THE BEST AND WORST OF JAMES BOND

Today marks the debut of Spectre, the 26th Bond film (counting the original Casino Royale which might not even be a real movie but go with me here) and with it comes approximately 100 billion James Bond lists. Step onto your front porch, pick up a stick and throw it…BAM! You just hit someone who wrote a definitive list of the James Bond films this week. (Lawsuit pending, sorry for the prompt.) And hey, a new Bond movie is a big deal. Spectre ranked third on my list of most anticipated films this year and I think all of us here at Mad About Movies have been looking forward to it for quite some time. Putting together my own definitive ranking of Bond films, however, seemed both a bit derivative given all the aforementioned lists that are already out there and also impossible as I…uh…have not seen ALL of the Bond movies. *Ducks, dodges thrown martini glasses* I know, it’s weird. Any listener of this podcast knows I am a medically-diagnosed Completist. I’m not sure there is any pop culturally-relevant entity as big as Bond of which I have partaken in only in parts. It’s usually all or nothing. But it is what it is. So instead of a comprehensive list, I thought it might be more fun to gather the opinions of a few respected cohorts as well as you, the dear listener, on the best and worst of Bond.

I’ll let Richard kick us off since he was so kind to write an introduction for this piece.
 

RICHARD BARDON – Mad About Movies Co-Host, Humorist

I wouldn’t consider my knowledge of James Bond films—or the Fleming source material, for that matter—anything more than passing. I’ve seen about ten of the films and probably read three of the books. The universe that Bond inhabits seems even more random and cruel than the real one. Bond can—from film-to-film—be thrilling, boring, sexy, eye-rolling, violent, campy, hilarious, and captivating more than any series of movies I can think of. The range of quality in these films is larger than any other series and it’s especially interesting considering this range is achieved all while following the same general formula (Dashing spy + gun + babes + villain + cunning + gadgets + car, all shaken together, never stirred).

The recipe, unlike most things at a bar, has mixed results. The variance is extreme. In a lot of ways, it keeps the series interesting.

BEST BOND: Connery, right? I actually don’t think Daniel Craig is that fabulous of a Bond (heresy, I know), I just think he’s had the fortune to not ruin some exceedingly good Bond films. Connery had the ability to make lesser Bond films watchable. Craig succeeds in system, Connery defines a system. I’ll turn to football for an analogy: Craig is Russell Wilson. Connery is Tom Brady. (Lazenby is Blaine Gabbert.)

WORST BOND: Dalton is pretty bad. I’m not a Roger Moore fan, either. I’ll actually use this space to talk about Pierce Brosnan. He seems divisive as a Bond, and I have to admit I’m a fan. I don’t think the movies (and their strict, late-90’s aesthetic and atmosphere) ever live up to the quality performance that Brosnan brought. He was the most believably wry Bond, which is to his everlasting credit. (To continue the NFL theme going, Brosnan is Archie Manning.)

BEST BOND FILM: Every single frame of Skyfall is perfect. It’s a top three blockbuster of the last ten years (The Dark Knight, Avengers, and Inception being its only competition for the #1 spot). It channels the very best of what Craig, Mendes, and, especially, Deakins have to offer. It’s fantastic.

WORST BOND FILM: There are worse, but I really hate Quantum of Solace. What a disappointment after the thrills of Casino Royale. Plus, Jack White was involved and the movie sucked. That hurt the worst.
 

JASON DAVIDSON – Mad About Movies Contributor, Acclaimed Actor

BEST BOND: Connery. Daniel Craig is certainly the better actor by almost every tangible measure. Connery has him beat on basic charisma and screen presence, but I think that argument is closer than many would be willing to admit.  But Connery had to originate and define the role. And he did it on such a grand scale that the franchise didn’t just survive the Roger Moore era, fans were still actively clamoring for a new Bond film (with a Bond more like Connery). Here’s the argument in a different context. There are some incredible guitarists out there. Guys who can play faster, cleaner and more melodic than Jimi Hendrix. Is any one of them greater?  No. Jimi is why they play electric. Connery is why we watch Bond films.

WORST BOND: Moore. I wanted to be clever and make an argument for Timothy Dalton, but I can’t. Moore certainly isn’t the only Bond to suffer with inconsistencies between films (looking at you, Brosnan), but he’s also captaining the worst iteration of the character. Moore’s Bond is a silly fop in a franchise that requires considerable style and attitude.

BEST BOND FILM: Skyfall. Film as art.  Skyfall takes a well-defined Bond, played by an inspired Daniel Craig, and drops him into a cinematic masterpiece.  I think this film is the height of the franchise. For the first time in the series, we have a film that is an excellent blend of modern filmmaking precision, while still being true to the spirit and character of James Bond.

WORST BOND FILM: Moonraker. This movie has everything; Space, Lasers, Jaws marrying a tiny woman with pigtails. Ugh. But, shockingly, this movie won awards for its special effects and was the highest grossing film in the franchise for a while. Star Wars was a game changer and in the late 70’s, everyone wanted to crank out sci-fi films because viewers couldn’t get enough. So...Bond chucked all sense of purpose and reason in order to capitalize. “Hey everyone, it’s Bond... AAAAAND it’s Star Wars! Come see it!”  And people did.  Many, many people.  It’s nothing more than campy sci-fi. It’s the worst Bond film, because it’s not a Bond film.
 

DANNY GILL – Mad About Movies Listener, Creator of Nerds (My Dad)

BEST BOND: Sean Connery. Daniel Craig is a fairly close second, but Connery will always be James Bond to me. He played the role with a self-deprecating lightness that hid a real core of danger. Craig’s Bond is good, but grittier, and I think that’s not quite how the character should be.

WORST BOND: Roger Moore. George Lazenby doesn’t really count. Moore was way too campy as Bond, and I could never take him seriously.

BEST BOND FILM : Thunderball. Good writing, and perhaps the most believable of the old Bond plots. The underwater scenes were great. Skyfall was perhaps my second favorite, but it’s a totally different kind of film, and it doesn’t really seem to fit the James Bond mold as well as the earlier movies do.

WORST BOND FILM: That’s a hard one. There were so many that were bad throughout the Roger Moore years. Maybe a toss-up between Live and Let Die (Mr. Big was just a terrible villain), and Moonraker. But you can have any of the Roger Moore movies.
 

BRIAN GILL – Mad About Movies Co-Host, the James Bond of Drinking Red Bull

BEST BOND: In a two man race, I have Connery edging out Craig by a nose. Craig might actually be the best and were I to rank all the Bond movies, I think the top five would be Craig-heavy. But Connery IS James Bond. When I picture James Bond, it’s Sean Connery (topless and in short trunks but that’s neither here nor there). Plus, he gets credit for being the first and starting the whole thing off on the right foot. Mad Men might be a better TV show than The Sopranos but The Sopranos gets credit for being the first of the Golden Age shows.

WORST BOND: I haven’t seen all (most?) of the Moore films so maybe I can’t fully appreciate his awfulness. I can, however, appreciate the awfulness of Pierce Brosnan. To his credit, his last three Bond romps would’ve been bad with literally anyone in the tuxedo but he also doesn’t do anything to salvage them. His brand of smug, too, seemed to almost revel in how painful his movies were.

BEST BOND MOVIE: For the record, my answer is actually Skyfall and it’s not particularly close. But since that film is very well represented on this list, I’ll make the case for Casino Royale. Coming off the disastrous Brosnan tenure, there was an entire generation of movie watchers who either didn’t care about Bond or outright disliked the notion of another Bond film. I was personally extremely skeptical/nonplussed by its announcement. But Casino Royale is such a tremendous departure from the previous entries and reinvigorated both a franchise and a fanbase. But yeah, it’s Skyfall.

WORST BOND MOVIE: There are several acceptable answers here. Die Another Day got a TON of mentions from the listeners (see below) but I cannot remember that movie at all (possibly because I Total Recall-ed myself) and thus, I have to go with The World is Not Enough if for no other reason than Denise Richards playing Doctor Christmas Jones. DOCTOR!!! Top that off with the most cringe-worthy double entendre in the history of film standing as the LAST LINE OF THE MOVIE…I can’t do it, you guys.
 

THE LISTENERS – All-Around Glorious, Wonderful People

First of all, thanks to all of you who tweeted, Facebooked, and emailed us your Bond thoughts. It’s still amazing to me the quantity and quality of responses we get whenever we throw a question out to you.

You are all the real MVPs.

BEST BOND: The vast majority of you were, like myself, torn between Connery and Craig. (For what it’s worth, no one voted for Brosnan or Lazenby so…) Around 45% of the vote went to Craig, while Connery took home close to 40%. Two brave souls, Eric Kurt and Eric Bishop, went Independent and put their votes behind Moore. Power to the people! Linda Zhu voted for Dalton because, “He’s the closest to the literary Bond” and let me know there are literally “DOZENS!” of Dalton supporters. Much like Never

Nudes, I fear your kind may never be fully legitimized.

WORST BOND: I was SHOCKED that Brosnan’s name only appeared on a handful of the ballots. (Also for what it’s worth, Connery and Craig received zero votes in this category.) I’ve demanded a recall; we’ll see what the judge decides. Lazenby and Moore each took home their fair share of the vote but somehow Dalton came out as the leader in the “Worst” clubhouse. I hope you all know that you’ve made a lifelong enemy out of Linda Zhu today.

BEST BOND FILM: Unsurprisingly, Skyfall came out on top, with Casino Royale following in as a close second. Goldfinger, which I think was long considered the best Bond film before Craig came around and muddied the water, got plenty of attention as well, with “The Eric Vote” (Kurt and Bishop, respectively) going to the Moore collection. Heroes, you both are.

WORST BOND FILM: This one was more divisive. Connor agreed with Richard and stated that his “nap was better than” Quantum of Solace. Several listeners named Moonraker and The Man with the Golden Gun received a handful of mentions. Tobin Hodges and Christiane Le each compared The World is not Enough to Threat Level Midnight and instantly became my favorite listeners of all time. But the overwhelming favorite for the crown was Die Another Day. (Shout out to Gary L. for the funniest response to this query, though I can’t mention it here due to its graphic nature.) You guys really, REALLY hated that movie. Somewhere Halle Berry is crying.

Thanks again to all who participated and contributed to this blog! Here’s hoping Spectre is more Casino Royale and less Moonraker!

Top Ten Anticipated Films of 2015 - Part II

A few notes on this piece before you jump in:

1.) Part I of this list (January through June) can be found here. It is iffy at best but keep in mind, the first half of 2015 was pretty weak, if we’re being honest, and I didn’t have a lot to choose from. But yes, I let my love for Cameron Crowe blind me and I’m sorry.

2.) The back half of 2015 is packed, leaving me with far too many choices that I knew what to do with so if you’re stoked about a movie I didn’t list here, just know it was considered. (Unless you’re stoked about Ricki and the Flash; in that case, just know it was NOT considered.)

3.) The second half of the year always brings with it a dozen or more surprise films we know nothing about that come out of nowhere/the festival circuit to jump into Oscar contention. As such, this list is mostly studio fare.

4.) Having been burned too many times in the past, I toss out any movie that doesn’t have a definite US release date or for which we have yet to see a trailer. (Exception: number six, which got a pass because it’s part of an existing franchise I know and trust.) This eliminated films like The Revenant, MacBeth, and The Hateful Eight, though I’m sure they’ll all be great.

5.) SPOILER ALERT: Star Wars makes an appearance.

Enjoy.

Honorable Mention: The Good Dinosaur (November 27) – Raymond Ochoa, Jeffrey Wright, Steve Zahn

Pixar just gave us one, if not the, best movie in their considerable catalog so why has The Good Dinosaur fallen out of my top 10, you ask? There are SO MANY bad signs on this one that even I, one of Pixar’s biggest apologists, must acknowledge that this could be a big misstep. You don’t often see a movie turn out well after it’s A) been pushed back a couple of times (this was supposed to be Pixar’s 2014 studio release) and B) replaced virtually its entire cast during production, not to mention the director. (See this story for more details.) Of course, if anyone can pull it off, it’s these guys and I’m looking forward to a dinosaur movie that won’t scar my toddler but we’re in wait-and-see mode as of right now.

10. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (July 31) – Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson

Maybe you’ve grown tired of the “Tom Cruise hangs from inanimate objects” genre (if that’s not a Netflix category by the end of the week I’ll be furious) but I’m still more than willing to give Cruise two hours every year to thoroughly entertain me. The most recent Impossible (Ghost Protocol if you’ve forgotten) was, by my estimation, one of the best action films in years and I think as long as Cruise is willing to risk his life for my entertainment, I’ll keep coming back happily. (About that title though…)

9. The Peanuts Movie (November 6) – Noah Schnapp, Francesca Capaldi, Hadley Belle Miller

I have run the gamut of emotions on this one: I loved Snoopy and the gang as a kid but couldn’t see the need for a new film, then the teaser trailer was outstanding, and then the full trailer was…decent? So I’m not totally sure what we’re getting here but at the end of the day, it’s probably high time we reintroduce Charlie Brown to the younger generations and the animation looks stellar. I’m in.

8. Nowitzki: The Perfect Shot (July 10) – Dirk Nowitzki

I considered removing this entry from my list partly because I tend to think of documentaries as almost a different medium than a traditional film and partly because this is likely to be less of an actual film and more, “Two hours of Brian weeping and yelling “DIIIIIRRRRKKKKKKKK” at the top of his lungs.” I realize this is an incredibly micro film in an otherwise macro list but it is, after all, my list and Dirk will always have a place on whatever list I happen to make. 

7. Bridge of Spies (October 16) – Tom Hanks, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan

This one was probably second on my list heading into the first trailer. If there are three non-Star Wars things I love in this world, it’s Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and the Cold War. Seriously, how can that go wrong? Well…first trailer…not the best. Bridge of Spies is starting to look a little too feel good-y inspirational and less actual good movie. That said, the trailer could be a lie and the pedigree for this thing is so good that I’m hoping the good will win out. But from that first glimpse, it’s veering a little too close to War Horse to leave me totally optimistic.

6. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II (November 20) – Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth

I can’t exactly call the Hunger Games franchise underrated or underappreciated given that each of the previous three films have been wildly successful and they’ve helped turn Jennifer Lawrence into arguably the biggest female movie star in the world. And yet, I don’t feel like this series quite gets its due. These are really stinking good blockbuster movies and while the third entry was a step down from its predecessor (Catching Fire found a place in my Top 10 films in 2013), it’s still a solid film that gave Lawrence an opportunity to do a little more actual acting and set things up for Part II quite nicely. Here’s hoping the film version can bring it all home in better fashion than the books, which were uneven at best.

5. Black Mass (September 16) – Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dakota Johnson

I can’t tell you when the last time was that I got excited about a Johnny Depp movie. Actually, I can. 2009, Public Enemies. And we saw how that turned out. “Starring Johnny Depp” just doesn’t do anything for me anymore, and quite frankly, more often than not, it fills me with dread. But a locked in, “I’m really trying here instead of just hanging out with Tim Burton all year”, Johnny Depp as notorious Boston mobster Whitey Bulger? Now THAT interests me. From the looks of it, Black Mass has a legitimate shot at a Best Picture nomination and I can’t wait to check it out.

4. In the Heart of the Sea (December 11) – Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson

This is the rare case where a movie getting pushed back from its original release date is actually a good thing. It always seemed like an odd fit for March and clearly the studio agreed, instead shifting In the Heart of the Sea to a prime time spot in the Oscar race. Great cast, great director (Ron Howard), and great source material. Can’t wait.

3. Spectre (November 6) – Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes

Coming off what I would consider to be the best Bond film ever, Spectre has a lot to live up to. But with all the principals returning and the addition of Waltz (in possibly but maybe not but probably the iconic Bond villain role), there’s no reason to believe we won’t be treated to yet another spectacular entry. The teaser trailers have been extraordinarily teaser-y but for me, this has done nothing but further pique my interest.

2. The Martian (November 27) – Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig

It’s been a rough few years for Ridley Scott, once one of the most trustworthy directors in the business. But with a cast like this and a fantastic book from which to draw inspiration (I read The Martian earlier this year and absolutely loved it), I have to believe that he can’t screw this up. Or at least, I choose to believe he can’t screw this up. Likewise, Damon has been on a mediocre run for a few years and I feel like this might be the perfect role to reassert his place in the movie world. The Martian would’ve found a place on this list no matter what but the outstanding trailer pushed it this high. 

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (December 18) – Harrison Ford, Oscar Isaac, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver

I almost titled this list my, “Top 10 Anticipated Films of 2015 Part II Not Counting Star Wars” because honestly it’s not even fair for the rest of these movies to have to compete with Star Wars. How could any movie compete with competent new Star Wars, really? I’ve watched that trailer maybe a hundred times and it never fails to bring a smile to my face. This is like the completion of some sort of life goal which probably speaks to both the pop cultural significance of this franchise and the sadness of my life. If The Force Awakens is even decent (and at this point, I think that’s the low end of what we should expect), this is going to be the biggest movie of all-time and I’ll only account for like one, maybe two million dollars of that total gross myself.

THE COLLECTED WORKS: The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Tonight, across the country, The Avengers: Age of Ultron makes its debuts in thousands of theaters. Of course you know this, as this is likely to be one of the two biggest films of the year (maybe ever) and has already taken in ALL of the money overseas. Mad About Movies has been talking this movie up for literally years now but before we head off on a brand new adventure, I felt it only proper to have a look back at the 10 existing films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (hereto referred to as the MCU) and rank them from worst to first. This turned out to be a much more difficult process than I would’ve imagined in that I think I could’ve ranked films four through seven in almost any order and movies one through three were similarly interchangeable. Nevertheless, after a week spent reviewing and revisiting these movies, this is where I sit at the moment but hey, this sort of list is always fluid in my mind and tomorrow I might decide The Incredible Hulk is the best film in the series (unlikely). Feel free to chime in here, through Twitter, or over email and shoot me your own rankings.

10. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

The only MCU movie that doesn’t reside in my massive Blu-Ray/DVD collection and the only entry I didn’t rewatch for the purpose of making this list. Thor is, perhaps, the toughest of the core Avenger crew to pull off on his own (more on this in a moment) but having seen it done correctly in the first film, I came out of Dark World incredibly disappointed and thoroughly unimpressed. This was the first (and to this point, only) time that the Marvel formula felt tired to me. The term “cash grab” doesn’t quite fit but Dark World is a relatively ugly film that feels flat and uninspired.

9. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Words/phrases I would use to describe The Incredible Hulk would include: “Not bad.” “Entertaining.” “Consistently good enough.” “Solid.” There’s really nothing especially good about this movie but there’s nothing wrong with it, either. In fact, there are several movies ranked about The Incredible Hulk that have significantly lower lows than this film does; it’s just that the highs never amount to all that much. Norton is good as Banner/Hulk but not irreplaceable (obviously) and the rest of the movie hums along at about the same level of quality. In essence, The Incredible Hulk is a perfectly reasonable, acceptable summer blockbuster.

8. Iron Man 2 (2010)

I find it very easy to get sucked into Iron Man 2 and ignore its flaws. More than anything else, I just enjoy watching Robert Downey, Jr. be Robert Down--- er, I mean Tony Snark. This is Tony at his cockiest and that’s just a lot of fun to sit back and enjoy. The narrative is weak, however, and Favreau (whom I quite like as both a director and performer) misuses Sam Rockwell badly, leaving Iron Man 2 feeling a little thin. The movie could have fattened up (as it were) a bit on a more compelling villain but Mickey Rourke’s Ivan Vanko doesn’t quite fit the bill. On the whole, I think Iron Man 2 is a great “TNT on a Sunday afternoon” sort of movie but inferior to the rest of the Stark entries.

7. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

I dig Captain America quite a bit more than the average Marvel movie fan. I could very easily move it up the ladder a notch or two (or three). For some reason, the old school sentimentality and the sense of nostalgia work for me where others found it corny or pandering. You could argue that the degree of difficulty is lower on Captain America than it is on most of these other films and even I would agree that Chris Evans, while talented and incredibly well-cast, is the most replaceable actor in the MCU (again, besides Norton). But I would counter your argument by pointing out the list of Superman properties that have come and gone as an indicator of just how difficult it is, after all, to successfully convey the sort of old fashioned, deep-rooted American values that both of these characters espouse. Captain America does it incredibly well and also manages to bring along one of the better villains this franchise has to offer.

6. Iron Man 3 (2013)

I found this one to be the toughest in the series to place. I think the highs of Iron Man 3 are better than any other in the MCU. The movie is a blast, Robert Downey, Jr. is tremendous, Shane Black working in a franchise setting is a riot, and I think pound for pound, the airborne passenger rescue is probably the best sequence in the entire series of films. But then there’s that final act. “Bombastic” is a word I used to describe the third act after my first viewing but now I prefer, “Iron Man suit vomit.” It’s just too much and the battle between Stark and Guy Pearce’s villain, capped off by a semi-absurd ascension to power by Gwyneth Paltrow, is an enormous let down compared to the first two-thirds of the movie. I’ll watch Iron Man 3 a thousand more times in my lifetime and I think I’ll always be a little disappointed in its finish.

5. Thor (2011)

Thor should not work. The protagonist isn’t relatable, the Asgardian setting is too galactic, and the earth-bound story is too cliché. But through it all, Thor not only works, it’s also the only Marvel film that, in my mind, gets better with age and multiple viewings. It might not be my first choice for a rewatch but every time I do, I come away with a greater appreciation. Thor succeeds for two reasons: One, Chris Hemsworth is a bona fide movie star. And two, Kenneth Branagh is a fantastic director (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit aside). Branagh deserves unending credit for making Thor even a remotely enjoyable film, let alone a very good one, and if you need proof of that, look no further than Thor: The Dark World.

4. Iron Man (2008)

The patriarch of the MCU still stands just as strong as it did when it burst on to the scene in 2008. In retrospect, Iron Man was the perfect feature to kickoff this whole crazy thing and of course Robert Downey, Jr. is the perfect leader for the movement. Iron Man is a completely different kind of superhero movie than anything we had seen previously and it set the tone for films to come. It is a highly enjoyable, quality piece of blockbuster filmmaking. The only thing that holds it back is the ho-hum villain (even by Marvel standards) and the fact that it started the, “Iron Man battles Iron Man suits!” trend.

3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Because, as mentioned previously, I’m a big fan of the original Captain America, I think I had a higher level of anticipation for The Winter Soldier than most. Even I was blown away. The Russo Brothers took a strong, moralistic character and gave him an edge without betraying his sense of right and wrong. It was, to my mind, a huge leap forward for the whole MCU in terms of tone and look. The action sequences are incredibly strong and the Russos were able to make Cap much more powerful (yet still realistically so) than he’d ever been before. Upon subsequent viewings, I’m not totally in love with the final act and I really wish Robert Redford could be replaced by someone who actually cares even a little. But these are small flaws.

2. The Avengers (2012)

Were you nervous about whether or not Joss Whedon could pull this thing together before The Avengers debuted? I was. Not because I didn’t believe in Whedon or because I didn’t see the merits of the property but because the stakes were so stinking high. Marvel had been building toward this moment for so long and if it didn’t work, the previous films would have been cheapened in some ways, in spite of how much I liked them all. I imagine the folks at Marvel/Disney would admit to the same anxiety if they were being honest. But it all worked out thanks to the remarkable talent both on and off the screen. The actors have excellent chemistry together and they’re all (okay, maybe not poor Jeremy Renner) able to work off of each other quite well while staying in character, not a totally easy task in an ensemble like this. And Whedon blends the heroes together nearly seamlessly (again, poor Jeremy Renner) by playing up their respective strengths and weaknesses and mixing in an obligatory Whedon-y script that did wonders for this universe. Moreover, I think Avengers has the ONLY compelling villain in the MCU and Whedon deserves a ton of credit for building Loki up appropriately from his tepid run in Thor.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

I considered excluding Guardians from this conversation simply because it is obviously the least connected film within the MCU. It’s almost “MCU adjacent” rather than “MCU proper.” But since Marvel considers it part of the expanded universe, so will I. In my mind, there is almost nothing to quibble over when it comes to Guardians. Sure, a stronger villain would be nice (this is something Marvel seriously needs to work on) but this is not a story that’s begging for a compelling bad guy and the sheer enjoyableness of the mismatched main characters overshadows that shortcoming. I have very rarely had as much fun in a theater as I had with Guardians and it brings a level of freshness to this universe that I think it desperately needed. The beats may be the same as the average Marvel movie but the music is completely different and oh, what a blast it is to behold! Guardians could’ve been a massive misfire in the wrong hands and instead, I think it stands out as one of the absolute best pieces of blockbuster filmmaking I’ve ever seen.