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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Friday’s openings: Beyond the ‘Galaxy’

Dan Webster

Following Scarlett Johansson's transition into the Internet — setting her up for, hmmm, her role in "Her"? — a sci-fi week-of-sorts continues in the nation's theaters.

Friday's major openings are as follows:

"The Guardians of the Galaxy" (3D, 3D IMAX, standard): An offbeat team of space rogues must stand against dark forces to save the galaxy from a deadly menace … which is shorthand for Marvel Comics' adapting a minor band of characters dating back to 1969 (with a transition in 2008) to these contemporary comic times. Starring Chris Pratt and an almost unrecognizable Zoe Saldana.

"Get on Up": Chadwick Boseman ("42") stars as the great funk/soul singer James Brown. The fact that Hollywood felt it had to use the likes of Ice Cube, Pharrell Williams and Mick Jagger to inform contemporary audiences about who the Godfather of Soul was is … well, sad. And for most older audiences, unnecessary.

And at the Magic Lantern:

"The Grand Seduction": To save itself from financial ruin, a small Newfoundland town tries to seduce a doctor into sticking around. Starring the American Taylor Kitsch and the Irishman Brendan Gleeson, this Canadian film earned four of its country's top movie awards (winning one, Gordon Pinsent for Best Supporting Actor).

Note: I''ve updated this post to include the viewing formats for "Guardians of the Galaxy."

Below: You want to know the real James Brown? Watch the documentary below.