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(Rating: 12A, 121 mins) Written by Zen Terrelonge

Starring – Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel

If you've seen the trailers for Guardians of the Galaxy, you'd be within your rights to think Marvel Studio execs have been hitting the bottle hard or taking LSD.

The film revolves around a group of dysfunctional but goodhearted criminals – think Robin Hood's Merry Men of the future – comprising human thief Peter Quill aka Star-Lord (Pratt), green assassin Gamora (Saldana), talking raccoon Rocket (Cooper), knife-wielding Drax the Destroyer (Bautista), and walking tree Groot (Diesel).

Like the Avengers, the Guardians get off to a false start but soon unite over a common cause, namely, the galaxy being obliterated by genocidal maniac, Ronan – not Keating – the Accuser.

Ah yes, the old, let's-exterminate-everyone-for-the-mistakes-of-their-forefathers ploy.

But unlike Avengers Assemble, Guardians of the Galaxy oozes offbeat originality and frankly, it's the most unique and delightful film Marvel has created to date.

It's a hell of an achievement given the extensive movie library the company is building up and when you consider the characters aren't household names like 'big three' Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, but Marvel seems well aware of that fact with the final production risky to say the least.

The film opens in 1988, which is when Quill is abducted from Earth, and 26 years later we see he's become a crooked intergalactic outlaw with a taste for all things shiny, valuable and not his.

Given the distinct decade in which he was taken, his cassette player and mixtape of 70s and 80s tracks are laced throughout the film, which creates a quirky yet grounded quality in the midst of all of the dazzling interstellar warfare that takes place along the way.

In addition to the soundtrack, jokes and comedy have never been more of a feature in a Marvel film – perhaps Iron Man 3 was the closest – as gags are thrown into the unlikeliest of scenarios to lessen the tension, and I would imagine, to really differentiate itself from Avengers Assemble, Star Wars and Star Trek, which by comparison are left looking very sombre.

That said, if you were going to compare Pratt's Quill to someone, the character is quite reminiscent of Chris Pine's Captain James Kirk – smart, womanising, reckless leaders, who eventually find their feet.

The editing is supreme and makes each bit of dialogue super-sharp and tight, so when the infamous five are bickering or talking generally, the repartee all feels really clean and natural without being awkward or forced.

Thor can be stubborn, Iron Man can be arrogant and Captain America is considered too stiff, but all of the Guardians bring even more wildly different qualities to the table and offer some diversity that doesn't ever grate or bore, which wouldn't have been possible without such excellent casting.

Meanwhile, the film is very much in the here and now, with Quill's backstory the only one that truly gets a look-in, which creates a sense of intrigue about his colleagues who only have their pasts hinted at, meaning sequel fodder.

There's just no way of knowing where you're going and tonally the movie delivers a piece of everything and it's done big and without hesitation.

Guardians may have been a gamble, but I'm Grooting for it to Rocket to the top.

10/10

The Fast and Furious franchise has undergone a radical transformation since launching 12 years ago, with the changes following Justin Lin taking hold of directorial duties from Tokyo Drift (film three) onwards.

The series has made the transition from street races to include drugs, heists, and now terrorism, while lead characters Dom Toretto (Diesel) and Brian O'Conner (Walker) have gone from petty thug and law enforcer to wanted fugitives.

With an opening sequence reminiscent of Quantum of Solace, Toretto and Brian screech around mountaintops as the latter readies himself to become a father, demonstrating how adult and family-minded they've become. Meanwhile, what follows is a nice refresher for those acquainted with the series and for newcomers alike, acting as a highlights reel to bring everyone up to speed of the events experienced in the previous five films.

The antagonist for Fast 6 is Mr Owen Shaw (Evans), a former special ops military man that uses his knowledge, contacts and fast cars to make robberies for the highest bidder. In this instance, it just so happens he has his eyes on a chip that would incite terrorism in the wrong hands, which prompts baby oil-loving federal agent Hobbs (Johnson) to round up Toretto and his crew for back-up, offering them full pardons in exchange for their services.

London is the main backdrop for the film, which, naturally, features a very corny cameo, though the the bright lights, black taxis and double-decker buses dotted around the city are infinitely more welcome.

For me, five was the best of all of the films, but six gives it a run for its money, taking the stunts to ridiculous new heights (literally). You could, of course, reprimand the film for its use of impossible feats, but that's the whole point of these films, right? To get bigger and more extreme, as demonstrated with the big and extreme – and always affable – introduction of Johnson in Fast Five.

For me, Johnson changed the game and breathed new life into a franchise that was beginning to get stale, and seeing Hobbs join forces with Toretto and co makes for brilliant viewing. The action is insane and the banter is electric, with the camaraderie between the cast obvious.

The only criticism of the film is its length. There was a particular moment that seemed as though the film had wrapped, though it continued for another half hour, and while what followed was laced with adrenaline and big bangs, the film could have done with a 20 minute tightening.

Shaw isn't an intimidating or imposing character, particularly when facing off against Hobbs and Toretto, but he is devious, ruthless and sharp, presenting an entirely new threat to the series.

Those in the know will be aware Tokyo Drift threw the timeline entirely out of sequence, but the game comes full circle at the end of the film, and you won't want to miss the credits sequence that follows…

Originally posted at www.zentertainmentweekly.com

7/10