10 Most Shockingly Brilliant Movie Moments In 2014

9. A Tree, A Tubby Comedian And A Raccoon Rocked

It has been said before, but it is worth reiterating nonetheless - Guardians Of The Galaxy was Marvel's bravest, most creatively challenging property in the entire MCU. And not only that, it came on the back of successes for the "main" MCU thread, which could have been taken as a stoic model for progression: in other words, Marvel didn't need to change up their formula or their cast too much to guarantee sales. But with sequels for Thor and even Iron Man disappointing in some respects, there was a slight suggestion that the company would have to shake things up a bit. Most expected Black Panther or Captain Marvel, or a departure from the "norm" that didn't require such fundamental changes, but instead they chose to go with a relatively obscure, odd-ball intergalactic team with a talking tree, a racoon, a WWE wrestler and that slightly lumpy guy from Parks & Recreation. How wrong those early suspicions were: how many naysayers gorged on their own cynical words. James Gunn took some of the strangest Marvel Universe characters and framed them with a brilliant, funny sci-fi that packed charm in, and played off the self-imagined Han Solo appeal of Pratt, while also deftly avoiding the Howard The Duck pitfalls that undoubtedly came with Rocket Raccoon. And the fact that the film was even remotely passable - let alone brilliant - was an utter triumph.