Guardians of the Galaxy, which opened August 1st, is based on Marvel’s comics by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. The first time this group of misfits came together and formed their team, know as The Guardians of the Galaxy, was in may of 2008. The members of this particular group are Star-Lord, the leader and strategizer, Gamora, the galaxy’s most deadly assassin, 89P13 (a.k.a. Rocket), a trigger happy Racoon, Groot, a flora colossus and the brawns, and Drax, the destroyer.

Until Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy was announced many people had no idea who they were or what they did. The guardians of the galaxy are a group of misfit outlaws who come together to save the galaxy from Thanos, a supreme being bent on the destruction of the galaxy. They each have a troubled past that eventually brings them all together in prison-42.

Peter Jason Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), is an intergalactic police officer (IPO) who goes rogue and becomes a game hunter. Game hunter’s steal valuable cargo from different worlds to sell them for a bigger price. But before Star-Lord even became Star-Lord, he was just a normal kid living in Nebraska. He lived with his single mother, who was taken away from him by cancer when he was eleven. To remember her, Peter listens to a cassette tape that was his mother’s, which contained her favorite music from the 70s, including Hooked on a feeling by Blue Swede, Escape (Pina colada) by Rupert Holmes, and Cherry Bomb by the Runaways, which become the soundtrack for the entire movie. While attempting to sell the object,he gets attacked which leads to his captured by the IPO and gets sent to Prison-42.

Gamora is the adopted daughter of Thanos from the planet Zen Whoberi. Zen Whoberi was wiped out when Thanos came in search for another daughter for his army. Thanos killed Gamora’s parents in front of her then took her away. He trained her to become who she is today, the mostly deadly female in the galaxy. Gamora gained Thanos’s trust and became his favorite daughter, which had allowed her to escape him. Gamora did not want to destroy any more worlds and the only way she knew how to get away was to sabotage Star-Lord's transaction. While in the process, Gamora gets intercepted and goes to Prison-42.

89P13--Rocket Raccoon-- was a result of a experimentation on a racoon in a lab on Strangers’ planet. However, he manages to escape his cell, this is a skill which he has used forty-two times in forty-two prisons. Due to the experiment he received special abilities like being master tactician, expert marksman, the ability to speak, and more. Rocket’s best friend and partner in crime is a flora colossus--Groot, a monarch of Planet X. The comics never say when they first met, but there never a comic with Rocket without Groot. The two of them are bandits who get money wherever and however they can. They found a wanted sign for Star-Lord and go looking for him. While trying to kidnap him the IPO catch them and bring them to P-42.

Drax, also known as Drax the destroyer, used to be Arthur Douglas, a man from Earth. He was attacked by a spaceship piloted by Thanos, killing his wife and Thanos taking his daughter. He was enraged by Thanos and when Kronos came looking for a warrior to fight Thanos, Arthur volunteer. Kronos then took Arthur’s spirit and put it into a stronger body, and other abilities like super-human strength, enhanced durability, speed, and energy blasts. In search for Thanos, Drax had destroyed several civilizations, earning him the name Drax the destroyer. Drax was arrested and put into P-42 for multiple counts of murder.

This movie is MARVEL-ous because it brings together unconventional heroes from across the galaxy, with completely different backgrounds, and gives them a common purpose--saving the galaxy. Although this movie contains intense action scenes and overall serious plot, it is glittered with witty, sarcastic and light hearted humor which highlight the characters. All in all this movie is well directed and produced, humorous, and action packed, not to mention picture perfect cast, which is why I recommend this movie.