www.bbc.co.uk/markkermode - I missed Guardians Of The Galaxy on release but since I caught up with it it’s become one of my favourite films of the year and here’s why...
Brilliant film. One of the few films ive sat through with a big smile on my face this year. Hugely enjoyable and have to wait till Christmas to watch it again (spoilt my own christmas present)
My favourite film of the year ahead of Dawn of the planet of the apes and the Grand Budapest Hotel. It's one of those films in which you already know after the first 5 minutes whether you'll like it or not. As soon as "Come and get your love" started playing, I knew this would be one of my favourite films of the year (now I'd even say one of my favourite films, period.) I never say this usually, but this is really the first time I want a film to have as many sequels as possible. I don't even want the Guardians to team up with the Avengers, I just want to see more of Rocket, Groot and Starlord. Also, I think I have a man crush on Chris Pratt.
I told my GF at the time that GOTG was the most fun I'd had at the movies since Marvel's first Avengers film. Went in knowing nothing about the characters, but was blown away and entertained. Awesome and fun film, not to mention stunning to look at.
Feel exactly the same about GOTG. Expected absolutely nothing, wasn't excited about it at all, the trailers left me feeling that it was going to try to be clever & different in tone but ultimately fail miserably. Watched it and was extremely entertained by it, much more so than any other superhero film in recent memory. The tone, comedy, action, musical choices (as you pointed out)... all superb. I especially loved that it didn't take itself seriously. That moment at the end when Quill randomly breaks into a dance & Lee Pace's character has that superb & completely understandable reaction to it. Brilliant.
This movie has that quality that makes you want to see it again soon. It's so much fun and wonder without neglecting a healthy dose of heart. For all its out-of-this-worldliness, the characters are emotionally fleshed out in a convincing manner and they react and convey very human emotions that get to you. The movie also has a knack for guiding you through emotional responses without feeling manipulated, but rather engaged. If this movie sold crack, I'd be an addict by now.
I'm very happy to say that after always hearing that I shouldn't complain about certain movies because they're "just a bunch of fun" that this movie is actually a bunch of fun.
I missed the movie for the same reasons and now I know that it's sort of a must-see, so I know there's fun ahead. )) Thank you for the review. I'm buying DVD, as soon as it arrives to Almaty (which will be 2d December).
Saw it opening weekend here in the states. Pretty good, but I can't say I was head over heels with it like everyone else was. Loved the hell out of the soundtrack, though.
I went in nowing nothing about it like you did and found it really funny and thrilling to watch i also really really loved the end of credits clip and that was incredibly funny although i did have a lot of people come upto me afterwards so i could explain it to them, i must admit to being a fan of the film he appeared in near 30 years ago.
I personally thought it was an absolutely fantastic, by far the best Marvel movie and maybe one of my best ever. It had soul, humour, great action, music and acting. Chris Pratt will go far.
I think I had the opposite problem to Mark, I went in to this film with very high expectations - I'd been told it was brilliant, funny, witty and quirky in a way Marvel had never been before... and maybe because I was expecting something astonishing and original, the seen-it-before plot disappointed me somewhat. I also thought the sheer number of characters muddled the emotional weight - except for Quill I didn't really feel any emotional ties to any of the characters, because we kept being introduced to different ones every few minutes. I thought it also suffered from villain-ception - far too many villains to keep track, and none of them truly frightening! Saying this, I enjoyed the film - but as with anything, having high expectations probably ruined it for me.
Is it a superhero movie? I don't think it is. It's a 'sprawling space opera', much more in line with the original Star Wars trilogy. Made me appreciate I hadn't seen a decent film for a long time. This is wht cinema is for. I hope there's a sequel, as I think it could be ever better as there's still room for improvement in the comedy department - get the writers of Sean of the Dead/Hot fuzz involved. I can't fault the effects - beautiful.
I'm not a massive fan of action/ superhero movies, neither am I an avid comic book reader. But I have to say, I was seriously impressed by this film. I thought it was a good blend of many elements and it felt quite refreshing. It was well made but it didn't take itself too seriously. I thought it was great and an enjoyable watch.
I really enjoyed Guardians. As comic book fan, though not fanatic, I wasn't sure if it would work on the big screen, but personally I really enjoyed it. On a side note, I find it amusing that DC/WB are fretting over putting Wonder Women in a film, and Marvel are like, here's a talking Racoon and a walking tree...
Mark thank you my uncal who us called mark refuses to watch this movie and he watches your videos all the time and says you are the best movie reviewer ever I can't wait to show him this video now
James Gunn should have tipped Mark off that this might be a really good film. Super was better than Kickass IMO, Slither was a great return to b movie horror films and a film I know Mark Kermode reviewed really well. "Any comic book adaptation will get overrated, it's just how fanboys work." Tell that to Green Lantern, Daredevil, Wolverine Origins, Fantastic Four, Electra, X-Men Last Stand, Ghost Rider, The Spirit, Catwoman, Batman and Robin... If anything comic book fans can be pretty vicious in their critique of something they love. It's rated highly IMO because it's FUN. It's an adventure in space that doesn't take itself too seriously. It hits all the right notes at exactly the right time. The story barrels along and carries the audience along with it. And that IMO is kind of rare and Gunn deserves all the plaudits he gets. It's just as hard to get right than a film striving for a more involved intellectual journey. Added to that it's aesthetically an interesting film that doesn't linger on any environment or image as if to say "hey look at this" which a lot of sci fi films like to do. The characters just inhabit the space.
Just a question, you say you don't have much time to catch up on films when so many are out, but how come you do multiple viewings of some rather than see the others? Cheers!
always the best way to go into a film, not knowing or expecting too much. i thought guardians of the galaxy was. fresh, engaging, funny and well written and directed film. i generally prefer the more adult comic book adaptions like blade, and the punisher, and find some of the more kid friendly films like iron man 2 and even the avengers a bit dull. i know that there is loads of action in these , but it gets a bit repetitive, like KLANG KLANG, robots fighting in the sky like a transformers movie. nightcrawler , great film all round, best of the year in my opinion.
I wasn't expecting anything from Guardians of the Galaxy yet I was still underwhelmed by it. It had its moments but I don't think it was anything more than average. Nightcrawler was great though. I highly recommend it.
Star Wars was my favorite movie before I went to Kindergarten... Guardians of the Galaxy beat it, but it wasn't my favorite movie from 2014. 1) The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982) 2) It's a Wonderful Life (1946) 3) The Prince who was a Thief (1951) 4) Narnia: the Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe (2005) 5) Let the Right One In (2008) - Swedish with English caption 6) A Silent Voice (2016) - Japanese with English caption 7) My Rainy Days (2009) - Japanese with English caption 8) X + Y [a Brilliant Young Mind] (2014) 9) Silence (2016) 10) Beauty and the Beast (2017) 11) Goodbye, Christopher Robin (2017) 12) The Man who Invented Christmas (2017) 13) The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) 14) Amen (2002) 15) Red (2010) 16) Fletch (1985) 17) Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) 18) Men In Black (1997) 19) Star Wars: the Empire Strikes Back (1980) 20) Star Wars: a New Hope (1977)
wi think That's my opinion regarding your opinion. You're the one who's disrespectful, and you get all butt hurt when you get a dose of your own medicine. You get treated the way you deserve to be treated.
chuvashalala Ok very good; you think you can call my opinion stupid to defend the movie of a multimillion hollywood company . I think you should try to find better things to defend.
He's getting paid for this isn' he? Do we really need to be told about a giant mainstream movie being released on dvd? It's a paid ad, and he should be more transparent with his audience
He just expressed how he feels about the movie, Guardians of the galaxy is part of the lesser known Marvel universe and it surprised alot of people. To see this video as advertisement is all up to the individual, but then every video on the internet even talking about specific movies can be viewed as advertisement for the movie. If you like a movie, you tell other people about that movie, yes?
Why does it matter? People want to know what Mark thinks about these films and GotG was a huge film. He talked about it and I doubt he's saying this because he was paid.
It's not a paid ad because Mark works for the BBC and they're not allowed to do that. Kermode wouldn't risk his career just to plug a film that has already been ridiculously popular. I think he's done this video for the benefit of snobbish people (like he is, actually). A lot of people turned their nose up at GOTG and were pleasantly surprised (just like he has been) and I guess he wants to encourage others to watch it
Saw this a few days ago, and I have to say that I found it somewhat empty and incidental. In spite of its many funny lines and well made action sequences, I just could't get over the fact that the plot and the vilain basically have zero weight behind them whatsoever.
Guardians of the Galaxy was a film I missed in the cinemas and finally checked it out, but found it to be pretty average other than a few chuckles. I did find the pop culture references lost on me (and no I'm not that old, I'm only 24) and the music was like a wedding DJ let loose (not exactly the right kind of nostalgic...save for a couple of songs). I felt like it was overly confident, which was strange because the dialogue was so poorly written. Two of my favourite comedians featured in this film - Peter Serafinowicz and John C Reilly - and both were barely given anything in terms of solid comic moments. Djimon Hounsou and Michael Rooker were far more 'game' for the almost Fifth Element-level of campiness, and came off as the more impressive characters for me...which was a shame because they were barely in the film either. Don't get me wrong, I like the cast, and I like the fact that Marvel will do more comedic material. But this wasn't much more than average at best for me personally, and certainly not one of the films of the year. Perhaps a sequel will pick things up, or perhaps not. Not sure what I'm expecting of Ant-Man, but I'll be seriously unappreciative of Marvel's efforts if that turns out to be a disappointment too. Nightcrawler is brilliant, one of the better films this year and very darkly comedic. It's completely the opposite of this film though - clever and satirical with spiky cynicism to it, rather than Guardians' easy-going chuckles and vague optimism.
Nightcrawler is somewhere near the bottom of my 'Top 20' at the moment. Incidentally, Guardians of the Galaxy is somewhere near the bottom of my 'Top 70'.
Don't throw me with stones people, but this movie is pretty much overrated. It's fun, and good, but not as good as much rating it gets ... I mean on Rotten Tomatoes it's 90% ... it has pretty much fresh view of action-comedy, yet most of the action scenes are boring, or uninteresting. Although it's really make fun of every serious action flicks and that contrast is well made here, still not that interesting, maybe for comic fans, I don't know.
I'm no comic fan and it's really the first time I would without any hesitation call a Marvel Studios film "great" (Iron Man 1 and even more so the surprisingly awesome Cap 2 possibly as well). zxbc I don't think saying "it's just how fanboys work" really works in this case. Guardians of the galaxy wasn't expected (as Mark pointed out) to be a big success, it was very risky and it wasn't based on a really popular comic series, the fact that James Gunn was hired only made me (and probably many others) even more skeptic. I also think it's probably one of those Marvel films so far that can be enjoyed even by people who aren't too fond of the superhero genre (or of sci-fi for that matter), it's pretty unique compared to the rest of their output so far. Avengers was a good, fun film, Guardians, on the other hand, imo a fantastic, rollicking blockbuster and very funny comedy which also (as Mark also pointed out) holds up on repeated viewings. I think it'll become a sci-fi classic. Each to their own, I guess.
zxbc"The reason is that there is not much to "get" beyond the surface" Well, I don't think a film needs to do that, otherwise only thought-provoking arthouse films (and very few unusual blockbusters) would be of merit. James Gunn compared Guardians to Raiders and Star Wars and that's exactly what it is: a lot of fun. If you only like it to watch a film that on repeated viewings offers some new perspective or that makes you catch things you didn't see the first time you watched it, then I don't think Guardians was your kind of film in the first place (the comparison of esapist entertainment like Guardians to pretty much the opposite of that in Birdman is quite weird, really) or maybe I'm just mininterpreting what you wrote (I don't want to sound confronting or rude, just saying it's meant to be "fun", not a deconstruction of a genre or a media satire) Anyways, since Guardians is a comedy and a sci-fi action film, what will define its rewatchability ultimately is whether it's still funny and entertaining (respectively) the second, third... time around (and yes, it is). "I have compiled a rough list for myself and I don't have it on. There are just a lot of movies I consider to be great." Since this is a fantastic year for film and since it most definitely produced more than 10 great films, neither of these statements really take away anything from it.
zxbc Yep... fans of a particular genre will rate a film in that genre highly... No, that in no way means that any individual film is not very good regardless... Which is exactly what Mark just said.
Couldn't care less about the the characters, their goals or the super generic villain. Since you don't care about the characters the action sequences also feel meaningless. Sorry this just wasn't very good. Visually it's very nice though I have to admit.
So very disappointed in you Mark, overrated doesn't quite cover this abysmal piece of cinema. The action is boring, the dialogue is clunky and the villain is truly laughable. I have absolutely no idea how the critics can applaud this glitzy mess and that goes for all of the other recent Marvel smash hits. I don't disagree with you on many films but I think those spectacles need to be tested on this one.
I really didn't rate the film...although I thought the same about Thor and captain America and even the avengers. I will never understand the thrill of these sorts of films. The problem with avengers was there is lots of action but nothing really happened. I guess I just couldn't buy into the clichéd plot, obscene characters and pretty superficial nature of the film when I don't feel there was any heart to the film.
GiRayne Not a fan of the source material, which is probably why. I've never really been into super heroes even as a kid. I guess what I'm trying to say is I feel that a good film should be enjoyable to someone even if the source material isn't their cup of tea. Having said that the films are a million times more enjoyable than sitting through the last airbender!
I totally agree. Avengers was entertaining but one forgets about it the moment it ends. No emotional content, no depth, no lasting impact, generic plot. I find other comic book franchises to be better (better acting and all). Other blockbusters are also better in general, no doubt: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Edge of Tomorrow, Interstellar,...
I wasn't a fan of Guardians. I found the humour facetious instead of witty and I thought the music was overrated, overstated and in most cases, obvious. I was actually a disappointed by it.
Me too! Was hoping it was as 'witty' as it looked (and I'd been told by everyone) and was hugely disappointed to find it pretty limp. Overall, it's better than most Marvel films but that's not saying much.
Most overrated film of the year. Overly self-conscious humor, a completely perfunctory plot and the same boring action climax as The Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man et al. Groot and Rocket were kind of neat but I really struggle to see what was so special here.
I agree. All these Marvel releases are being praised as if they were masterpieces, when all of them have the same generic plot, and zero depth. Winter Soldier is supposed to be the most serious and still imo it was just a try hard copy of The Dark Knight at moments. None of these films have especially good acting either. Other comic book movies are better imo. And of course most of the other blockbusters out there.
***** Of course it was easy enough to enjoy. But that´s that. My problem is how some fanboy-ish critics are praising these average films as if they were masterpieces. You want a phenomenal blockbuster? Mad Max Fury Road. Not this generic and repetitive stuff.
***** Well it is being described as the best action film in years, and it is. Doesn´t sound like enough for you? :) Seriously, the cinematography, Charlize, Tom, the action, everything. I´m glad it has got the highest ratings for a blockbuster this year.
![ฮักเทื่อสุดท้าย - บอย ศิริชัย [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-1PoPoQ-B-k/mqdefault.jpg)
Brilliant film. One of the few films ive sat through with a big smile on my face this year. Hugely enjoyable and have to wait till Christmas to watch it again (spoilt my own christmas present)
My favourite film of the year ahead of Dawn of the planet of the apes and the Grand Budapest Hotel. It's one of those films in which you already know after the first 5 minutes whether you'll like it or not. As soon as "Come and get your love" started playing, I knew this would be one of my favourite films of the year (now I'd even say one of my favourite films, period.) I never say this usually, but this is really the first time I want a film to have as many sequels as possible. I don't even want the Guardians to team up with the Avengers, I just want to see more of Rocket, Groot and Starlord. Also, I think I have a man crush on Chris Pratt.
I told my GF at the time that GOTG was the most fun I'd had at the movies since Marvel's first Avengers film.
Went in knowing nothing about the characters, but was blown away and entertained. Awesome and fun film, not to mention stunning to look at.
I love it. Such a fun movie. Captain America: Winter Soldier was very good too.
Feel exactly the same about GOTG. Expected absolutely nothing, wasn't excited about it at all, the trailers left me feeling that it was going to try to be clever & different in tone but ultimately fail miserably. Watched it and was extremely entertained by it, much more so than any other superhero film in recent memory. The tone, comedy, action, musical choices (as you pointed out)... all superb. I especially loved that it didn't take itself seriously. That moment at the end when Quill randomly breaks into a dance & Lee Pace's character has that superb & completely understandable reaction to it. Brilliant.
This movie has that quality that makes you want to see it again soon. It's so much fun and wonder without neglecting a healthy dose of heart. For all its out-of-this-worldliness, the characters are emotionally fleshed out in a convincing manner and they react and convey very human emotions that get to you. The movie also has a knack for guiding you through emotional responses without feeling manipulated, but rather engaged.
If this movie sold crack, I'd be an addict by now.
Came to watch it without knowing anything about it, just like you, sir. Left thoroughly entertained, as well!
this movie wipes the floor with the avengers... one of the top 5 movies of the year
Glad you enjoyed it Mr. Kermode, one of my favorites of the year.
saw it 5 times with 5 different people, enjoyed it each time, the film made me feel like a kid again.
Getting it on Blu-Ray for Christmas. Can't wait! :D
Yeaaah! Guardian was so great
I'm very happy to say that after always hearing that I shouldn't complain about certain movies because they're "just a bunch of fun" that this movie is actually a bunch of fun.
Impressive you managed to talk about a space sci-fi film without mentioning Silent Running ! ;)
I'm surprised Mark seems to have liked Guardians of the Galaxy over Interstellar considering his love for Silent Running.
I liked it which i was surprised at & likeable characters in a Marvel film for a change.
Nightcrawler is worth anyone's time
Loved it. My film of the year. Just pure enjoyment and entertainment. I laughed. A lot. Plus...spaceships!!
I saw it three times too 😃
I missed the movie for the same reasons and now I know that it's sort of a must-see, so I know there's fun ahead. ))
Thank you for the review. I'm buying DVD, as soon as it arrives to Almaty (which will be 2d December).
Saw it opening weekend here in the states. Pretty good, but I can't say I was head over heels with it like everyone else was. Loved the hell out of the soundtrack, though.
I went in nowing nothing about it like you did and found it really funny and thrilling to watch i also really really loved the end of credits clip and that was incredibly funny although i did have a lot of people come upto me afterwards so i could explain it to them, i must admit to being a fan of the film he appeared in near 30 years ago.
I personally thought it was an absolutely fantastic, by far the best Marvel movie and maybe one of my best ever. It had soul, humour, great action, music and acting. Chris Pratt will go far.
I think I had the opposite problem to Mark, I went in to this film with very high expectations - I'd been told it was brilliant, funny, witty and quirky in a way Marvel had never been before... and maybe because I was expecting something astonishing and original, the seen-it-before plot disappointed me somewhat. I also thought the sheer number of characters muddled the emotional weight - except for Quill I didn't really feel any emotional ties to any of the characters, because we kept being introduced to different ones every few minutes. I thought it also suffered from villain-ception - far too many villains to keep track, and none of them truly frightening! Saying this, I enjoyed the film - but as with anything, having high expectations probably ruined it for me.
Can't wait for your thoughts on Nightcrawler. GOTG was such a good summer blockbuster.
Is it a superhero movie? I don't think it is. It's a 'sprawling space opera', much more in line with the original Star Wars trilogy. Made me appreciate I hadn't seen a decent film for a long time. This is wht cinema is for.
I hope there's a sequel, as I think it could be ever better as there's still room for improvement in the comedy department - get the writers of Sean of the Dead/Hot fuzz involved. I can't fault the effects - beautiful.
Sequel coming 2017!
I'm not a massive fan of action/ superhero movies, neither am I an avid comic book reader. But I have to say, I was seriously impressed by this film. I thought it was a good blend of many elements and it felt quite refreshing. It was well made but it didn't take itself too seriously. I thought it was great and an enjoyable watch.
Liked it very much. I was only let down by "the thing at the end", which i expected to be amazing, but was just amusing.
GOTG was a perfect summer blockbuster for all to enjoy...!
I just loved the tone of the movie. Great visuals, soundtrack, acting, etc. The story didn't really come together that well though, a bit plodding.
I really enjoyed Guardians. As comic book fan, though not fanatic, I wasn't sure if it would work on the big screen, but personally I really enjoyed it.
On a side note, I find it amusing that DC/WB are fretting over putting Wonder Women in a film, and Marvel are like, here's a talking Racoon and a walking tree...
Mark thank you my uncal who us called mark refuses to watch this movie and he watches your videos all the time and says you are the best movie reviewer ever I can't wait to show him this video now
James Gunn should have tipped Mark off that this might be a really good film. Super was better than Kickass IMO, Slither was a great return to b movie horror films and a film I know Mark Kermode reviewed really well.
"Any comic book adaptation will get overrated, it's just how fanboys work."
Tell that to Green Lantern, Daredevil, Wolverine Origins, Fantastic Four, Electra, X-Men Last Stand, Ghost Rider, The Spirit, Catwoman, Batman and Robin... If anything comic book fans can be pretty vicious in their critique of something they love.
It's rated highly IMO because it's FUN. It's an adventure in space that doesn't take itself too seriously. It hits all the right notes at exactly the right time. The story barrels along and carries the audience along with it. And that IMO is kind of rare and Gunn deserves all the plaudits he gets. It's just as hard to get right than a film striving for a more involved intellectual journey. Added to that it's aesthetically an interesting film that doesn't linger on any environment or image as if to say "hey look at this" which a lot of sci fi films like to do. The characters just inhabit the space.
Love this movie good fun, great jokes visuals and action.
Unnecessary since we already had Gamera: Guardian of the Universe
Just a question, you say you don't have much time to catch up on films when so many are out, but how come you do multiple viewings of some rather than see the others? Cheers!
always the best way to go into a film, not knowing or expecting too much. i thought guardians of the galaxy was. fresh, engaging, funny and well written and directed film. i generally prefer the more adult comic book adaptions like blade, and the punisher, and find some of the more kid friendly films like iron man 2 and even the avengers a bit dull.
i know that there is loads of action in these , but it gets a bit repetitive, like KLANG KLANG, robots fighting in the sky like a transformers movie.
nightcrawler , great film all round, best of the year in my opinion.
I wasn't expecting anything from Guardians of the Galaxy yet I was still underwhelmed by it. It had its moments but I don't think it was anything more than average.
Nightcrawler was great though. I highly recommend it.
I agree with your comment and your name. Well done!
I still want to know your thoughts about "that thing at the end."
What happens at the end? Did I miss something?
This film was a lot of fun "Haters Begone to your abyss"
I've seen the film. Which 'thing at the end' is he referring to?
**SPOILERS**
Probably the Howard the Duck thing, cause it was a very notable cult film from the 80's.
***** the good Doctor here is a noted fan of Howard the Duck too, maybe why everyone was saying he'd appreciate the reference :-)
Star Wars was my favorite movie before I went to Kindergarten...
Guardians of the Galaxy beat it, but it wasn't my favorite movie from 2014.
1) The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)
2) It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
3) The Prince who was a Thief (1951)
4) Narnia: the Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe (2005)
5) Let the Right One In (2008) - Swedish with English caption
6) A Silent Voice (2016) - Japanese with English caption
7) My Rainy Days (2009) - Japanese with English caption
8) X + Y [a Brilliant Young Mind] (2014)
9) Silence (2016)
10) Beauty and the Beast (2017)
11) Goodbye, Christopher Robin (2017)
12) The Man who Invented Christmas (2017)
13) The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)
14) Amen (2002)
15) Red (2010)
16) Fletch (1985)
17) Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
18) Men In Black (1997)
19) Star Wars: the Empire Strikes Back (1980)
20) Star Wars: a New Hope (1977)
Whats the thing at the nd?
Haters are gonna hate. GOTG was awesome!
I am grude
Guardians of the galaxy is an overrated, unfunny, stupid movie.
Well that's your stupid opinion. Congratulations!
chuvashalala Did I call you stupid?
I know it is the internet, but you can try to be more respectfull.
wi think That's my opinion regarding your opinion. You're the one who's disrespectful, and you get all butt hurt when you get a dose of your own medicine. You get treated the way you deserve to be treated.
chuvashalala Ok very good; you think you can call my opinion stupid to defend the movie of a multimillion hollywood company .
I think you should try to find better things to defend.
Sebastian Clare It's just like any other overhyped big budget franchise; people will eventually come to our point of view.
He's getting paid for this isn' he?
Do we really need to be told about a giant mainstream movie being released on dvd?
It's a paid ad, and he should be more transparent with his audience
He just expressed how he feels about the movie, Guardians of the galaxy is part of the lesser known Marvel universe and it surprised alot of people. To see this video as advertisement is all up to the individual, but then every video on the internet even talking about specific movies can be viewed as advertisement for the movie.
If you like a movie, you tell other people about that movie, yes?
Why does it matter? People want to know what Mark thinks about these films and GotG was a huge film. He talked about it and I doubt he's saying this because he was paid.
It's not a paid ad because Mark works for the BBC and they're not allowed to do that. Kermode wouldn't risk his career just to plug a film that has already been ridiculously popular.
I think he's done this video for the benefit of snobbish people (like he is, actually). A lot of people turned their nose up at GOTG and were pleasantly surprised (just like he has been) and I guess he wants to encourage others to watch it
Your username is fitting
Ethics in movie journalism! #notallcritics
Saw this a few days ago, and I have to say that I found it somewhat empty and incidental. In spite of its many funny lines and well made action sequences, I just could't get over the fact that the plot and the vilain basically have zero weight behind them whatsoever.
Guardians of the Galaxy was a film I missed in the cinemas and finally checked it out, but found it to be pretty average other than a few chuckles. I did find the pop culture references lost on me (and no I'm not that old, I'm only 24) and the music was like a wedding DJ let loose (not exactly the right kind of nostalgic...save for a couple of songs). I felt like it was overly confident, which was strange because the dialogue was so poorly written. Two of my favourite comedians featured in this film - Peter Serafinowicz and John C Reilly - and both were barely given anything in terms of solid comic moments. Djimon Hounsou and Michael Rooker were far more 'game' for the almost Fifth Element-level of campiness, and came off as the more impressive characters for me...which was a shame because they were barely in the film either.
Don't get me wrong, I like the cast, and I like the fact that Marvel will do more comedic material. But this wasn't much more than average at best for me personally, and certainly not one of the films of the year. Perhaps a sequel will pick things up, or perhaps not. Not sure what I'm expecting of Ant-Man, but I'll be seriously unappreciative of Marvel's efforts if that turns out to be a disappointment too.
Nightcrawler is brilliant, one of the better films this year and very darkly comedic. It's completely the opposite of this film though - clever and satirical with spiky cynicism to it, rather than Guardians' easy-going chuckles and vague optimism.
😎
Not first!
NIghtcrawler is good but it's nowhere near the best film of the year. Neither is this.
Nightcrawler is somewhere near the bottom of my 'Top 20' at the moment. Incidentally, Guardians of the Galaxy is somewhere near the bottom of my 'Top 70'.
"Overrated"?! Bloody hipsters...
Don't throw me with stones people, but this movie is pretty much overrated. It's fun, and good, but not as good as much rating it gets ... I mean on Rotten Tomatoes it's 90% ... it has pretty much fresh view of action-comedy, yet most of the action scenes are boring, or uninteresting. Although it's really make fun of every serious action flicks and that contrast is well made here, still not that interesting, maybe for comic fans, I don't know.
I'm no comic fan and it's really the first time I would without any hesitation call a Marvel Studios film "great" (Iron Man 1 and even more so the surprisingly awesome Cap 2 possibly as well).
zxbc I don't think saying "it's just how fanboys work" really works in this case. Guardians of the galaxy wasn't expected (as Mark pointed out) to be a big success, it was very risky and it wasn't based on a really popular comic series, the fact that James Gunn was hired only made me (and probably many others) even more skeptic. I also think it's probably one of those Marvel films so far that can be enjoyed even by people who aren't too fond of the superhero genre (or of sci-fi for that matter), it's pretty unique compared to the rest of their output so far. Avengers was a good, fun film, Guardians, on the other hand, imo a fantastic, rollicking blockbuster and very funny comedy which also (as Mark also pointed out) holds up on repeated viewings. I think it'll become a sci-fi classic.
Each to their own, I guess.
zxbc"The reason is that there is not much to "get" beyond the surface"
Well, I don't think a film needs to do that, otherwise only thought-provoking arthouse films (and very few unusual blockbusters) would be of merit. James Gunn compared Guardians to Raiders and Star Wars and that's exactly what it is: a lot of fun. If you only like it to watch a film that on repeated viewings offers some new perspective or that makes you catch things you didn't see the first time you watched it, then I don't think Guardians was your kind of film in the first place (the comparison of esapist entertainment like Guardians to pretty much the opposite of that in Birdman is quite weird, really) or maybe I'm just mininterpreting what you wrote (I don't want to sound confronting or rude, just saying it's meant to be "fun", not a deconstruction of a genre or a media satire)
Anyways, since Guardians is a comedy and a sci-fi action film, what will define its rewatchability ultimately is whether it's still funny and entertaining (respectively) the second, third... time around (and yes, it is).
"I have compiled a rough list for myself and I don't have it on. There are just a lot of movies I consider to be great."
Since this is a fantastic year for film and since it most definitely produced more than 10 great films, neither of these statements really take away anything from it.
No that's your opinion.
Finta Simon " not that interesting, maybe for comic fans, I don't know "
- Yup... you don't know.
zxbc Yep... fans of a particular genre will rate a film in that genre highly...
No, that in no way means that any individual film is not very good regardless...
Which is exactly what Mark just said.
Couldn't care less about the the characters, their goals or the super generic villain. Since you don't care about the characters the action sequences also feel meaningless. Sorry this just wasn't very good. Visually it's very nice though I have to admit.
I was underwhelmed by the film.
So very disappointed in you Mark, overrated doesn't quite cover this abysmal piece of cinema. The action is boring, the dialogue is clunky and the villain is truly laughable. I have absolutely no idea how the critics can applaud this glitzy mess and that goes for all of the other recent Marvel smash hits. I don't disagree with you on many films but I think those spectacles need to be tested on this one.
I really didn't rate the film...although I thought the same about Thor and captain America and even the avengers. I will never understand the thrill of these sorts of films. The problem with avengers was there is lots of action but nothing really happened. I guess I just couldn't buy into the clichéd plot, obscene characters and pretty superficial nature of the film when I don't feel there was any heart to the film.
I apologise for the grammar its late and I should be sleeping
GiRayne Not a fan of the source material, which is probably why. I've never really been into super heroes even as a kid. I guess what I'm trying to say is I feel that a good film should be enjoyable to someone even if the source material isn't their cup of tea. Having said that the films are a million times more enjoyable than sitting through the last airbender!
I totally agree. Avengers was entertaining but one forgets about it the moment it ends. No emotional content, no depth, no lasting impact, generic plot. I find other comic book franchises to be better (better acting and all). Other blockbusters are also better in general, no doubt: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Edge of Tomorrow, Interstellar,...
GiRayne Cheers for the info, interesting stuff.
First
I wasn't a fan of Guardians. I found the humour facetious instead of witty and I thought the music was overrated, overstated and in most cases, obvious. I was actually a disappointed by it.
Me too! Was hoping it was as 'witty' as it looked (and I'd been told by everyone) and was hugely disappointed to find it pretty limp. Overall, it's better than most Marvel films but that's not saying much.
Most overrated film of the year. Overly self-conscious humor, a completely perfunctory plot and the same boring action climax as The Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man et al. Groot and Rocket were kind of neat but I really struggle to see what was so special here.
Nightcrawler however is superb and deserving of its acclaim.
I agree. All these Marvel releases are being praised as if they were masterpieces, when all of them have the same generic plot, and zero depth. Winter Soldier is supposed to be the most serious and still imo it was just a try hard copy of The Dark Knight at moments. None of these films have especially good acting either. Other comic book movies are better imo. And of course most of the other blockbusters out there.
***** Of course it was easy enough to enjoy. But that´s that. My problem is how some fanboy-ish critics are praising these average films as if they were masterpieces. You want a phenomenal blockbuster? Mad Max Fury Road. Not this generic and repetitive stuff.
sanyrub Nail on head! Hell even for colorful family entertainment I'd put Inside Out over this.
***** Well it is being described as the best action film in years, and it is. Doesn´t sound like enough for you? :) Seriously, the cinematography, Charlize, Tom, the action, everything. I´m glad it has got the highest ratings for a blockbuster this year.
What was "the thing at the end"?