Guardians of the Galaxy

A few weeks ago, this column was skeptical that Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy' could reach $300 million. Now, it seems impossible that it won't. Thanks to ecstatic word of mouth, killer marketing and only one genuinely successful box office challenger (that would be 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'), Marvel's oddball space opera has managed to spend three of the past four weekends at the number one spot at the box office, giving it enough momentum to officially become the highest grossing film of 2014.

By now, everyone is familiar with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, where people heed the call to throw buckets of ice water on themselves to spread awareness of ALS and raise donations to support The ALS Association. Everyone, from your many Facebook friends to A-list celebs have been participating, but, for us, there's nothing like seeing the likes of Thor, Iron Man and Star-Lord step up to the plate.

While we were incredibly charmed by all things 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' perhaps nothing charmed us more than that final scene of a baby Groot dancing to the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" in his flower pot. It's one of those moments where you almost immediately think, "I WANT THAT...

30 years after their comic book debut and several decades since they last ruled the box office, the 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' returned this week and proved that they're as relevant and popular as ever. Although many people wondered if the turtles would have the power to overtake Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' it now seems obvious in retrospect: of course they could...

Up until the day it opened, 'Guardians of the Galaxy' was a big question mark at the box office. Could Marvel Studios continue its winning streak with a movie based on a practically unknown comic series that only has light connections to the rest of the films in their cinematic universe...

Tell us your favorite song on this summer's big blockbuster soundtrack 'Guardians of the Galaxy'

When you head to the theater to see 'Guardians of the Galaxy' this weekend, you'll undoubtedly walk out with a favorite character: the surprisingly lovable Groot, the foul-mouthed Rocket Raccoon, the charismatic Star-Lord, the tough but hilarious Drax -- or maybe you'll fall in love with Zoe Saldana's green-skinned, badass Gamora. With all that screen time shared between so many heroes (and villains, and peripheral characters), it'll leave you wanting to see more of Gamora and her talents. Not that that's a bad thing.

Believe it or not, there was a time when Iron Man was a C-list superhero who no one outside of a small niche particularly cared about. And then Robert Downey Jr. was cast in 'Iron Man' and the Marvel cinematic universe exploded, instantly becoming one of the definitive franchises of the 21st century...

It’s not surprising to see a television spot for a critically acclaimed movie claim that it’s the “Best Movie of the Year,” through the use of blurbs either provided by, or lifted from, critics. But, in recent years, with the proliferation of the superhero movie genre, there’s been a trend to be the “Best Superhero Movie.” So, based on these television spots alone, what exactly is the best superhero movie or the best Marvel movie of all time? It appears it’s pretty much all of them.

It's kind of remarkable that Marvel Studios have already green-lit a sequel to 'Guardians of the Galaxy' -- a movie that, itself, doesn't come out for another few days. But this says less about Marvel's confidence that 'Guardians' will make money (and, let's not kid ourselves, it certainly will), but more about how the Guardians fit in with the larger story Marvel is trying to tell with the episodic nature of its films. And this episodic nature might just be what doomed Edgar Wright's version of 'Ant-Man' -- as opposed to it just being "too weird," which Marvel studio head Kevin Feige has denied.

Marvel Studios certainly brought their A-game to Hall H at Comic-Con tonight, and while the panel was mostly focused around their 2015 releases ('Ant-Man' and 'Avengers 2' -- not too shabby), they did have some special surprises in store -- like confirmation of 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2' and an official release date.

If you've already made plans to check out James Gunn's 'Guardians of the Galaxy' as soon as the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe hits theaters on August 1st, you probably don't need any extra nudge to get your butt into a cushy multiplex seat. But if you've been wondering if you should experience the film in IMAX and haul out for a midnight screening, it looks like the scales have just now been gloriously tipped.