Set against the sun-drenched paradise, and shadowy criminal underbelly, of Hawaii, The Wrecking Crew hits the gas hard and never lets up. Director Ángel Manuel Soto (Blue Beetle) pulls from the greatest hits of the buddy-cop genre while gleefully tearing up the rulebook, crafting a film that feels familiar yet feral, classic yet unhinged. The result is a pure adrenaline rush that kicks off 2026 with a resounding, knuckle-cracking bang.

Two half-brothers, Jonny (Jason Momoa), a loose cannon Tribal cop and James Hale (Dave Bautista), a disciplined Navy SEAL, must work together to unravel a conspiracy behind their father’s murder in Hawaii.

Brothers In Arms (And At War)

At the heart of The Wrecking Crew are estranged half-brothers forced into an uneasy alliance. Jason Momoa plays Detective Jonny Hale, a reckless, undercover tribal cop with a devil-may-care attitude and a long trail of broken rules behind him. Dave Bautista counters as Commander James Hale, a disciplined, tightly-wound Navy SEAL whose life is built on structure, control, and honor.

The brothers couldn’t be more different — and that’s exactly where the spark ignites.

When a sprawling criminal conspiracy threatens to tear Hawaii apart, Jonny and James are forced to confront not just the bad guys, but years of unresolved resentment, clashing worldviews, and shared blood they’d rather forget. What follows is a combustible mix of fists, bullets, and brotherhood, as Soto mines genuine emotional weight beneath the carnage. Yes, bodies pile up fast: but The Wrecking Crew is just as invested in what it means to be men, warriors, and brothers bound by duty and sacrifice.

Ángel Manuel Soto Goes Full Throttle

Soto directs this film like a man with nothing to lose and everything to prove. There’s no restraint here; just booze, bullets, and badassery delivered with raw confidence. While the film tips its hat to genre staples, Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys, Tango & Cash, it refuses to play by their rules.

There’s a gritty punk-rock edge coursing through The Wrecking Crew, giving the film a wild, unpredictable pulse. Soto balances explosive action with surprisingly thoughtful character beats, and that contrast is what elevates the film beyond a simple shoot-’em-up. Between the mayhem, there’s humor, pain, loyalty, and the bruised intimacy of family ties that refuse to stay buried.

Bautista & Momoa: Peak Action-Star Chemistry

Simply put: Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa are having an absolute blast — and it’s infectious.

Momoa leans hard into his rebel swagger, playing Jonny Hale as a charming, loose-cannon outlaw who thrives on chaos. Bautista, meanwhile, anchors the film as the stoic counterbalance, bringing quiet gravitas and controlled fury to James Hale. Together, they generate electric chemistry, with razor-sharp banter and physical presence that dominates every frame.

Whether they’re trading insults, cracking skulls, or bulldozing through hordes of bad guys, their back-and-forth is endlessly entertaining. When the bullets start flying and the explosions kick off, both actors remind audiences exactly why they’ve become modern action royalty. This is movie-star energy, plain and simple.

A Stacked supporting cast bring the Heat

Backing up the Hale brothers is a stacked supporting ensemble that brings serious heat. Jacob Batalon pops as Pika, a cheeky, pesty, yet endlessly lovable wildcard who injects humor and heart into the mayhem, while Morena Baccarin commands attention as Valentina, a dangerous flame from Jonny’s past who’s more than capable of holding her own in a firefight. Frankie Adams adds grit as Haunani, the cousin the brothers didn’t know they needed until everything goes sideways.

On the villain front, Claes Bang oozes sleaze as the calculating Robichaux, a man begging for his inevitable skull-caving, while Miyavi steals scenes as Nakamura, a rogue Yakuza enforcer dripping with sadistic menace.

Rounding things out, Stephen Root brings weary authority as Detective Rennert, and Temuera Morrison delivers gravitas, and a hell of a surprise, as Governor Peter Mahoe. It’s a deep bench, and everyone shows up ready to brawl.

Action that lives up to the title

If you came for action, The Wrecking Crew delivers it by the truckload.

Soto stages his set pieces with scale, clarity, and brutal impact. From bone-rattling hand-to-hand combat to full-blown vehicular warfare, the film revels in destruction. The third-act highway chase turns Hawaii into a literal war zone, while the penultimate commando-style raid is pure action-movie nirvana; Jonny and James fully tooled up, unleashing hell in a storm of bullets and fists.

This is old-school action reborn, muscular and unapologetic, delivered with modern ferocity. Every explosion lands. Every punch hurts. And when the dust settles, the title has never felt more earned.

Final Verdict

The Wrecking Crew is loud, proud, and gloriously excessive, exactly what a great action film should be. With Ángel Manuel Soto firing on all cylinders and Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa operating at peak charisma, this is a high-octane blast that knows its mission and executes it with ruthless efficiency.

If you’re chasing an early-2026 adrenaline fix, look no further. Because The Wrecking Crew goes all out.

So once again: turn up the Metallica, grab a Guinness, and get ready to roll out — The Wrecking Crew has arrived.

The Wrecking Crew is streaming NOW on Prime Video.

Trailer

Image: Prime Video

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Watch the all-new and totally wild trailer for The Wrecking Crew below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Two estranged half-brothers, brazen undercover cop Jonny (Jason Momoa) and disciplined Navy SEAL James (Dave Bautista) are forced to reunite after their father’s mysterious death. As they set out to uncover the truth, buried secrets resurface and loyalties are tested, unveiling a conspiracy that can tear their family apart. Together, they are ready to WRECK anything that gets in their way.

The trailer starts off with a hell of a BANG, and just grows form their as estranged brothers Jonny (Momoa), a wild undercover cop and James (Bautista), a disciplined Navy SEAL find themselves targeted by the Yakuza in the wake of their father’s death in Hawaii, and once pushed, they push back and the result is plenty of bullets, booze and brazen explosive fun, and The Wrecking Crew will leave audiences amped.

Along with it’s all out action mania, The Wrecking Crew is also incredibly funny, with both Momoa and Bautista trading quips, but the film also benefits from the spot on comedic timing of Jacob Batalon, while head turning stunner Morena Baccarin deliver splenty of sex appeal and gives both Jonny and James a run for their money.

It’s just awesome to see Momoa and Bautista teaming up together in a picture that is a throwback to classic buddy-cop action series such as Lethal Weapon, while also finding new room to grow and explore within the genre, and The Wrecking Crew really goes for it as filmmaker Ángel Manuel Soto finds new room to explore, and blow up, within the genre.

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Get ready for a rush when Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista deliver the action when The Wrecking Crew arrives on Prime Video arrives on Prime Video on January 28.

Image: Prime Video

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Here’s the official synopsis:

Two estranged half-brothers, brazen undercover cop Jonny (Jason Momoa) and disciplined Navy SEAL James (Dave Bautista) are forced to reunite after their father’s mysterious death. As they set out to uncover the truth, buried secrets resurface and loyalties are tested, unveiling a conspiracy that can tear their family apart. Together, they are ready to WRECK anything that gets in their way.

While we’re still waiting on the first trailer, The Wrecking Crew is tapping into that classic Lethal Weapon/Tango & Cash energy that audiences know and love and with Momoa and Bautista stepping up together you know it’s just going to be wild.

Another rason to get excited is because we’ve got Ángel Manuel Soto on as a director, along with Jonathan Tropper as the film’s screenwriter, who produced the superb Warrior and Banshee television series, and if you know what kind of action these series delivered then you can have an idea of what kind of wild and carzy fun we’re in store for with The Wrecking Crew.

A top-notch cast including Claes Bang, Temuera Morrison, Jacob Batalon, Frankie Adams, Miyavi, with Stephen Root and Morena Baccarin provides key support, and it’s awesome to see action cinema back, and kicking serious ass for 2026.

Prime Video has delivered some great action cinema over the last year with the likes of Roadhouse and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, and if you’re looking to have your adreanal gland kick into high gear then this is the time to make a plan to check out The Wrecking Crew in 2026.

So thrown on the shades, pour a Tequila, crank the Metallica and get ready for ACTION when The Wrecking Crew arrives on Prime Video on January 28.

Image: Prime Video

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While vacationing at a remote cabin in the woods, a young girl and her parents are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand they make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. Confused, scared and with limited access to the outside world, the family must decide what they believe before all is lost.

Balancing issues of family loyalty with stark horror and the arrival of an apocalyptic event, Knock at the Cabin is an intense, sinister and shocking piece of cinema. And writer-director M. Night Shyamalan brings out the fight in this distressing horror picture. Adapting the best seller from author Paul G. Tremblay, Knock at the Cabin is an intimate yet tension-filled watch as a young family struggles with horrific events and the seeming end of the world that draws on every ounce of them to make it through. Best described as a ‘siege movie’, Shyamalan places audiences right in the midst of the unfolding horror of this picture and leads heavily on the suspense and outcomes of the actions of the ‘Strangers’, and minute by minute the strain and suspense of this picture builds upon the audience.

A key figure within Knock at the Cabin is Dave Bautista who steps out of his comfort zone with an incredibly dramatic performance as the benevolent yet threatening Leonard. And audiences will be wowed by his performance. With his colossal figure and intimidating presence, Dave Bautista always presents a certain way, but with the character of Leonard, we find him giving an altogether different kind of performance. Soft-spoken, polite and nervous in his presentation, Bautista’s Leonard is not a dark and savage monster but an ordinary ‘good man’ placed into a devastating choice. His actions and demeanour throughout the film slowly draw on the audience and we soon see his plight and the horrors he has to commit and this instead only gives way to immense sympathy on the part of the audience. It’s a hell of a performance from Bautista and audiences will be flawed by his presence within the narrative.

While not trying to give any shocks or twists away, I will say that Knock at the Cabin is a classic M. Night Shyamalan film, and audiences looking for a surprise will get it. It’s a picture that moves quickly, and its third act is a confronting watch. Knock at the Cabin has a flavour and style that I would attribute to those classic horror films of the 1980s. It’s a film that gives audiences the unexpected in both its narrative structure, characters and horror action, and there are plenty of bombshells that audiences won’t see coming.

For those who need their horror fix, Knock at the Cabin is a film that delivers it with a hell of a punch, and this is one horror watch that you won’t soon forget.

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After a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries takes the ultimate gamble by venturing into the quarantine zone for the greatest heist ever.

Returning to the playground of zombie horror which first started his career with 2004’s Dawn of the Dead, long-time blockbuster filmmaker Zack Snyder makes the shift to Netflix with Army of the Dead, a quasi-sequel of sorts to his original work on Dawn of the Dead which re-imagines a new zombie outbreak in Las Vegas and mixes in a high-octane, larger than life casino robbery with a group of very out-there and electric characters. Snyder is once again on point with this new adaptation in Army of the Dead and he seriously blows things up thanks to a mixture of hard-hitting action, intense character development and freakishly inventive zombie horror gore.

While we all think we understand and know what a zombie horror movie is, Snyder throws that out the window this time with Army of the Dead. Yes, there are zombies, and yes there is gore, but he really shifts things up with his creativity and imagines a brand new zombie world after the fall of Las Vegas. While we have the dead and ghoulish ‘scramblers’ in Army of the Dead, we also have a new species of zombie, The Alpha, a set of creatures who show extreme strength, speed and intelligence and who are this hyper-primordial new species of fearsome monster. These ‘Alpha’ zombies are legitimately terrifying and Snyder’s use of them throws the action of his movie in a brand new direction, and it’s a solid addition to a genre where we thought we had seen everything. And yes there is a ZOMBIE TIGER!

Army of the Dead is first and foremost a ‘men on a mission’ type of movie, and Snyder assembles a large ensemble cast to break into Las Vegas for the ultimate heist job. Leading the pack is Hollywood heavy-hitter, Dave Bautista, as Scott Ward, a former Special Forces soldier turned mercenary who faced the initial zombie outbreak head-on and who has been left broken by it. Finding a last-ditch effort for redemption he jumps at the chance to enter Vegas, to not only provide for himself and his team with a massive score but also to re-connect with his long lost daughter Kate (Ella Purnell).

While Bautista has long proven that he could handle heavy artillery and high action sequences, it’s the emotional connection of a father trying to protect and reconnect with his daughter where he really shines in here. Bautista brings considerable depth and emotional weight to his performance as Scott, and it’s a side of him that we are beginning to see more and more of and he’s proving that he has a real talent for performance. Bautista’s team-up with Snyder produces a great working relationship that leads to a great performance on Bautista’s behalf. Whether he’s kicking zombie ass or leading an emotional scene, Bautista gives it his all and the film’s penultimate moments between Scott and Kate are sure to leave you on the verge of tears. It’s a great turn for Bautista and I hope like hell we see him working with Snyder down the road again.

Joining Bautista in Army of the Dead as his rag-tag merc crew are Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera, Nora Arnezeder, Tig Notaro and Matthias Schweighöfer. Each of them is a stand-out in their own way, and each of them gets to put their own mark on Army of the Dead. As Vanderohe, Omari Hardwick brings a considerable philosophical stoicism that counterbalances his alpha-male standing, while Ana de la Reguera has a can-do attitude as soldier-mechanic Maria who jumps head-first into the chance to rob Vegas. Nora Arnezeder is the tough-as-nails and scrappy coyote Lily, who helps Scott and his team breach Vegas and she’s a definite dangerous woman. Then there’s Tig Notaro whose pithy comments and smirky attitude as helicopter pilot Peters lead to plenty of off-kilter humour. But the scene-stealer is definitely Schweighöfer as German safecracker Ludwig Dieter who has a blast as this high-strung character and he injects so much fun into the movie.

Army of the Dead is a film that really goes its own way and it’s not the movie that you expect. Its action, drama, humour and zombies really defy the conventional genre setting and that results in a very fun watch. All throughout Snyder zigs and zags with this story and the kill count rises quickly, with plenty of gore thrown in for good measure and audiences seeking action-zombie-horror fun at the height of its insanity, which is amplified even more thanks to the film’s Las Vegas setting, will be well-impressed by the results. Snyder and his cast clearly had a blast working on this project and it absolutely shows on screen in all its blood and guts, hellfire zombie-mania glory.

If you’re seeking some late-night fun and are looking for a double dose of action and horror goodness then Army of the Dead is a film you seriously need to check out….because this one is crazy!

Image: Netflix

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When a mild-mannered Uber driver named Stu (Kumail Nanjiani) picks up a passenger (Dave Bautista) who turns out to be a cop hot on the trail of a brutal killer, he’s thrust into a harrowing ordeal where he desperately tries to hold onto his wits, his life and his five-star rating.

Noted comedic director Michael Dowse takes audiences on one hell of a crazy ride share through the streets of Los Angeles with Stuber and the results are utterly hilarious. Dowse’s work on Stuber pays homage to buddy-cop action comedies of the 1980s such as 48 Hours and Lethal Weapon, and he takes that genre and really dials it up here. Dowse has a great understanding of how to use his cast, narrative and the genre itself to really get the most out of this crazy mismatched buddy-cop film, and the resulting experience is something that audiences won’t be able to contain their laughter with.

Taking the lead in Stuber is Dave Bautista as hardened detective Vic Manning and it’s a great reinvention for this rising action star! While he’s packed out with muscles and is known for kicking some serious ass, Bautista really gets to show off his comedic chops here and the result is something incredibly crazy. Part of the fun of Bautista’s role in Stuber is that he really invests in the comedy and is willing to go to plenty of zany places, allowing his tough guy persona to be a leading part in the laughs. Whether he’s flying through the air with a gun or falling into some new bumbling situation, Bautista definitely brings the comedy and audiences will just love his performance here.

Standing next to Bautista’s Vic, or more likely under him, is Kumail Nanjiani as Stu, a mild-mannered part-time Uber driver, whom Vic continually calls Steve, and he gets taken for one serious ride here. Nanjiani does a very convincing job at portraying the ultimate doormat here, and he gets one hell of a shock as Vic tries to man him up! The resulting trade-off between these two performers is just hilarious to watch, and it’s fun to watch Nanjiani get to be this accidental hero, and his resulting police activity is extremely funny to watch.

If you’re looking for comedy, well, you’ve absolutely come to the right place with Stuber! Seriously, the hilarity involved in this film will make your jaw ache because you’ll be laughing so much, and Dowse sets it up right from the start. Whether it’s the hilarious accidents that Vic gets into on account of losing his vision thanks to laser eye surgery, Stu’s desperation to achieve a five-star rating, the life advice that Stu receives from a male stripper or a crazed sporting goods store fight, Stuber absolutely delivers on the laughs! I seriously haven’t laughed this hard in a long, long time, and audiences will definitely be in hysterics here.

Also as Stuber is set firmly in the action/comedy buddy cop drama and bears a big influence of 1980s cinema you can be assured that there’s a considerable amount of boom here. From crazed gunfights to somewhat high-speed car chase scenes that involve Stu’s leased electric car, Stuber gives audiences plenty of entertainment to keep them amped and it sure is fun to watch. Dowse also knows how to handle the action properly and it’s fun to watch him use it to his advantage where it feeds into the comedy on display. Bautista is definitely quick on the trigger here and there’s plenty of visual spectacle to really give audiences a treat.

Stuber is just a great all-around fun watch and there’s so much comedy to keep audiences entertained that they’ll definitely want to get in on this ride.

Image: 20th Century Fox

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The fan-favourite director has packed the trailer with some fantastic unseen footage, which places greater emphasis on Nebula and Yondu, while teasing the appearance of a strange new alien race led by the gilded Ayesha, who has intentions of purifying the cosmos.

But the coolest part of the trailer arrives in the form of Kurt Russell’s Ego the Living Planet, a literal cosmic entity who has assumed a humanised form, and reveals himself to be Peter Quill’s father.

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and Dave Bautista, plus featuring the voices of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper, this sequel to 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy is likely to be Marvel’s biggest release this year.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 arrives in cinemas on April 27 in New Zealand and Australia, and on May 5 in the US and UK.

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Here’s the synopsis:

Following their initial defeat of Ronan and their encounter with an Infinity Stone, the Guardians are struggling to keep their new found family together, while half-human/half-alien adventurer Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) searches for his real father.

If there is one reason why we love this new trailer, it can be summed up in two words: BABY GROOT!

This adorable little space tree steals every single moment in the trailer, mostly in the way he just wants to press the big red death button. Baby Groot’s new appearance and personality also appears to have redefined his relationship with Rocket, with the latter now more of a parental figure than a friend. But don’t let Baby Groot fool you — he can still deal to any enemy no matter their size…as an unlucky Ravager appears to find out.

This trailer is a rock n’roll extravaganza from beginning to end, and is set to the thumping tune of Sweet’s ‘Fox On The Run’, and I’ve got a feeling that this track will also appear on the elusive Awesome Mix Vol.2.

And while the teaser mostly revolves around the Guardians fighting a giant space alien, we also get to see more of the Ravagers, and are introduced to Pom Klementieff’s Mantis, along with her unique powers. But naturally when she levels them at Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), his playboy feelings get the better of him.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 will be released on May 5, 2017.

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In the aftermath of the attack on MI6, a cryptic message sets in motion events that will see James Bond come face-to-face with the sinister organisation known as SPECTRE. As Gareth Mallory, the newly appointed M,  continues fighting political pressures that threaten the future of MI6, Bond follows a trail from Mexico to Austria and Morocco as he is drawn into a confrontation with an enemy from his past; one who holds a dangerous secret that will force him to question the value of everything he has fought to protect.

In addition to a leaner and meaner Bond, we also get our first look at Lea Seydoux’s Dr. Madeleine Swann, Monica Bellucci as Lucia Sciarra, Dave Bautista as Mr. Hinx and Christoph Waltz as the dangerous Franz Oberhauser.

Following on from the triumph that was 2012’s Skyfall, director Sam Mendes and star Daniel Craig have created a dark, compelling and exciting new chapter of the James Bond mythos with Spectre which will arrive in cinemas on November 6.

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A thief, two thugs, an assassin and a maniac: five degenerates who are the last people you’d ever expect to be heroes. When space outlaw Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), steals a mysterious orb he’s in for more trouble than he could have ever thought. Inciting both the rage of his boss, the space pirate Yondu (Michael Rooker), and the radical Kree warlord, Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), Quill finds himself with a bounty on his head, and is soon locked up with bounty hunters and best buds Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel), the deadly assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and the marauding Drax (Dave Bautista). Forced to work together, this crew of rebels make their escape, and discover that Quill’s orb is something far more dangerous than they could have ever imagined. With nowhere to go, and half of the galaxy hunting them, these ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ decide to make one last desperate stand against Ronan and his evil forces in order to save the galaxy.

Guardians of the Galaxy is simply phenomenal. No mere comic book movie, this is a compelling space opera with some of the most outlandish and cool characters you’ll ever see on film. Director James Gunn was given trust over these outcasts and he delivered. Gunn crafts a story about a rag tag group of loser outcasts, people that nobody in the galaxy cares about, all of whom have faced unbelievable loss and horror, but through extraordinary circumstances come together to not only form a team, but a family, and who for the first time in their lives get the chance to do something greater than themselves. Whereas the Avengers are heroes in and of themselves, the Guardians only work together, separately their nothing more than criminals and outlaws, but together they can be heroes. Gunn’s passion for these characters and their incredible universe is felt in every frame of film, which the audience absorbs through some kind of visual osmosis. If you don’t know who the Guardians are when you enter the cinema, you will by the time you leave, and you’ll be guaranteed to want more.

Leading this group of rebel outlaws is Peter Quill, the self-styled StarLord played with complete awesomeness by Chris Pratt. Quill is an old fashioned swashbuckler, a rebel with no fear of danger, a swinging ladies man, and the all around coolest cat in the galaxy. Quill, who was abducted from Earth by space pirates The Ravagers when he was a child hasn’t had the easiest life. Through grit and determination he has survived in the universe, and is now trying to steal a piece of it for himself. Pratt pulls off Quill’s mercenary swagger with ease, he’s a modern day Jesse James, complete with laser guns, duster jacket, and a very cool helmet, but while Quill’s a guy who can look after himself in a brawl, it’s usually his quick wit and ability to run with the situation that get’s him out of trouble. It’s Pratt who set’s the tone for Guardians of the Galaxy in the first fifteen minutes of the movie, and he doesn’t disappoint. He’s clearly having a ball with this character and it’s awesome to watch.

Then there’s Zoe Saldana as Gamora, a deadly assassin and the adopted daughter of the mad titan Thanos. Like all the Guardians she’s got issues, and is the initial consciousness that leads them on the path to becoming heroes. Let’s make this clear Gamora is no damsel in distress, she’s one kick ass chick who can rough it up with the boys, while kicking their asses in the process. Saldana has serious poise and grace and brings this to Gamora, and there’s a deadly elegance to how she swings her blades. Saldana is great to watch on screen, and she definitely digs Gamora.

Dave Bautista is Drax. There is no way to dispute this. A hulking marauder feared by all for his ferocity and strength, Drax also carries a tremendous pain that fuels his need for vengeance. Stumbling in with the Guardians, he’s ultimately the one who unites them, as he’ll have no one hurting his friends. Bautista, like Pratt and Saldana was again a wild card entry, and went through an exhaustive audition process to obtain this coveted role, but like all those involved it was his clear passion for the character of Drax, and the desire to make him his own that won him the role. With passion comes power, and Bautista knows a lot about this. Anyone who take’s on Drax will invariably get crushed, and he’s one mean fighting machine. Dave Bautista is Drax, and there’s no other way we’d want it.

And finally we come to Groot and Rocket, all around best buds, and the dual heart of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Firstly there’s Groot, the last of his kind, and who has one very memorable catchphrase, which goes something like “I Am Groot”. It’s Vin Diesel who brings this incredible and unique character to life, and he does a terrific job, again you feel his passion for this character onscreen. But you can’t have Groot without his out of control best friend Rocket, a feral, and very angry genetically enhanced raccoon, who while rough around the edges is actually a hero in waiting, and get’s all the best lines and screen time thanks to Bradley Cooper. It’s also these two who create the most heart felt and tear jerking moments of the film, which will have audiences welling up.

Guardians of the Galaxy also has a compelling supportive cast. Firstly there’s Lee Pace as big bad Ronan the Accuser, a fanatical Kree warlord, who swings his mighty hammer with psychotic enjoyment and who has no value for anyone he considers lesser than himself. Pace really lets loose with how terrifying Ronan is and his presence clarifies just how needed the Guardians are. Karen Gillan is pretty frightening as the morbidly jealous Nebula, and Djimon Hounsou is one ferocious hunter as Korath.

One particular standout is Michael Rooker as Yondu Udonta, the blue skinned bandit leader of the Ravagers. Rooker is the only person who I could see as Yondu, and he really delivers as this cantankerous old space pirate, and Quill’s semi adoptive father and role model. Yondu has a particular love/hate relationship with Quill, and his weapon of choice: a whistle-controlled arrow creates a menacing silence whenever he levels it at anyone. He’s one badass character. There’s also Benicio del Toro as Taneleer Tivan, also known as the Collector, who has an amazing, yet creepy alien zoo, and who with a thoroughly crazed appearance and slightly morbid intentions is one to watch out for. And finally in a very cool cameo appearance, which will define the Marvel Universe, Josh Brolin makes his entrance as Thanos. Nuff said.

Guardians of the Galaxy is an emotionally dramatic, action-packed, extremely funny full on film, complete with its own kick ass soundtrack. It’s so much fun, and while some might see it as a mere Marvel superhero movie, it’s actually something more, something bigger than it was originally intended to be, just like its five main characters. If you want a good time out then head to the movies, strap yourself in, and prepare for one awesome trip across the galaxy.

Image source: Walt Disney Pictures.

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