Another mention for Guardians Of The Galaxy, and another for Groot in particular, who was reinvented from dog-like hulking sidekick to the emotional heart of the film by a heroic sacrifice that lost no meaning by the revelation that he's pretty much immortal anyway. With the Guardians facing almost certain doom as Ronan's ship fell towards the planet's surface ominously, the hired muscle proved that he was significantly more than just Rocket's thug by wrapping his new friends in the cuddle they'd never had their whole life (sugary but no less pleasant) and saving them from being smushed. His almost regal calm was brilliant, but what was even better was Rocket's reaction to the impending death of his best friend. Rocket could and should have been a disaster of Howard The Duck proportions, but he was instead a wounded, furious little hero with a devastating backstory who genuinely loved his big friend, and seeing him pleading with Groot not to die was surprisingly touching.
