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Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy

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2014121 minPG-13Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Director
James Gunn
Starring
Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel

Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Guardians of the Galaxy?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Guardians of the Galaxy streaming on Disney+ and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Guardians of the Galaxy?

Guardians of the Galaxy earns 11 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Modern classic.

Show 3 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Guardians of the Galaxy worth watching?

Guardians of the Galaxy's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 4.8M ratings across 6 sources. 90% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of films

99th percentile among Action99th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)97th
Approval (how many liked it)98th

80 /100

97th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Action97th percentile among 2010s

Critics 76 · Audience 80

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

90% liked it

98th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Action98th percentile among 2010s
90% rated it 7–1010% rated it 1–6

Critics 91% · Audience 92%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 2 Oscar noms · 24 wins / 76 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Visual Effects

81st percentile

4.8M ratings across platforms

69th percentile among Action82nd percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 4% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$170M
Opening weekend$94M
Domestic gross$334M
Worldwide gross$773M

Returned 4.5× its budget — 98th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a lightweight, comedic space opera that prioritizes style and fun over narrative depth.

Fans praised

  • Witty, character-driven humor and sharp dialogue
  • Infectious 70s/80s soundtrack woven into the narrative
  • Charming, emotionally resonant found-family dynamic

Detractors panned

  • Generic, predictable plot recycled from other sci-fi films
  • Unfunny, forced comedy that undercuts stakes
  • Weak, one-dimensional villain with unconvincing motives

What stands out

Sound and musicDivisive85

Iconic 70s/80s mixtape perfectly integrated

Effects and spectacleDivisive82

Impressive CGI for Rocket and Groot, epic space battles

ActingDivisive78

Chris Pratt's charismatic lead, strong ensemble chemistry

CharactersDivisive75

Lovable misfits with distinct personalities, uneven depth

DialogueDivisive70

Snappy one-liners and banter, but often forced

HumorDivisive68

Constant jokes that land for fans, alienate detractors

Plot and storyDivisive45

Simple, predictable hero's journey with MacGuffin

OriginalityDivisive45

Derivative space opera borrowing from Star Wars and Indiana Jones

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Guardians of the Galaxy like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Fun ride: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want a fun ride.

It is intense and funny, never lets up and leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Fun ride.

The answer rests on this: Moods
ThrillingJoyful
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
PlayfulAdventurous · 11% of filmsWarm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film wears its heart on its sleeve, playing its absurd space opera premise completely straight while filling every scene with jokes and joyful energy.
The rideThe film maintains a high-energy, adventurous tone from start to finish, punctuated by moments of genuine warmth and loss.
StructureStandard beginning-middle-end origin story with clear setup, confrontation, and resolution.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

The answer rests on this: FunRousing · 10% of films
Why it leaves you this wayA joyful, uplifting space adventure that leaves you grinning and ready to see the team again.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestMission
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% (this title) · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Mission: Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).

10% of films fit this archetype

with Overcoming the monster underneath

Why this archetypeA team of misfits assembles to steal an orb, then must protect it from a warlord, becoming heroes in the process.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% (this title) · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsSacrifice · 4% of filmsLoyalty · 4% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Cosmic stakes: Consequences reach beyond the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on a group of lonely outlaws learning to trust each other and form a makeshift family, willing to sacrifice themselves for one another.
StanceThe film celebrates the idea that found family and selflessness can triumph over overwhelming evil, presenting the Guardians' bond as genuinely heroic.

The world

ContemporaryOuter spaceInstitutionalScience fiction
PopOrchestral modernForeground music · hybrid · Tyler Bates
SettingA retro-futuristic galaxy filled with space pirates, alien empires, and the remote criminal outpost Knowhere.
MusicThe film is famous for its Awesome Mix Vol. 1 soundtrack of 70s pop hits, which both grounds Quill's character and provides an emotional throughline.

Content guide

Is Guardians of the Galaxy okay for kids?

PG-13

Guardians of the Galaxy is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language” (MPAA). As of August 18, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (57/100), sexual content at mild (28/100), language at moderate (54/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (29/100) and frightening material at moderate (44/100). Overall it is heavier than 59% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 39 other countries
  • UK12A
  • CanadaPG
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • Ireland12A
  • New ZealandM
  • JapanG
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil12
  • Argentina+13
  • Austria14
  • Belgium12
  • BGC
  • Czechia12+
  • Denmark11
  • FinlandK-12
  • GreeceK12
  • Hong KongIIA
  • Hungary16
  • ID13+
  • Israel12
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-13
  • LU12
  • MexicoB
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway12
  • Poland12
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO12
  • Russia12+
  • Spain16
  • Sweden11
  • Switzerland12
  • Taiwan6+
  • TH13
  • Türkiye13+
  • UA12+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 37% of all filmsHeavier than 59% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 64%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 48%
Profanity
Moderate
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 77%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 39%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 49%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is violence, heavier than 64% of PG-13-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Guardians of the Galaxy have?

MovieCove's classifier found 6 depicted content warnings in Guardians of the Galaxy: Gun violence (moderate), Torture (moderate), plus 4 withheld here because they would spoil the plot. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

ModerateGun violenceTorture

Cast and crew

Who is in Guardians of the Galaxy?

Cast

4 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Chris Pratt
as Peter Quill
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Zoe Saldaña
as Gamora
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Dave Bautista
as Drax
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Vin Diesel
as Groot
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Bradley Cooper
as Rocket
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Lee Pace
as Ronan
Michael Rooker
as Yondu Udonta
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Karen Gillan
as Nebula
Djimon Hounsou
as Korath
John C. Reilly
as Corpsman Dey
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Guardians of the Galaxy?

Movies like Guardians of the Galaxy include Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 (2017), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films by James Gunn, and most are films set in outer space.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

6 of these 12 share its world: space opera. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Guardians of the Galaxy?

263 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: space opera. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.