As fans of The Dark Knight can tell you, the Academy doesn't really dig the whole comic book genre. While it is understandable why the Academy doesn't feel the necessity to award the generic fun of the vast majority of comic book adaptations, it is a pity that their prejudice against all things comics extends to the point where they refuse to recognize excellence in the genre even when it reaches the level of The Dark Knight or Guardians Of The Galaxy. But then, that's the Academy for you. Despite the unlikeliness that Guardians Of The Galaxy will be recognised by the Academy brass, the film is definitely worthy of their praise. It has become increasingly rare in the age of meticulously planned studio tentpole films for blockbusters to have much personality, but Gunn's disarming space epic has personality in spades. With a cast of superheroes who are defined by more than just their abilities, the film is an action/comedy hybrid where moments of conversation between the characters are something to be treasured, not simply a bridge between stuff blowing up to more stuff blowing up. The film also sports a fantastic soundtrack that actually plays a significant part in the story, and although it doesn't totally escape the bloated action sequence pitfalls of its Marvel brethren, Guardians Of The Galaxy is a unique entry in an overcrowded genre that should be praised for moving things in a new and fresh direction.
A film fanatic at a very young age, starting with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies and gradually moving up to more sophisticated fare, at around the age of ten he became inexplicably obsessed with all things Oscar. With the incredibly trivial power of being able to chronologically name every Best Picture winner from memory, his lifelong goal is to see every Oscar nominated film, in every major category, in the history of the Academy Awards.
