Where do you go after you achieved one of your greatest feats with Captain America: The Winter Soldier? Logically you continue with stories that feature characters we all know and I love but that wasn’t the plan for Marvel. Guardians of the Galaxy represents Marvel’s great experiment: a major motion picture based on a comic book series not featuring any “household name” superheroes. It takes place in outer space, a setting where few action/adventure movies have found traction in recent years. I would consider myself pretty knowledgeable when it comes to comic books but I had NEVER heard of Guardian of the Galaxy before it was announced. If I didn’t know better, Marvel made these characters up for the purpose of making a film. Without any prior knowledge of the source material, I will admit my expectations were pretty low.
That all changed with the first trailer which really sold what they were trying to sell with the film. As we’ve seen with other MCU films, some are at their best when they blend genres and in this case, we get a hint of the space opera to go along with the comic book shenanigans. The film is infectious, fun and bolstered by an ensemble cast that clicks on all the right levels. It was a risky experiment, but Marvel pulled it off expertly.
The action takes place not that long ago but definitely far away, although the opening scenes are on Earth. Peter Quill (played by Wyatt Olef as a child and Chris Pratt as an adult) is abducted by aliens shortly after his mother dies of cancer. He grows up as part of a band of intergalactic thieves and smugglers and the first time we meet him as a man (with the code name of “Star-Lord”), he’s stealing an orb. It turns out that seemingly everyone wants the orb: terrorist Ronan (Lee Pace), who wants to use it to obliterate his enemies, the Xandarans; Thanos (Josh Brolin), the warlord who can use it to attain mastery over the universe; The Collector (Benicio Del Toro), who covets all rare and powerful items; and many lesser entities who plan to sell it. After being arrested and imprisoned (and having the orb taken away from him), Quill is forced into an uneasy alliance with several of his fellow inmates: Gamora (Zoe Saldana), an “adopted daughter” of Thanos; Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), a literal minded mountain of a man who seeks revenge against Ronan; Rocket (voice of Bradley Cooper), a genetically engineered raccoon with a bad temper and a love of guns; and Groot (voice of Vin Diesel), an Ent-like creature who speaks only one line: “I am Groot.” The five remain united after their prison break in order to retrieve the orb and keep it away from Ronan.
For comparison’s sake, I would say the vibe of Guardians of the Galaxy is pretty similar to Star Wars: A New Hope. I’m not suggesting that Guardians reach that level of greatness but you get the same sense of getting lost in the adventure that is taking place on screen. Both films do a good job of entertaining the inner child in all of us. Who didn’t grow up thinking it would be cool to be intergalactic battles and saving the universe? It’s such a simple emotion to tap into but works in spades when it’s done right.
Visually, the movie overdoses on CGI but it’s not a detriment. This is a great looking motion picture and director James Gunn proves capable of handling the scope of the film. The two non-humanoid members of the team were created entirely by computer. Groot, the walking tree-like entity whose voice is provided by Vin Diesel, is a triumph of artistry. A similar comment can be made about Rocket, who looks almost like a raccoon… but not quite. With Rocket, in particular, the life that Bradley Cooper brings into the voice work, mixed with the computer effects to create him, make him almost as lifelike as his human counterparts.
I would say the lion share of the success of Guardians of the Galaxy belongs to the cast and their undeniable chemistry. Chris Pratt brings a mix of Han Solo-inspired bravado and Luke Skywalker-influenced heroism to his part. This began a new career trajectory for the actor who would bring a similar charm to Jurassic Wold a year later. Zoe Saldana, adding green skin to her resume (after having been blue-skinned in Avatar), is effectively tough and conflicted as Gamora and her chemistry with Pratt generates the right amount of heat. Saldana seems at home in these sci-fi roles and it’s refreshing to see an actress of her caliber embracing it and not rejecting it. Dave Bautista’s Drax, who comes across like a semi-eloquent Hulk, provides some comic relief without going over-the-top. You can tell he’s having fun in the role and it’s infectious. Actors in secondary roles include Michael Rooker as the bandit lord Yondu (whose weaponry is quite cool I might add); Karen Gillan as Nebula, Ronan’s hench(wo)man; and Glenn Close as the leader of Xandar’s military. Josh Brolin’s interpretation of Thanos makes us wish that he, instead of Ronan, had been the main villain but don’t worry, he’s here now guys.
Speaking of Ronan, no matter how good this film is, it falls back into Marvel’s villain problem. Lee Pace doesn’t quite hit the right nastiness we need from the part and he never comes off as a credible threat. I like a villain that makes me believes our heroes might fail and that doesn’t come close to happening here. He’s more of a nuisance rather than someone to be feared.
The basic narrative of Guardians of the Galaxy is the kind of light popcorn fare that comic books (and their spin-off products) can get away with. Some of it may be ridiculous but in the world being created here, the film can get away with it. The narrative also creates a nice rapport with the characters and allows the dialogue to crackle with wit. The ’70s songs add an element of freshness to the proceedings and give the film a highly kinetic soundtrack that’s instantly memorable.
Guardians of the Galaxy is sufficiently self-contained to work as a stand-alone film even though the goal is to make this the starting point for a long-running franchise. Guardians of the Galaxy is immersed in a characteristic evident in The Avengers-related movies (but not found in most other major comic book films): irreverence. By not taking anything too seriously, it allows cheesy plot elements to work where they might fail in another context. Guardians of the Galaxy is solid fun and works far better than it has any right to. Most importantly, it displays just how powerful Marvel is as a brand. The fact that it could take characters not known to many moviegoers and turn it into a huge success is a testament of how strong their stories are and their confidence in the material.
