Top 5: Funniest Guardians of the Galaxy Moments

Guardians week continues by picking out the moments that made audiences cry....with laughter. And since these movies are all about makeshift misfit family/friend dynamics I'll be picking one funny moment per Guardian...otherwise this might consist entirely of CGI characters....named Rocket.

#5 Gamora Breaks Star-Lord's Spell

A nicely understated element of Gamora's character is that while she's a proficient warrior, and easily the team's driving force the first time around, she's not well-versed in interpersonal interaction or romance. This is abundantly clear when she begins slow dancing with Star-Lord and nearly kisses him...before pulling a blade to his throat to avoid his (and here comes one of my favorite phrases) "pelvice sorcery." It's a great reversal that undercuts a sappy moment, tells us something about Gamora, and leaves that tension on the table for the next movie.

#4 Star-Lord's Dance Off

Star-Lord has a lot of humorous music related moments including his amusing Indiana Jones intro sequence and his relentles pursuit of his Walkmen, but the most delightfully absurd moment comes at the film's finale. Just when all hope seems lost and Ronan is prepared to destroy Xandar, Peter Quill pops up and begins singing "Ooh Child" while dancing. It's a move so random, strange, and silly that it legitimately throws off the audience and Ronan, long enough for Rocket and Drax to construct a weapon, and for Quill to call Ronan a "turd blossom" before springing into action.

#3 Drax's Reflexes

Drax's literal mind and lack of social awareness provide plenty of good laughs, but none greater than his rebuttal...to Rocket explaining how he doesn't understand metaphors. As the Guardians are escaping prison, the group is confused by Drax's lack of understanding. Eager to get things going, Rocket tells them that Drax's people word everything literally and that "metaphors go over their heads." Drax's perfect response: "Nothing gets over my head...my reflexes are too fast."

#2 Groot Do Good?

For most of the movie, Groot appears to be the groups warm fuzzy center, whether he's drinking from a water fountain like a sloppy puppy, giving flowers to children, or lighting up Ronan's ship with whimsy. Which is why this moment of extreme violence is both shocking and hilarious. Looking to push to the control room, Star-Lord, Groot, and Drax are set upon by a fresh batalion. That is, until Groot impalesa row of them and then slams the poor souls into the walls, ceiling, floor, and each other...before looking back with a smile. It's a great moment of juxtaposition.

#1 That Guy's Leg

It's a moment so oddly dark, random, and character defining that it still cracks me up to think about it. As he details what he'll need to help the Guardians escape from prison, Rocket makes a short list of things he'll need: a battery, an access key, and a prosthetic leg. However, after risking his life and spending money to get the metallic limb, Rocket reveals that he never needed it in the first place and it so tickled by this that he starts laughing mid jail-break. It's a near perfect summary of the film's offbeat sense of humor and its unapologetic undercutting of movie tropes.