨƬ!

Grant English

⭐ 8.5/10

November 4, 2014

This was a pleasant surprise of a movie, full of great humor as well as an intriguing story. It's quick and zany at times. Think <em>Psych</em> in space (back when Psych was funny). The pace is quick and the story line is easy to pick up and follow.

What makes the film work is something that early Lucas and Joss Whedon understand: great sci-fi movies are really westerns at heart. There is a relationship with nature, a broken, compromised … read the rest.

Travis Bell

⭐ 8.5/10

December 10, 2014

Like most of the reviews here, I agree that Guardians of the Galaxy was an absolute hoot. Guardians never takes itself too seriously which makes this movie a whole lot of fun.

The cast was perfectly chosen and even though two of the main five were CG, knowing who voiced and acted alongside them completely filled out these characters.

Guardians of the Galaxy is one of those rare complete audience pleasers. Good fun for everyone!

djgri

⭐ 8/10

April 30, 2017

The thing about this film when I first saw it, was the incredible juxtaposition of sadness, humor and courage. Great acting! The music is superb. That Sony Walkman must be the best bit of brand advertising ever engaged by a company within a film. The film should appeal to a broad range of viewers.

Dark Jedi

⭐ 7/10

January 20, 2018

This movie is more of a comedy than anything else. It is truly a comic magazine brought to life on the big screen and more focused on delivering a sequence of action scenes and laughs than anything intelligent in the form of plot or characters. I would say it is a movie for the younger audience and comic fans. Having said that I must admit that I found it rather fun to watch.

The main characters are two mostly irresponsible rascals, one dumb but likable living tree and two fanatics of which one certainly need not apply to the Mensa club. Of the five I liked Rocket and Gamora the best. Rocket is a rather likable rascal and Gamora is simply cool. Quill is sometimes just silly, Groot is more of a living prop and Drax is just too stupid.

The story is more or less just there to tie the scenes together. Unfortunately we do really not get much of a background to the Guardians of The Galaxy universe. It would have been nice to get a bit more understanding of why things are as they are etc. The return of this movie is watching the action, the special effects and the laughs. It is an action-adventure-comedy plain and simple. If you approach it as such it works reasonably well.

Speaking of special effects, they are generally well done. The designs are interesting. The shape of the bad guys spaceship is totally ludicrous of course but visually pleasing and goes with the rest of the movie’s tendency to be more of a comedy than a serious movie. The same can be said for that cool but weird net they made by interlinking fighter crafts.

On the whole an entertaining movie. I have to say that the dancing scene at the end was a wee bit too silly for me though. I have a problem understanding how a movie like this can get such a relatively high rating at IMDb but okay it was fun to watch and it is not entirely undeserved. Personally I think a 7 out of 10 is more in the right region.

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Gimly

⭐ 7/10

June 5, 2018

**A long form review originally posted n 2014:**

Now that I’ve given _Guardians_ a BluRay watch through, I feel more comfortable reviewing it. I saw it on the first day of its Australian cinematic release, but I wasn’t sure what I thought. I watched it again and still wasn’t sure, but now that it’s six months later, I am sure.

I’m a massive fan of director James Gunn. Come to think of it, I’m also also a big fan of Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Chris Pratt, Benicio Del Toro, Djimon Honsou, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Peter Serafinowicz, Alexis Denisof, Rob Zombie and Nathan Fillion, and they’re all in this. Not to mention I’m an absolute sucker for the MCU. So after hearing that a very decent chunk of the fanbase thinking that not only was this the best Marvel film of the year (going up against _Winter Soldier_ and _Days of Future Past_), but that they would then go on to say it was the best Marvel Cinematic Universe film ever, you could imagine I was very surprised to find that I actually didn’t think it was all that great.

I don’t want people thinking I didn’t like it. I did. In fact I will go on record saying that it was miles away from their worst film, and if I’m being honest they handled the last 25 minutes (arguably the most important part) of the film absolutely spectacularly. But I didn’t get the magic that everyone was telling me about. How this was the film for the new generation. I didn’t even get the sense of satisfaction that I had in Cap’s movie just a few months previous.

So many things seemed under utilised, but I don’t know what you could have cut to make room for the extra things I wanted. Which means the only way to get it is to have a longer film. It’s already two hours, and a longer movie means a bigger budget and less screenings. ie. more money going out and less money coming in. And at the end of the day Disney is a business, and they have to make their money the best way they think they can. So I understand why it wasn’t perfect for me, but that doesn’t stop me from feeling _Guardians_ is a mite overrated. Good damn movie. But overrated.

Personally I’d stick it somewhere in the middle of the MCU’s releases thus far. Leaps and bounds above _The Incredible Hulk_, _The Dark World_ and _Iron Man 2_, but not so beloved as the likes of _The Avengers_, _Winter Soldier_ or _Iron Man 1_.

73%

-_Gimly_

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tmdb44006625

⭐ 9/10

March 9, 2019

Guardians of the Galaxy is a gorgeous and wonderfully entertaining space opera. The characters are so damn lovable, the world building is incredible, the soundtrack gives the film an entirely unique feel, and the effects are astoundingly first rate.

The story follows the pattern of the space fantasies that influenced George Lucas, but the presentation is the work of the extraordinarily gifted filmmaker James Gunn. If we ever forget that the MC… read the rest.

r96sk

⭐ 9/10

January 18, 2021

When planning how I was going watch all these MCU films, this is one I earmarked as being one I thought I'd enjoy - not based on anything of note, I knew very little, but from the passing screenshots and such I had seen it seemed like one I'd enjoy. I'm happy to say I certainly did!

<em>'Guardians of the Galaxy'</em> is so enjoyable. It's 121 minutes of pure entertainment. It does, at least to me, have a different feel to it when compared to t… read the rest.

CinemaSerf

⭐ 7/10

March 28, 2022

Generally speaking, I'm fan of Chris Pratt and here he is thoroughly entertaining as the "Star Lord - Peter Quill", a sort of inter-galactic treasure hunter who is challenged to track down an orb. Once he finds and tries to sell it, his world becomes a whole lot more interesting as just about everyone from Djimon Hounsou - sporting a cracking hairdo as "Korath", to kick-ass Zoe Saldana "Gamora" and the most unlikely of duos "Rocket" & "Groot"- on… read the rest.

The Movie Mob

⭐ 9/10

February 11, 2023

**Guardians of the Galaxy embraced its underdog status in the MCU and catapulted its cast of misfits into stardom!**

Who saw this movie coming? I know I didn’t. I only saw Guardians of the Galaxy because it’s a Marvel movie, but I knew nothing about the characters, and even some of the actors were still on the rise, but James Gunn and this movie turned them into mega-stars! This movie perfectly balances exceptional comedic performances with si… read the rest.

Andre Gonzales

⭐ 6/10

May 23, 2023

A good nerd flick for the geeks! At least this one has some humor. My daughter loves Groot.

tmdb51616167

⭐ 7/10

September 3, 2024

Guardians of the Galaxy has solidified itself as an incredible franchise within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Volume 1: The creation of these characters injected suspense, excitement, and a generous dose of over-the-top comedy into the MCU. Chris Pratt's portrayal of Star-Lord was a fantastic choice, and the characters like Rocket and Groot became instant fan favorites, with merchandise flying off the shelves. While Nebula's transformation from antihero to hero was well-received, Gamora felt underutilized. Drax provided comic relief, but off-screen controversies involving the actor can affect viewers' perception of the character. Overall, the movie is enjoyable and worth watching.

Volume 2: While some may prefer the first installment, Volume 2 offers a deeper dive into the characters and more excitement. The film is wonderfully executed, providing a fantastic adventure that is highly recommended for its magical space journey and character development.

Volume 3: This installment returns to the original concept of Marvel, seamlessly connecting with other films in the MCU. The movie offers fantastic character development, ensuring each character shines without overshadowing the others. Star-Lord and Gamora remain central, but the film also explores Rocket's origin story exceptionally well. The ensemble cast, including Mantis, Nebula, Groot, and Drax, deliver standout performances. New additions like Cosmo and Blurp add charm, while Adam Warlock's portrayal, though slightly disappointing, is explained within the storyline. The film is emotional, with impactful end credit scenes, making it a must-watch in theaters.

Holiday Special: The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is an exciting and enjoyable addition to the franchise, offering a fun and engaging viewing experience. The special presentation is a delightful continuation of the characters' stories, making them more relatable and adding an extra layer of excitement to the Marvel universe. This special is a testament to the franchise's creativity and is a welcome addition to the MCU continuity.

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Manuel São Bento

⭐ 9/10

November 16, 2025

Rewatched for the Once Upon a Franchise podcast. Listen to the full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/77EnD6r7z4NcKauquHN10f?si=28e6552e544145fb

Rating: A
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY proves that the greatest heroes aren't those who are flawless, but those who are brave enough to let go of their past and find their true worth in each other.

I remember watching GOTG when it first came out and, like most people, being completely blown away, especially since my expectations were so low. I had absolutely no knowledge of these characters, and the casting choices initially raised questions, but I was excited for the first true space adventure in the MCU. James Gunn is at the peak of his powers here, not just with so many breathtaking, gorgeous shots showing the beauty of space, but also in his handling of humor. At this time, what would become the classic MCU humor, which eventually drew criticism for undercutting stakes, worked brilliantly. In fact, I'd argue it's also the peak of MCU humor. Every comedic line feels genuine and earned; I still burst out laughing during a solo rewatch at home. While the film adheres to the traditional action-heavy climax of superhero movies, it does bring a smart, delightful twist by having the big fight solved by a silly dance-off, subverting expectations in a wonderful fashion.

Ultimately, GOTG succeeds by transforming a generic "do-badders who end up banding together" redemption arc into a profound story of found family. Gunn makes its extremely likable ensemble — from Peter Quill to Rocket — embrace imperfection, championing the idea that perfection is a myth and that true value lies in one's unique, often messy flaws. Their ultimate redemption is realized when they willingly join hands to wield the Power Stone, an act that signifies their decision to prioritize their new family and the galaxy over their own survival. Supported by Gunn's signature soundtrack, this strong ensemble effort delivers a memorable superhero film, one of the best origin stories in the franchise.

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