TGLMovies: Guardians Of The Galaxy

Guardians Of The Galaxy

PG-13 (2014)

Okay, I've been known to show a bit of favoritism towards comic book related movies, so before I go into my (as best as I can) unbiased movie review, let me get my fanboying out of the way...

*deep breath*

THIS MOVIE KICKS SO MUCH ASS! AVENGERS 1.5 FOR SURE. I LOVE. THIS. MOVIE.

Okay. Got that out of my system, let's get this rolling.

Starring:
Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesle, Lee Pace


Plot:
Peter Quill, a.k.a. "Star Lord" (Chris Pratt) leads a group of former criminals and bounty hunters (Saldana, Cooper, Bautista, Diesel) to save the galaxy from the powerful Ronan (Lee Pace).

I could go further into the plot, but to do so would remove the magic of the story. It needs to be experienced rather than told.

"Something good...":
 Ever since the release of the first Iron Man (2008), I've seen every Marvel Cinematic Universe movie to date (Iron Man 1-3, Hulk, Thor 1-2, Captain America 1-2, The Avengers). I know all the ins and outs, characters, and over arching plot points. But what I loved the most about Guardians is that you don't need to know absolutely ANY of it in order to enjoy this movie. Granted it doesn't hurt, and there are one or two characters who have had minor roles in previous Marvel movies, but there is nothing that would hinder your full experience.

Guardians has, in more than a few cases, been referred to as the new Star Wars for a new generation of movie goers. I don't take this to mean that it is superior, rather that if you go into the movie assuming that you don't know a single character or alien race, the movie will guide you through all you need to know. There are a multitude of alien races, but you don't need to know all of their names/origins. None of the Guardians themselves have had their own movies, but their histories are all discussed in enough detail to flesh them out while still leaving plenty of time for action. Oooooh the action.

The sweet, sweet space adventure action. As previously mentioned, it is very hard to describe this movie while trying to leave enough room for your own viewing to be enjoyable and spoil free. That said, I haven't seen a movie with such incredible action and special effects for a long time. Guardians is not afraid to throw hundreds of combatants on screen at a time, leading to one of the most spectacular final fight scenes I've ever seen.

In terms of acting, this movie actually took quite a few risks, but every one of them paid off in a big way. The two most well known actors of the Guardians themselves (Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper) merely voice their characters, and don't actually appear on screen. As for my personal favorites (Chris Pratt and David Bautista), Pratt has had little to no exposure in movies, and is primarily known for his comedic role in television's Parks And Recreation. Bautista on the other hand, is first and foremost a professional wrestler, not an actor. That said, he absolutely stole the show for me. His character, Drax, is covered in muscle, and while I expected him to be the silent bruiser, he made me laugh the most.

Conversely, big name actors like Josh Brolin, Glen Close, John C Riley, and Benicio Del Toro, all have very little screen time, but with the time that they are on screen, they all shine.

The movie's soundtrack has garnered much attention by itself, as the entire playlist comes in the form of 1970's and 80's pop music, including the Jackson 5, Blue Swede, David Bowie, Marvin Gaye, and many more. Again, without spoiling, every song fits perfectly with the characters, and it is pretty fun to hear 80's pop music during several action scenes.

"...Something bad...":
As much as I hate to admit it, the movie is not flawless. The most glaring problem I had was with actress Zoe Saldana, who portrays Guardian member Gamora. As a character, Gamora is a rough and tough bruiser, but deceiving, given her appearance. As portrayed by Zoe Saldana, Gamora acts like a snooty princess, then flirts, then acts like an idiot, then gets angry at everyone for hardly any reason. If I had to pick a "least favorite" scene, it is a particular one with Saldana in it. She just isn't as engaging as the rest of the cast, and when you have nothing but bright shining stars, and one that shines just a bit less, the dimmer star will stick out like a sore thumb.

Other than Saldana's shaky acting, however, you'd be hard pressed to find anything to complain about.



"...A bit of both":
For the past year, Marvel has been pushing this as their "next big franchise" and rightly so. Guardians sets a strong base for a plethora of future movies and tie-ins with existing Marvel franchises. If you like comic book, action, sci-fi, or comedy movies, go see this as soon as you can.




I give Guardians Of The Galaxy an unsurprising yet totally deserved, perfect 10/10.


REGARDING THE AFTER CREDITS SCENE:
Yes, there is one. If you haven't seen the movie, STOP HERE, as spoilers are coming up.
If you have seen the movie, read on regarding the post credits scene.
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A good amount of you, if not all, have no idea who that was sitting next to The Collector casually sipping his drink. In case you were curious, his name is Howard the Duck. He is in fact a Marvel Comics character, though he's never been overly popular. He did get his own failed movie in the late 80's, and Guardians director James Gunn has confirmed that this was just a joke, and not implying anything about Howard getting his own movie.