MOVIE REVIEW: Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy #GuardiansoftheGalaxy

First things first, if you do not already have tickets for this movie, go get some. I mean right now. Buy tickets. Go on, I'll wait. Because seriously, you do not want to be the only person who hasn't seen Guardians of the Galaxy.

Image © Marvel.

I've read reviews of the movie already (which lowly bloggers like myself were embargoed until today, so these are the "pros") and some are calling it the Star Wars of this generation. And they would be right. I have been sitting on my hands waiting to gush over just how amazing this movie is. In fact, it is SO amazing, that I didn't even get tickets to the press screener! That's right, I had to win my tickets off the morning news like a chump! (But THANKS NBC4! I appreciated it!)

Image © Marvel.

I will be honest, I went into this movie with no knowledge of the Guardians, although I did get a Rocket Raccoon comic on Free Comic Book Day this year. I just hadn't gotten around to reading it. Honestly, you don't need any knowledge of the team going in. You will still have an enjoyable movie-going experience without background. But be forewarned, especially moms: you will probably cry in the first ten minutes. I did. I'm not going to post any spoilers, but save it to say, it's got a well-known Marvel origin story (and Disney too, for that matter).

Images © Marvel.

The visuals are absolutely stunning. We had the chance to see it in 3D and unless you're toting little kids along, I highly recommend it. They did a fantastic job with it. Speaking of kids, yes the film is rated PG-13, and there is some language and obviously violence, as well as some peril that might upset kids. TV Boy loves a good action superhero flick, so we will be taking him along with my mother to see it. If your kids made it through Avengers or any other Marvel film, they're probably going to be okay. Rocket has a mouth on him, but no F-bombs or anything like that.

Image © Marvel.

The soundtrack is a rockin' good time as well, and it's not normal that we say that for a Marvel flick. The music plays an important role in the film, and the main character Peter Quill aka Star Lord, even risks his life for it. Fans of pop music in the 80's will be delighted.

Image © Marvel.

Random geeky thing: Hey look! It's Karen Gillian! Or, if you're a Whovian, you might know her better as Amy Pond. She plays kind-of-nemesis Nebula, the daughter of Thanos and half-sister to Gamora, one of the eventual Guardians. This is the reason she cut off all her beautiful red hair. Her performance is seriously hardcore, but I have to say I wish she didn't play it with an American accent. It just felt... wrong. Let the brogue go free, Ms. Gillian! (And while you're at it, pass the message on to David Tennant in Gracepoint... yeesh!)

Image © Marvel.

The characters are all incredibly well-written. Even Groot (seen above) who only says five different words throughout the film, manages to hit you right in the feels a few times. Bautista (as wrestling fans know him best) playing Drax squeaks in a few laughs. Bradley Cooper as Rocket steals the show in every scene in which he appears. Chris Pratt as Star Lord, honestly I couldn't have picked a better person to play it. He has that aloof but sweet quality that makes the character worth rooting for. Zoe Saldana's fight scene with Karen Gillian... so much "I am woman, hear me roar" action I can't even begin to tell you. The writing is snappy and hilarious. All around, it's a spectacular movie!

Images © Marvel.

Everyone has asked me about the after-the-credits scene Marvel always throws in... I really couldn't tell you. Because I did not get to see it! The folks who put the screeners together made absolutely certain that the secret is kept until launch day and had it removed. I've never seen an entire theatre full of people's hopes and dreams dashed all at once before, so I guess in a way it was worth it, but we're definitely planning a second, paying trip to the movies to catch it for real. Points Marvel. Points.

Image © Marvel.

Do yourself a favor and make sure you get out to see this movie early. Thanks to SDCC, we know there is already a sequel in the works. This is a franchise you're going to want to be a part of. You will not regret having seen it. I can absolutely guarantee that. If I gave ratings, this would have received the highest one from me. It's that good. I want to RATE IT. You know that has to mean something! Seriously. See this movie!


Disclosure: Yes, I saw this movie for free, but it was a freak chance win from NBC4i.com, not my usual outlets. See my Disclosure tab for more information about how I usually see movies like this one. 

REVIEW: Saving Mr. Banks on Blu-ray plus GIVEAWAY!

For all of you who are fans of Mary Poppins or anyone who is a "Dizgeek" or history buff, Saving Mr. Banks is a must-see film. For those who haven't yet seen it, travel back in time to Walt Disney Studios, where Walt (played by Tom Hanks) is determined to get the production rights to P.L. Travers' (played by Emma Thompson) story of Mary Poppins.

Hanks and Thompson as Disney and Travers. Image © Disney

Mrs. Travers is none too persuaded to let go of her precious characters so easily, and the addition of songs written by the Sherman Brothers (played by BJ Novak and Jason Schwartzman) and animation has her ready to board a plane back to England.

Novak and Schwartzman as the Sherman Brothers. Image © Disney

Throughout the film, we are treated to an inside look at the life of P.L. Travers, and her attachment to her father, Travers Goff (played by Colin Farrell), who has a tragic alcohol addiction that is gradually killing him, and on whom her character of Mr. Banks is based.

Annie Rose Buckley as Ginty and Colin Farrell as Travers Goff. Image © Disney.

Mrs. Travers (who, after her father's death, drops her moniker "Ginty" and takes his first name as her surname) isn't keen on their portrayal of Mr. Banks as well as Mary Poppins herself being so lighthearted and charming. She insists on having all discussions about the film recorded--which, interestingly enough, I had the chance to listen to some of her original recordings while on my trip to L.A. back in February! More on that later this week!

Tom Hanks as Walt Disney. Image © Disney.

Tom Hanks' portrayal of Walt Disney was flawless. Watching him, you really feel the weight of Disney's commitment to his films as well as his jovial personality. The attention to detail with the film is outstanding.

Emma Thompson as P.L. Travers. Image © Disney.

I also loved Emma Thompson as Pamela Travers. If anyone could play a haughty British woman, it's Emma Thompson! She manages to strike the perfect balance between pointed disgust with Disney's antics and nostalgic sadness as she remembers her childhood. Speaking of sadness, ladies make sure you have tissues at the ready! Many of my blogger friends and I discussed it as being one of those "ugly cry" movies. It's heartbreaking, and to get the audience to feel so deeply for someone as cold as P.L. Travers is portrayed is a triumph.

Behind the scenes on set. Image © Disney.

The special features included on the Blu-ray, while minimal, are also a little tear-jerking, but that could just be because I got to tour the very same studio lot that on which the film was made. That, and I'm a huge sap. The featurette "The Walt Disney Studios: From Poppins To The Present" takes viewers on a bit of the same tour, showing off the animator offices Disney designed himself to make sure they had the proper light, as well as several points of interest on the lot. It is led by Director John Lee Hancock and features a special appearance by Richard Sherman himself. There is also a fun short video of Mr. Sherman leading the cast and crew in a rousing rendition of "Let's Go Fly A Kite" on their final day of filming. The film is rated PG-13 and is available for purchase tomorrow on March 18th.

Image © Disney Home Entertainment

As a special treat, I've put together a little slideshow of my photos from the awesome D23 tour of the studios, featuring some of the places used in Saving Mr. Banks, as well as many of the locations discussed in the bonus featurette on the Blu-ray, led by our awesome tour guide and D23 Marketing Manager Jeffrey Epstein, seen in the second pic (thanks Jeffrey!). And, of course, I set it to "Let's Go Fly A Kite"!


Disney Studios Tour Feb 2014 by Slidely Slideshow
Finally, to close out my post, my friends at Disney Home Entertainment are providing a copy of Saving Mr. Banks on Blu-ray to give away to one of my lucky readers! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter and be sure to check out the linky at the bottom for more chances to win from other bloggers on the trip! The contest will run until this Friday, March 21, at midnight. Please see the Giveaway T&C tab for more information.


a Rafflecopter giveaway




UPDATE: My friends at Disney just sent over these fun Saving Mr. Banks-inspired recipes! Enjoy!



Disclosure: I was provided a copy of the Blu-ray for review purposes, as well as a trip to L.A. to cover the release and relevant displays. Please see my Disclosure tab for more information.