The Galaxy Comes Alive!

Oh, how rare and wonderful!

1977.  Summer in Saginaw.  The slow movie roll out finally came to our area after several weeks in Detroit.  And it was everything I had dreamed of and more.

I was a huge science fiction buff.  There had been a large number of other science fiction movies I had seen, some fairly good.  But the space movies had never come close to capturing what was in my head as to what they could.

Then came Star Wars, and I was completely blown away.  Space travel and other worlds as I had only imagined before.  When the Cantina scene came, I knew that my movie going experience had reached a pinnacle.

2014.  Summer in South Georgia. And then came the next space movie to blow me away.  Guardians of the Galaxy.  Yes, it's that good.

It's not just the CGI and special effects.  Although one must stand in awe of what Hollywood is capable of now.  It is a group of amazing characters part to life.  It is an exciting story of epic scope.  And it is filled with an infectious humor and sense of fun,

I had read some of the comic books when they first came out, primarily through Captain Mar-Vell.  A lot of these characters were either created or brought to life by writer/artist Jim Starlin.  They were very good comics, but they did not have the humor and character depth portrayed in this movie.

It is possible to look at the characters through a Star Wars lens.  Starlord/Peter Quill as Luke Skywalker, Gamora as Princess Leia, Rocket Raccoon as Hans Solo, Groot as Chewbacca, Drax as ---- OK, I'm still working on that one.

The device of having Peter Quill be an Earth boy from 1988, with an "Awesome Mix" tape of music was brilliant.  It gave the average viewer a hook into this cosmically huge universe.

The reviews for this movie have been very good.  The opening box office has been record-breaking.  But that is only secondary to how truly awesome this movie is.

The true inheritor to Star Wars has been born, just as the Star Wars franchise is starting to pick back up.  Guardians of the Galaxy is the movie that a new generation of fans will hook themselves.  This is the movie that will stick with the young that saw it, that will buy the toys and comics, that will create the fan fiction and games. that will make sure that their children and grandchildren will see it.

Yes, it's that good.