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| Thank you Marvel! |
Well that itch has finally been scratched with Marvel Studio's latest smash, Guardians of the Galaxy. In more ways than one this picture hearkens back to the pulpy playfulness that was once indicative of the summer blockbuster. It almost feels like director James Gunn is running up to us in the opening shots of Guardians of the Galaxy, grabbing us by our shoulders, getting up in our face, and saying "Hey! Do you remember when blockbusters used to be fun?"
Yes I do Mr. Gunn, and thank you for providing something that has been easily one of the most (if not the most) enjoyable film of 2014! In an age of movies where the landscape is over saturated with dour melodramas that suck the fun right out of the experience, or mindless lowest-common-denominator drivels that have ridiculously bloated run-times, Guardians of the Galaxy comes off as a huge (and damn near exhilarating) breath of fresh air.
If you can't tell by this point, I really really like Guardians of the Galaxy. In all honesty this may in fact be my new favorite Marvel Studios film. Oh yeah, I just went there. I'm seriously considering this to be just as good as The Avengers. One of the things I'm loving so much about these Marvel Studio flicks is that they are clearly embracing what everyone (who's ever loved comics) loves about comics. At no point did I find myself feeling like this could have been a better experience, or that the creators failed to make something gratifying to watch.
In the year 1988, a young boy named Peter Quill is abducted by aliens on what is clearly already the worst day of his life. Twenty-six years later that same boy is now a man calling himself Star Lord, working for a group of space pirates known as The Ravagers. While out on his latest mission to acquire an ancient and mysterious orb from a desolated planet, he encounters others searching for the same artifact. It quickly becomes clear to Star Lord that there are a lot of people the galaxy over who want this relic for whatever purposes, so he's looking to sell to the highest bidder. That's going to be a lot harder than it sounds though because Ronan the Accuser (a ruthless zealot of the Kree Empire) also desires the orb and the power it possesses within so that he can fulfill an ancient grudge. Only with the help of some very unlikely allies can Star Lord ever hope to survive this crazy cosmic contingency and maybe even save the galaxy.
As a child of the late 80's and early 90's I can clearly tell that Guardians of the Galaxy is intrinsically steeped in its love for the sensations pop-culture of that era created. It's obvious that director James Gunn loves that time period in cinema more than anything, and he lovingly recreates that same sense of wonder and adventure that captivated audiences then. For a lot of us, the plot to Guardians of the Galaxy is pretty straight forward, simplistic, or at least familiar when you break it down into its more base components. For all intents and purposes this movie doesn't really bring anything new to the table that we haven't already seen from numerous films from decades long past. It's an adventure film where everyone is chasing down the hero for an item, then the hero has to chase the villains with said item, to prevent some kind of major disaster. In essence though that is what easily stands as Guardian's greatest strength. This picture resurrects a lot of the old tropes that defined such beloved and classic features like the Indiana Jones Trilogy, Buckaroo Banzai, and even Flash Gordon to some degree. Through the use of these familiar staples it sort of encourages the viewer to just go with the flow of Guardian's narrative, and allow the plot threads to be woven into the incredibly fun yarn that it is.
That isn't to say though that the film only strives to do the same old flash and flare we all know by heart at this point. Instead there is a fun bit of subversion to these age old cliches' through clever use of dialogue, or by simply tilting a recognizable situation on its ear ever so slightly. As an example, during the opening sequence involving Star Lord acquiring the orb, it is clear from the start that they're referencing Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. The scene takes a heavy shift though when Star Lord pops on his old Sony Walkman head-set and starts jamming out to Redbone's "Come and Get Your Love." It's apparent at this particular moment that this isn't going to be a commonplace adventure story. Due to mainstream audiences not being all too informed as to who exactly the Guardians of the Galaxy are, Marvel Studios has taken some notable liberties with translating the characters from comic to celluloid, but I personally feel that they're great. Turning Star Lord into a more daring rogue (or at least what a kid from the 80's would like to think a cool space outlaw would be) from the more classic heroic styling of his comicbook counterpart actually works to really great effect.
The cast is rock solid all the way through. Chris Pratt totally owns his role as Peter Quill/Star Lord, and is easily one of the most fun protagonists we've had in an adventure story since perhaps Johnny Depp's inaugural run as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. His off-the-cuff, semi-aloof witticisms. coupled with just enough of a noble streak, and the physicality of his performance as an action lead all coalesce into an instantly lovable protagonist that I just can't get enough of. Zoe Saldana turns out an excellent rendition of Gamora, playing the deadliest woman in the galaxy as the hard-bitten, stoic fighter she needs to be, while also having a believable sense of honor and humor to her. Bradley Cooper's and Vin Diesel's motion-capture and voice acting performances as Rocket and Groot are topnotch as well. These two so easily could have been the worst part of this movie, but instead stand as one of the casting's largest triumphs. Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel have amazing chemistry in all of their scenes, and bring their respective characters to life with a tenacity that I don't know anyone else (besides Andy Serkis) could do. The surprising standout role (and perhaps even secret weapon) of Guardians may be Dave Batista's Drax the Destroyer. I wasn't sure how to initially feel when Batista was cast as Drax, but after seeing his work here, I'm completely satisfied. Some of the funniest lines and coolest action beats overall come from Drax, and Batista just kills it.
Sadly I do feel that some characters and cast are foregone due to the sheer scope of the film. I think we only could have benefited having more when it came to the villains. Lee Pace's role as Ronan the Accuser does feel regrettably somewhat underutilized, and Karen Gillian's Nebula could have been given a great deal more to do in regards to the plot. That isn't to say though that they're not awesome when they're on screen. Lee Pace looks absolutely incredible in his Ronan costume, and easily comes off as a legitimately intimidating big bad. His deep booming voice commands attention whenever he speaks, and the intensity with which he holds himself physically just give him a brick wall of nasty screen presence. When Ronan is here, you know that he's arrived. Karen Gillian looks fantastic as Nebula, and you can clearly tell that she is loving every second that she gets to be one of the deadliest assassins in the galaxy. Benicio del Toro reprises his role as Taneleer Tivan/The Collector, but once again is nothing more than a glorified cameo. While he does get to play a more involved role within Guardians of the Galaxy, he's relegated to only one real scene. Again, none of these are bad, in fact they're not even close to being bad (let alone a deal breaker) but for those who were going in with the hope of exploring these characters will sadly have to keep on waiting.
Visually Guardians of the Galaxy is an absolute feast for the eyes. The camera work is rock solid (barring only one or two scenes where I feel the camera gets a bit too close and shaky) with no shortage of iconic shots to ensnare us the moment we see our first spaceship. You can clearly tell that Marvel Studios is pulling out all the stops here and are boisterously flexing their artistic muscles. Every classic staple that has helped to define the look of the quintessential space-adventure is present and accounted for. Seeing such sequences as high-speed spaceship chases, laser guns fights, and even a cosmic throw-down between armies. Of course all of this is done with the usual Marvel pomp we all expect nowadays. It's obvious from the outset that the art team's goal is to invoke the old-school designs of comic legend Jack Kirby, as quite a few characters and locations that appear are former works of his. Being a space faring tale, there is a lot of digital effects, but interestingly enough, also a great deal of practical effects. Numerous actors actually take to a real set, in real costumes, and I've gotta say that it really makes the world of Guardians feel just that much more real. Lee Pace's Ronan and Karen Gillian's Nebula are some of the most standout costume/make-up jobs, due to knowing that they're look is rendered entirely with practical effects. Everything looks like it fits within the greater scheme of Guardian's world, with even CGI heavy characters like Rocket and Groot looking/feeling very lifelike and emotive. At several points it almost comes off as if these guys are really there with the live action actors. Again, these two in the wrong hands could have so easily been annoying, but instead stand as a testament to what is so great about this movie.
Tyler Bate's composition is equally impressive. Few action films ever put this much emphasis on music, but with Guardians of the Galaxy its focus on song has a story oriented purpose. One of the few things Peter Quill has left from Earth is his Sony Walkman cassette player. A mix tape he has is a gift from his mother, and serves as one of his only connections to his former life on Earth. Quill listens to it throughout the entirety of the narrative, and its use is two fold. Not only is the music a touchstone for the character of Quill it also acts as a means to connect the audience with the crazy sci-fi world, by having something familiar they can latch on to. Even with the incorporation of a large number of popular songs from the 70's and 80's, Guardian's original score never feels like it doesn't have an identity of its own. Several of the tracks once again hearken back to the vibe of older sci-fi films like Buckaroo Banzai and Flash Gordon. It is also interesting to note that apparently when Guardians first began filming, that Bates actually had composed several tracks that director James Gunn then filmed too. This is out of the norm in how most movies are scored, as the music is usually built around the film and not the other way.
Overall Guardians of the Galaxy is a must-see blockbuster to be enjoyed on the biggest screen possible. At no point does the movie not feel gratifying in some way. With excellent pacing, an incredibly funny script, beautiful chemistry between characters, and gorgeous science-fiction imagery, you can't go wrong. It's been years since we've had a Hollywood blockbuster of this caliber, or simply be this much fun. Entertainment is the name of the game here, and Guardians reminds us all of a time when it felt like the summer was magic and the season brought with it some of the most enjoyable films we could ever watch. Much like the song from Blue Swede says, I'm hooked on a feeling.
If you can't tell by this point, I really really like Guardians of the Galaxy. In all honesty this may in fact be my new favorite Marvel Studios film. Oh yeah, I just went there. I'm seriously considering this to be just as good as The Avengers. One of the things I'm loving so much about these Marvel Studio flicks is that they are clearly embracing what everyone (who's ever loved comics) loves about comics. At no point did I find myself feeling like this could have been a better experience, or that the creators failed to make something gratifying to watch.
In the year 1988, a young boy named Peter Quill is abducted by aliens on what is clearly already the worst day of his life. Twenty-six years later that same boy is now a man calling himself Star Lord, working for a group of space pirates known as The Ravagers. While out on his latest mission to acquire an ancient and mysterious orb from a desolated planet, he encounters others searching for the same artifact. It quickly becomes clear to Star Lord that there are a lot of people the galaxy over who want this relic for whatever purposes, so he's looking to sell to the highest bidder. That's going to be a lot harder than it sounds though because Ronan the Accuser (a ruthless zealot of the Kree Empire) also desires the orb and the power it possesses within so that he can fulfill an ancient grudge. Only with the help of some very unlikely allies can Star Lord ever hope to survive this crazy cosmic contingency and maybe even save the galaxy.
As a child of the late 80's and early 90's I can clearly tell that Guardians of the Galaxy is intrinsically steeped in its love for the sensations pop-culture of that era created. It's obvious that director James Gunn loves that time period in cinema more than anything, and he lovingly recreates that same sense of wonder and adventure that captivated audiences then. For a lot of us, the plot to Guardians of the Galaxy is pretty straight forward, simplistic, or at least familiar when you break it down into its more base components. For all intents and purposes this movie doesn't really bring anything new to the table that we haven't already seen from numerous films from decades long past. It's an adventure film where everyone is chasing down the hero for an item, then the hero has to chase the villains with said item, to prevent some kind of major disaster. In essence though that is what easily stands as Guardian's greatest strength. This picture resurrects a lot of the old tropes that defined such beloved and classic features like the Indiana Jones Trilogy, Buckaroo Banzai, and even Flash Gordon to some degree. Through the use of these familiar staples it sort of encourages the viewer to just go with the flow of Guardian's narrative, and allow the plot threads to be woven into the incredibly fun yarn that it is.
That isn't to say though that the film only strives to do the same old flash and flare we all know by heart at this point. Instead there is a fun bit of subversion to these age old cliches' through clever use of dialogue, or by simply tilting a recognizable situation on its ear ever so slightly. As an example, during the opening sequence involving Star Lord acquiring the orb, it is clear from the start that they're referencing Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. The scene takes a heavy shift though when Star Lord pops on his old Sony Walkman head-set and starts jamming out to Redbone's "Come and Get Your Love." It's apparent at this particular moment that this isn't going to be a commonplace adventure story. Due to mainstream audiences not being all too informed as to who exactly the Guardians of the Galaxy are, Marvel Studios has taken some notable liberties with translating the characters from comic to celluloid, but I personally feel that they're great. Turning Star Lord into a more daring rogue (or at least what a kid from the 80's would like to think a cool space outlaw would be) from the more classic heroic styling of his comicbook counterpart actually works to really great effect.
The cast is rock solid all the way through. Chris Pratt totally owns his role as Peter Quill/Star Lord, and is easily one of the most fun protagonists we've had in an adventure story since perhaps Johnny Depp's inaugural run as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. His off-the-cuff, semi-aloof witticisms. coupled with just enough of a noble streak, and the physicality of his performance as an action lead all coalesce into an instantly lovable protagonist that I just can't get enough of. Zoe Saldana turns out an excellent rendition of Gamora, playing the deadliest woman in the galaxy as the hard-bitten, stoic fighter she needs to be, while also having a believable sense of honor and humor to her. Bradley Cooper's and Vin Diesel's motion-capture and voice acting performances as Rocket and Groot are topnotch as well. These two so easily could have been the worst part of this movie, but instead stand as one of the casting's largest triumphs. Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel have amazing chemistry in all of their scenes, and bring their respective characters to life with a tenacity that I don't know anyone else (besides Andy Serkis) could do. The surprising standout role (and perhaps even secret weapon) of Guardians may be Dave Batista's Drax the Destroyer. I wasn't sure how to initially feel when Batista was cast as Drax, but after seeing his work here, I'm completely satisfied. Some of the funniest lines and coolest action beats overall come from Drax, and Batista just kills it.
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| "We're the Guardians of the Galaxy!" |
Sadly I do feel that some characters and cast are foregone due to the sheer scope of the film. I think we only could have benefited having more when it came to the villains. Lee Pace's role as Ronan the Accuser does feel regrettably somewhat underutilized, and Karen Gillian's Nebula could have been given a great deal more to do in regards to the plot. That isn't to say though that they're not awesome when they're on screen. Lee Pace looks absolutely incredible in his Ronan costume, and easily comes off as a legitimately intimidating big bad. His deep booming voice commands attention whenever he speaks, and the intensity with which he holds himself physically just give him a brick wall of nasty screen presence. When Ronan is here, you know that he's arrived. Karen Gillian looks fantastic as Nebula, and you can clearly tell that she is loving every second that she gets to be one of the deadliest assassins in the galaxy. Benicio del Toro reprises his role as Taneleer Tivan/The Collector, but once again is nothing more than a glorified cameo. While he does get to play a more involved role within Guardians of the Galaxy, he's relegated to only one real scene. Again, none of these are bad, in fact they're not even close to being bad (let alone a deal breaker) but for those who were going in with the hope of exploring these characters will sadly have to keep on waiting.
Visually Guardians of the Galaxy is an absolute feast for the eyes. The camera work is rock solid (barring only one or two scenes where I feel the camera gets a bit too close and shaky) with no shortage of iconic shots to ensnare us the moment we see our first spaceship. You can clearly tell that Marvel Studios is pulling out all the stops here and are boisterously flexing their artistic muscles. Every classic staple that has helped to define the look of the quintessential space-adventure is present and accounted for. Seeing such sequences as high-speed spaceship chases, laser guns fights, and even a cosmic throw-down between armies. Of course all of this is done with the usual Marvel pomp we all expect nowadays. It's obvious from the outset that the art team's goal is to invoke the old-school designs of comic legend Jack Kirby, as quite a few characters and locations that appear are former works of his. Being a space faring tale, there is a lot of digital effects, but interestingly enough, also a great deal of practical effects. Numerous actors actually take to a real set, in real costumes, and I've gotta say that it really makes the world of Guardians feel just that much more real. Lee Pace's Ronan and Karen Gillian's Nebula are some of the most standout costume/make-up jobs, due to knowing that they're look is rendered entirely with practical effects. Everything looks like it fits within the greater scheme of Guardian's world, with even CGI heavy characters like Rocket and Groot looking/feeling very lifelike and emotive. At several points it almost comes off as if these guys are really there with the live action actors. Again, these two in the wrong hands could have so easily been annoying, but instead stand as a testament to what is so great about this movie.
Tyler Bate's composition is equally impressive. Few action films ever put this much emphasis on music, but with Guardians of the Galaxy its focus on song has a story oriented purpose. One of the few things Peter Quill has left from Earth is his Sony Walkman cassette player. A mix tape he has is a gift from his mother, and serves as one of his only connections to his former life on Earth. Quill listens to it throughout the entirety of the narrative, and its use is two fold. Not only is the music a touchstone for the character of Quill it also acts as a means to connect the audience with the crazy sci-fi world, by having something familiar they can latch on to. Even with the incorporation of a large number of popular songs from the 70's and 80's, Guardian's original score never feels like it doesn't have an identity of its own. Several of the tracks once again hearken back to the vibe of older sci-fi films like Buckaroo Banzai and Flash Gordon. It is also interesting to note that apparently when Guardians first began filming, that Bates actually had composed several tracks that director James Gunn then filmed too. This is out of the norm in how most movies are scored, as the music is usually built around the film and not the other way.
Overall Guardians of the Galaxy is a must-see blockbuster to be enjoyed on the biggest screen possible. At no point does the movie not feel gratifying in some way. With excellent pacing, an incredibly funny script, beautiful chemistry between characters, and gorgeous science-fiction imagery, you can't go wrong. It's been years since we've had a Hollywood blockbuster of this caliber, or simply be this much fun. Entertainment is the name of the game here, and Guardians reminds us all of a time when it felt like the summer was magic and the season brought with it some of the most enjoyable films we could ever watch. Much like the song from Blue Swede says, I'm hooked on a feeling.
Positive Factors
- Incredibly fun story, characters, and world that hearkens back to the classic blockbusters of the 80's.
- Just as good as The Avengers, and possibly one of Marvel Studios best films to date.
- Fantastic actor performances all around coupled with hilarious scripting makes for one of the funniest films of the year.
- Gorgeous combination of practical and CGI sci-fi visuals that invoke the spirit of comic legend Jack Kirby.
- Music plays a huge role within the story itself, with both the licensed and original tracks being solid.
Negative Factors
- Could have had more from the villains and side characters, but at least they're still pretty awesome when they're onscreen.
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