A talking raccoon, a walking tree, a space assassin, a smug 34 year old and a buff guy; this is not the Avengers. After years of box office hits (all based on popular, reliable superheroes) Marvel has done something quite strange: it has based its new film on characters completely unknown to the general populace, except for those who, you know, actually read the comic books. While everyone knows where Superman comes from or how Spiderman got his powers, the world of this movie is alien to most, and therefore has no crutches to rest on; does Guardians of the Galaxy manage to break free of these problems and live up to its hype?

Meet our protagonist: Peter Quill, self-proclaimed “Star Lord”, a cocky Terran (Earthling to you and me) who not only has the misfortune of witnessing his mother pass away from a terminal illness, but also gets abducted by space pirates shortly afterwards. After 26 years of growing up with these Ravagers, he is now an accomplished thief, scouring the galaxy for devices and artifacts that he can sell. Of course, one such venture on an abandoned planet gets him into deep trouble with one of the most powerful beings in the universe…but more on that later. He also has a love for classic 70’s hits, to the extent that he’ll clear out an entire ship to get back a measly mixtape. If for some reason you have a profound hatred of classic rock, brace yourself, because you’ll be hearing lots of it throughout the course of the movie. But Quill’s not alone in his inter-stellar shenanigans, as he’s joined by a diverse set of characters – Gamora, adopted daughter of the powerful titan Thanos, who modified her into a living weapon; Rocket Raccoon, a cynical genetically-modified rodent with a love for big guns; Groot, a sentient plant species who accompanies Rocket, and Drax the Destroyer, a buff guy looking to avenge the death of his family. Together, this uncanny crew has to face Ronan (the leader of the fanatical Kree empire) who wishes to wipe out an entire planet – this is all well and good, except he needs an ancient artifact stolen by none other than Star Lord himself.

If you haven’t noticed already, the movie throws quite a few names and characters at you without giving you much information as to what they actually are. Who’s Yondu? What’s a Necrocraft? Where is the planet Xandar and why does someone want it destroyed? Do you know the answer to these questions? I sure don’t, as the movie fails to acquaint you to the ways of this universe. There are many times during the movie where I felt a bit lost; where I had no idea how or why something was happening. It’s hard to feel sorry for Drax’s dead family when all he says is “They killed my family” (spoilers: they killed his family). It’s similar with the others; none of them has the same backstory as Peter Quill has, and even his lasted only two minutes. In these scenarios, it’s best just to go with the flow and accept that the characters know what they’re doing. In spite of this, the movie shines the brightest in the humour department; it’s filled with jokes, some cheesy, some clever, all funny. In fact, by the first 10 minutes you’ll realize that this is not a movie that takes itself seriously. The film constantly makes fun of its plot, its protagonists and itself throughout the 122 minutes of its runtime. In fact, it's argubly the most light-hearted superhero movie ever; in spite of the characters' dark pasts, and the constant evil seeking to destroy them, Guardians of the Galaxy manages to keep a playful tone throughout the course of the movie.

If you love special effects, then you're in for a major treat. This is one of the most graphically pleasing movies of the year, as nearly all of the movie is set in computer-generated environments. Spaceships whizz and dart with startling realism; Alien cities gleam with technology; sometimes you may even forget that Rocket Raccoon and Groot are just heaps of CGI. While there are obviously moments where you see slightly artificial animations of the raccoon and the tree, for the most part they are incredibly realistic, with every vine and whisker beautifully rendered. As this is an action movie at heart, pyromaniacs will love the destruction and explosions that frequent the movie. The set-pieces only enhance this experience – from a hospital bedroom on Earth to the palace of a fanatical warlord, from a cozy spacecraft to a mining colony located in the brain of a celestial being, you will never remain bored for long – the characters make sure to relocate their adventures frequently, generally by destroying them completely.

So, this is all well and good, but is Guardians of the Galaxy worth your time? I think so. Of course, this is not a movie with a riveting plot and gripping characters, but then again that’s not what it sets out to do. The movie is about superheroes and explosions, staying true to the comic books off which it was based while poking fun at itself all the while. It’s more than likely that many of those who are unacquainted with the comics will be left scratching their heads at all the unexplained references made by the movie, but again that’s not the point, because the tight pace of the movie will keep you hooked at all times. Guardians of the Galaxy is not a movie about the worldly problems faced by superheroes (Man of Steel) or about nobly defending Earth from alien invasion (The Avengers); this movie is about a talking raccoon, a walking tree, a space assassin, a presumptuous 34 year old and a buff guy kicking butt across the galaxy...and I suggest you go watch it.