Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) runs 121 minutes, or 2 hours 1 minute. It has two end-credits scenes, and it is available in theatrical 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D plus Blu-ray, DVD, digital, 4K and Disney+ IMAX Enhanced versions. The film is Marvel's space-team adventure about Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot. Plan for a little over two hours, stay seated through the full credits, and pick the screen or disc format that fits your setup.
Table of Contents
- How long should you plan for?
- Should you stay through the credits?
- Which theatrical versions existed?
- Which home version should you pick now?
How long should you plan for?
Marvel lists the film as PG-13 with a 121-minute run time and an August 1, 2014 release date, according to Marvel's official movie page. That establishes 2 hours 1 minute as the theatrical length.
The British Board of Film Classification lists about 121 to 122 minutes with a 12 rating for moderate fantasy violence, threat and language, as shown in the BBFC listing. The one-minute gap reflects rounding of the same cut. Allow about 2 hours 5 to 15 minutes with trailers plus full credits for a theatrical visit.
Should you stay through the credits?
Yes. The first tag shows Baby Groot dancing in a pot to the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" while Drax cleans his knife. ComingSoon identified this mid-credits dance as one of the film's two tags.
The second tag belongs to the Collector in his wrecked museum, with Cosmo the Spacedog licking him and Howard the Duck mocking him. CBR identifies this Collector and Howard moment as the final post-credits scene. It plays after the crawl ends, so leave only after the lights come up.
Which theatrical versions existed?
The film opened in the United States on August 1, 2014 in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D, including 354 IMAX screens out of 4,080 theaters, as reported by HD Report's trailer coverage. Those three formats were the starting "available versions." Marvel and IMAX also staged a 17-minute "Guardians of the Galaxy: An IMAX 3D First Look" in 150 North American IMAX theaters on July 7, 2014.
FlickDirect reported that preview as a separate pre-release IMAX event. It was not the full film.
Which home version should you pick now?
Disney set December 9, 2014 for 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand/Standard HD, with Digital 3D and Digital HD on November 18, 2014. ComicBookMovie reported those dates from Disney's announcement. Physical buyers chose disc resolution, while digital buyers chose store and HD tier.
For the sharpest picture, look for the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray or Disney+. TechCrunch reported that Disney+ carries the film in widescreen and IMAX Enhanced 1.90:1, adding up to 26% more picture in select sequences, in its report on Disney's IMAX format. On Disney+, open the Versions tab and select the IMAX Enhanced presentation for the taller image.