Unexpected funny business

Get On Up (Universal) is about as non-traditional as a biopic can get. Sure, it employs the usual flashback techniques and also paints a dreary childhood picture (see also Ray, Lady Sings The Blues) of the film's subject, James Brown (well-played by Chadwick Boseman), as a way of portraying why he was so driven to achieve maximum success. But Get On Up relies far more on humor and camp than you might expect.

That might have something to do with the sensibility of gay actor/director Tate Taylor (The Help). Taylor had Brown regularly breaking down the fourth wall, virtually winking and elbowing the audience. It was an unexpected touch that served to humanize the Godfather of Soul. It's hard to imagine a straight director (ahem, Clint Eastwood) handling the scenes between Brown and Little Richard (Brandon Smith) with such finesse. Taylor also wisely included The Help cast members Viola Davis (as James' mother Susie in a performance worthy of a Best Supporting Actress nod from Oscar) and Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer (as James' Aunt Honey, a madam), to play two of the most influential women in Brown's life.

As much a story about one of the most important artists in the history of 20^th century music, as it is a portrait of friendships and long-lasting relationships, Get On Up allows us to feel empathy for Brown. From his business camaraderie with record exec Ben (Dan Aykroyd) to his volatile marriage to DeeDee (Jill Scott) and ultimately his fragile devotion to fellow musician Bobby Byrd (Nelsan Ellis, who plays gay LaFayette on True Blood and was also in The Help), Brown became a better person. Of course, that didn't stop him from shooting up an office space full of people with a shotgun in 1988 because someone used his bathroom.

The only complaint is that Get On Up could have been about 30 minutes shorter, which would have made getting on up out of your seat an easier feat after the credits rolled.

Do you hate comic books? Does the mere thought of Comic-Con make you crazy? What about sci-fi? Does it make your skin crawl as if there were, perhaps, aliens living beneath it? Are you done with 3D? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel) is the movie for you. To begin with, it's easily the best comedy of the summer. Yes, you read that right.

Guardians of the Galaxy begins in 1988, when, following the death of his mother, young Peter (Wyatt Oleff) is abducted by an alien space craft (won't spoil the reason why) and whisked off to a far-off galaxy. Twenty-six years later, still using his Walkman to listen to the mix-tape his mother made for him, Peter (a buff and nearly sexy Chris Pratt), aka Star-Lord, works for a band of thieves, led by Yonndu (Michael Rooker). On one mission, he steals a lethal orb containing a powerful and deadly Infinity Stone which also happens to be of interest to the ruthless Ronan (Lee Pace). The fate of the galaxy rests in whose hand the stone lands.

Most of this sounds like pretty typical comic book/sci-fi setup. The good news is that Guardians of the Galaxy is worlds away from typical or predictable. Sure, it's full of (mostly) cool special effects, a respectable amount of 3D trickery and fast-paced action. Perhaps the movie's most special effect is the incredibly funny screenplay, co-written by director James Gunn and Nicole Perlman. Like the strange and humorous characters who populate the movie, including mean green killing machine Gamora (Zoe Saldana), revved up raccoon Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), shape-shifting tree being Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) and muscle-bound and tattooed Drax (Dave Bautista), the screenplay doesn't take itself too seriously. The comedy is out of this world. Even fight scenes are punched up with laughs.

With the exception of Pratt, and maybe Saldana, Glenn Close (as peaceful ruler Minister Prime) and John C. Reilly (as cop Corpsman Dey), everyone else is practically (and digitally) unrecognizable. That means that comic book geeks and sci-fi fan-boys now have new (formerly neglected) heroes to drool over, as Peter and his misfit crew go about earning their names and titles. Guardians of the Galaxy gets off to a great start. If they can maintain that momentum, they may have a series strong enough to challenge and conquer some of the others.