Like many in 2014, I was already drawn into the huge Marvel Cinematic Universe. From Iron Man to Captain America, the films brought many of my childhood heroes to life. When Guardians of the Galaxy came along, I was unfamiliar with the source material, so I had no idea what to expect. I had seen the early reviews and I was expecting a funny and exciting joy ride.
And then there was that opening.
I won’t spoil those first moments, but it instantly invested me into Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) character. Yes, there were great action sequences and hilarious hijinks, but the key to the film’s success was its solid emotional core. That made it one of the better films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“What A Bunch of A-Holes”
Guardians of the Galaxy had a simple premise. Criminals and misfits found themselves thrown together in an unexpected mission to save the galaxy. Thief Peter Quill/Star Lord, assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana), warrior Drax (Dave Bautista), science experiment gone awry Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), and….talking tree Groot (Vin Diesel) had to keep a powerful Infinity Stone from a vengeance obsessed Ronan (Lee Pace). Their adventure was full of crazy action, rapid fire one-liners, and a surprising amount of emotion.
Chris Pratt’s was charming and funny, but also had that great emotional motivation from that opening sequence. Drax was a great warrior, but the loss of his family drove a thirst for revenge. Rocket’s cynical demeanor hid a sadness about his origin. He found a place in the galaxy in his friendship with Groot, a fellow misfit. Gamora wanted to get out of a life of destruction under Thanos. Even villain Ronan had a simple but somewhat sympathetic motivation. He felt as though his people were victims and absolute vengeance was the only answer.
I made Guardians sound like a dour affair, but it’s far from that. Writer/director James Gunn and his actors managed to maintain that powerful emotion while also creating one of the most joyful films that Marvel has produced. Pratt’s star-making performance was an Indiana Jones-like hero that flew by the seat of his pants. He wasn’t a super capable hero with inhuman strength…he was a guy making it up as he went and he was charming while doing it.
There was plenty of humor to go around. Bautista stole nearly every scene he was in as the dead pan and quite literal Drax, while a vocally unrecognizable Cooper had a ball as the hilarious Rocket Raccoon. And while it seemed like stunt casting to bring Vin Diesel in to say one line over and over, he brought some genuine laughs and depth to Groot.
Not every character worked, for different reasons. Gamora was a great character and Saldana did an excellent job, but there was a frustrating lack of time with her. In many ensemble films, certain characters get shafted in terms of development and that was the case here. There were intriuging aspects to her character, especially her rivalry with Nebula (Karen Gillan), but we never get a chance to learn a lot about it. Plus, the character is somewhat mishandled as she went from incredibly capable one scene to a damsel in distress in another.
Ronan was a solid villain with a striking look, but like Gamora, we don’t get a lot of time with him. He serves his function, but he could have used a little more fleshing out. Nebula had a harder time as she was simply reduced to a cool looking henchwoman. There were tantalizing bits of depth in scenes with Gamora, but it wasn’t enough.
Faring much better was Michael Rooker’s Yondu, leader of the pirate like Ravagers and rival to Quill. Something of a tweener in terms of “evilness,” he had some funny lines and bad ass moments. Maybe he should have been the chief antagonist.
Going All the Way
The world of Guardians of the Galaxy was beautifully crafted and often imaginative. Other than the Thor movies, this was the first time a Marvel film fully embraced the fantastic “cosmic” settings from the comics and it went all in. Nearly every set was amazing, with Knowhere, a mining colony built into the gigantic head of an ancient alien standing out.
The futuristic setting was surprisingly well served by the ’70s soundtrack. From “Hooked On a Feeling” to “Come and Get Your Love,” the music hit the right emotions in every appearance. Tyler Bates’ score was also great, as it gave some needed heft to Guardian’s big moments.
Those big moments were fast paced and often frantic chases that thrilled. They struck a perfect balance of imaginative visuals, comedy and crowd pleasing moments. While not overly innovative, the sequences pleased most action fans.
“Bit Of Both”
In the end, those crazy chases worked because the “a-holes” in the middle of the action were amazingly done. Guardians did something incredible and rare in an era of countless super hero movies. It was a rare combination of solid storytelling and characters with over the top action and comedy.
Guardians of the Galaxy was not a perfect film, but the sequel has a lot to live up to.
SCORE: 8 OUT OF 10