The real question is what Marvel's got that the Hollywood studios don't--presumably a deep understanding of the Marvel world and a desire to share it with an audience. They're saying, "we love and believe in this and know you will too." As opposed to: "eat this pablum that we made sweet and tasty so you'll like it."

After opening in 1988, with the abduction of Peter's nine-year-old self from Earth by Yondu (Michael Rooker, a Gunn regular) and his band of space pirates, the Ravagers, the film wastes little time, leaping ahead 26 years to the abandoned planet of Morag, where we bear witness to Peter's liberation of a mysterious orb (whose importance shall soon be made apparent) from its resting place amid the ruins of some cavernous temple. It’s a rollicking scene — made even more enjoyable by the classic rock soundtrack played through Peter's vintage walkman, a gimmick that Gunn uses to great effect throughout the film — that pays playful homage to Raiders of the Lost Ark, quickly establishing Peter as a rogue and a scoundrel who's cut from the same cloth as another iconic Harrison Ford role, Han Solo.

Pratt does an impeccable job of translating the comic timing he's honed on Parks and Recreation to his new gig as a buff action hero, and the rest of the cast follows suit, exuding just the right amount of charm to bring their oddball characters to life. Bautista (a former wrestler) gives his most endearing performance to date, as a muscle-man (and occasional comic relief) with a soft spot, while Saldana is at her usual best as an alien femme fatale who carries the extra burden of being the last of her species. Surprisingly, however, it's Rocket and Groot who end up being the heart of the team (and the film). Thanks to bleeding-edge visual effects and pitch-perfect voice work by Cooper and Diesel, the pair come across as authentic as any of the other characters and not merely visual gags.

But for all its zany characters (including Doctor Who's Karen Gillan as the bald, blue-skinned, cybernetically-enhanced assassin, Nebula) and head-spinning sci-fi plot points, what it ultimately boils down to is a fun time at the movies. Because while there's a definite pathos underlying the story and its characters, Guardians of the Galaxy isn't defined by it, which places it in stark contrast to the grim-n-gritty Captain America: The Winter Soldier (the "other Marvel movie" to have been released this year). Even The Avengers, which previously held the title of being the most tongue-in-cheek Marvel movie to date (thanks to writer/director Joss Whedon), pales in comparison.

“Guardians of the Galaxy” brings to mind some of the most unforgettable sci-fi event movies of the last 30 years. Alas, those films are “Howard the Duck” and “Green Lantern.”

The one-liners in “Star Wars,” an obvious inspiration, got laughs while maintaining the illusion that the characters were in danger.

Here, a joke about “Footloose” does the opposite. Told that a legendary hero called Kevin Bacon saved the people who had sticks up their butts, Saldana’s character asks, “Who put the sticks up their butts?” It’s supposed to be Drax’s job to be the sitcom cretin here, but in “Guardians of the Galaxy” there’s so much stupid being delivered that everybody has to chip in.