Marvel
pulls little-known characters out of their dusty basement, brushes them off,
and creates another compelling franchise called the Guardians of the Galaxy.
STORY:
Peter
Quill (Chris Pratt) is taken from earth at a young age and is raised as a thief
by a band of mercenaries. His latest
mission is to obtain a mysterious orb and sell it to the highest bidder. But trouble always finds Quill no matter
where he goes and just a short while after, he's incarcerated and forced to
make friends with other inmates attempting to break free. Little to his knowledge and certainly against
his ideals, Peter is accidentally wrapped up in a plot to stop an evil force
that may destroy the galaxy. Will his
friendship with a ragtag bunch of misfits help or hurt his future? Hilarious dialogue, silly dancing, terrible
singing, walking trees, vulgar raccoons, and an astounding set list of music
ensues.
"Just because I'm a raccoon doesn't mean I haven't played beer pong before. I have many
talents, including assembling guns, wiring explosives, and breaking into trash cans."
THOUGHTS:
After
watching Guardians of the Galaxy you may think the best thing about the movie
is the fantastic acting from the cast.
Nope. You may think the witty
dialogue or quick one-liners are the movie's bread and butter. Not exactly.
You may even think the premise (a
collection of the galaxy's criminals banding together to stop evil) is the
perfect movie plot. But that's not the
answer either. In fact, all the above
does make for one hell of a comic book movie, but the simple answer is the
music. There's a reason why the soundtrack
is a best seller. From Blue Swede's
"Hooked on a Feeling" to Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the
Sky," the music is the glue that holds all these exceptional pieces
together.
Granted,
Marvel is in the title too, and nowadays anything with that label gains massive
box office moola. But with little known
to practically unknown characters from Marvel's library, this movie could have gone
south fast. This could have been the one
time Marvel struck out. Instead this
film delivers a fantastic story with characters that will easily become crowd
favorites. But that's not all the film
has to offer. Marvel had to find an
actor for the main protagonist that would be able to carry the movie on his
shoulders. He'd have to be somewhat
heroic, quick lipped, intelligent, and most of all: funny. And Chris Pratt couldn't have been a better
choice.
"Hurry up with that toothpaste, this zit isn't getting any smaller."
THE ACTING:
Pratt
doesn't only carry the film on his back or fill Peter Quill's shoes perfectly…he
is Peter Quill. After seeing the film
numerous times, you'll realize there's not one person in Hollywood that could
have pulled this role off any better.
His facial expressions are hilarious.
His reactions to the environment are ridiculous. And his dialogue delivery—whether partially
ad-libbed or straight from the script—is superb. The only way this film could have survived
was with a humorous undertone and having Pratt lead the way is nothing short of
casting perfection.
So
what about the others in the team? Zoe
Saldana plays Gamora, a revenge seeking heroine that's rough on the outside and
almost sweet on the inside. The part
needed an individual with action skills and the ability to move about with an
alien-like grace. Saldana effortlessly
falls into the role and even offers up a slight love-interest subplot. Dave Bautista is more known for his immense
size, rather than his acting skills, which works out perfectly, as his Drax the
Destroyer isn't a Chatty Cathy. But even
with the limited dialogue, he still has some the best one-liners the film has
to offer. Bradley Cooper—who at first
seemed wrong for the voice of Rocket Raccoon—made a believer out of movie-goers
instantly, after hearing his exceptional voice acting combined with an angry animated
trigger-happy raccoon. Vin Diesel stops
by to say the same line hundreds of times for Groot, only to be slightly out
done by the actual animated tree. Lee
Pace enters the screen as Ronan, the film's main antagonist. Adding fierce eyes, a strong voice, and the
ability to look and act dangerous, he does an outstanding job bringing evil to
life. Michael Rooker lands Yondu
Udonta's part (the man that raises Quill) and lends comic relief to the movie,
while John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, and Benicio Del Toro stop by for a tad bit
of screen time and the free lunch.
"Do you see these three lighted buttons on my chest? I have no idea why they're there, but the one
in the middle plays show tunes when pushed."
WHO'LL HATE IT:
Anyone
that doesn't like comic book movies should stay far away from the Guardians of
the Galaxy at all costs. If for some
reason Sci-Fi movies, books, anecdotes, or references don't tickle your fancy
either, then this movie will not make you a believer…no matter how awesome
everyone tells you it is. It still takes
place in space and there's no reference to earth except briefly in the
beginning and in the film's music. So if
superheroes and aliens bore you, then your best bet is to stick with the
discovery channel and their documentaries on animal fornication.
THE FILM'S
HEART:
The
acting, cinematography, special effects, dialogue, and humor all come together
for a near perfect Sci-Fi/superhero flick, but the film's true heart lies in
two things. One is the love the
director, James Gunn, brings to the property.
Without him putting everything he enjoys about the Guardians into the
movie, the end result would have been a disaster. And the other (already stated above) is the music.
The choice of songs helps ground the film on earth (even though the bulk of the story happens in space) and they also
help viewers relate to the main character.
For instance, who hasn't made their own mix tape or song list that they
listened to over and over again?
"This allows you to listen to human melodies and it's just heavy enough that you could use it to
beat someone to death...if need be."
CONCLUSION:
If
you're thinking that little-known Marvel characters don't make for a compelling
story, you'd be dead wrong. Guardians of
the Galaxy contains some of the funniest and unique movie scenes you'll see
this year. With the charismatic Chris
Pratt leading a band of criminal misfits, where could you possibly go
wrong? If you enjoy Sci-Fi and superhero
movies, then this film is a no-brainer.
And once it's all over, the first question on your mind will be, "when's the second one come out?"
5
out of 5 Stars (well done Marvel…well
done)
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