On the surface, “Guardians of the Galaxy,” now in theaters, seems like a parody of the Marvel movie universe, but it actually succeeds as a stand-alone effort. For most of its running time, it’s at once smart, hilarious, visually spectacular and has heart. Chris Pratt stars as Peter Quill, a space pirate on a distant planet who comes into possession of a powerful orb.
Guardians of the Galaxy ends summer on a high note