Comic book films are all the rage these days. It seems any and every comic book series can get their own film and sell tickets. Well, that theory is being put to the test with the release of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, one of the least well known comic books to get the full length feature treatment. And with an estimated budget of $170 million, it’s a pretty big gamble.

Luckily for them (and filmgoers), the gambit pays off. ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is one of the most original comic book films of the year. It seems to match the tone of the source material: they’re not really ‘heroes’, they’re more out for themselves. But more importantly, they’re hilarious. One is a tree, one is a raccoon, and another is a man who can only speak in literal terms. It’s… unique. And there’s still plenty of action pieces, it’s just not your typical action flick; they kind of Forrest Gump their way to their objective. I wish I could genuinely convey how truly entertaining the film is, but the only tool at my disposal is a dry review. My apologies.

As fun as the film is, there were a couple things that bothered me. There are a few schmaltzy moments, which wouldn’t be so bad if it didn’t feel completely out of place. One moment they’re all cracking wise, the next moment is about a deep connection the characters feel. Barf. The other problem seems to be symptomatic of many Marvel films, but seems particularly obvious here: nondescript villains. All the characters that inhabit the world of ‘Guardians’ are fleshed out characters with incredibly unique perspectives. Even people on screen for no more than a few minutes add something to the film. The main villain, Ronan, is nothing more than a cookie cutter of every cartoon villain. He’s evil, he’s killed people, and now he has the power to take over the galaxy. Yawn. What a waste of Lee Pace’s talent. Hopefully they can fix that before #2. But if they don’t, I’ll be happy with another soundtrack.