Guardians of the Galaxy - Review

I hate to sound all negative here... but is anyone else getting the feeling that Marvel's bubble is about to burst? I mean, since they kicked off their cinematic universe back in 2008, they've churned out hit after hit like clockwork, with movies ranging from good to pure awesome. Even what is arguably their weakest film, Iron Man 2, is at the very least an enjoyable action flick while The Avengers is probably going to be seen as one of the best summer blockbusters to ever hit theaters. Ugh... leave it to me to start out a review for what is easily the most enjoyable movie of the summer (hell, one of the most enjoyable movies of the last decade even) in such a negative way. Really not joking about that folks, I can't remember the last time I've had this much fun in a theater. How fun is it? Let's take a look...

Guardians of the Galaxy opens with Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) aka Starlord (well... at least he calls himself that), a human abducted by aliens when he was only child, stealing a mysterious orb on a distant planet. While his succeeds in his theft, he becomes marked as one of the most wanted men in the galaxy. First, he becomes the target of bounty hunters Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), a genetically engineered raccoon, and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) a tree-like humanoid alien, who are attempting to cash in on the hefty bounty placed on Quill's head. Also after Quill is alien assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana), a skilled killer trained by the evil Thanos, who has other uses in mind for the mysterious orb in Quill's possession. When they all end up in prison after a scuffle for the orb, they meet Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), a vengeful warrior who lost his family at the hands of Ronan The Accuser (Lee Pace). While the group's initially meeting is filled with hate and tension, they all must reluctantly band together when they discover the truth behind the orb and Ronan's thirst for power grows stronger and more dangerous.

Guardians of the Galaxy is easily the strangest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe... it's also one of the strangest big budget blockbusters to come around in recent memory... and it's just plain awesome! I've mentioned before in previous reviews that with all of the movies I watch and the general declining quality of Hollywood creativity, it gets harder and harder for me to get hyped and excited. Guardians of the Galaxy though peaked my interest from the get-go, not just because I thought it looked good (though it did), but rather because any film that has weird space aliens, a humanoid tree being, and a talking raccoon all fighting some epic war in space is so out there that even if it turned out to be bad, at least it would be interesting or different. Plus, this film also makes the big budget debut of cult film director James Gunn... a mainstay of the Troma school of filmmakers who's worked steadily directing some underrated low budget genre films (go watch Slither if you haven't seen it yet.. because it's awesome). So yeah... obscure comic series, weird space creatures, catchy soundtrack, and a cult filmmaker... that's what it takes to generate some interest.

It's tricky to truly describe what kind of film Guardians of the Galaxy is. It's something of a space opera, but it's also heavily inspired by the sci-fi serials of the 1950s and earlier (the same kind of films that inspired George Lucas to make Star Wars), and it's something of a bromance comedy. It's almost even a live action movie of Futurama... yeah, that's probably the best comparison since it's really more of a comedy than it is an action movie. It finds it's greatest strength in it's characters, and the actors playing them. Chris Pratt as Peter Quill leads the team, playing Quill as something like an 8-year-old's interpretation of a Han Solo like space hero mixed with a douchebag frat boy. Actually, he's basically a slightly more competent version of Phillip J Fry (like I said, Futurama). Pratt's natural comic timing and his better than expected execution of the action scenes all work to his advantage as the reluctant leader to a group of misfits. Zoe Saldana is predictably solid as Gamora... who at this point probably feels right at home in her usual role as the ass-kicking sci-fi heroine. Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel find a surprising amount of range in their voice over performances as Rocket and Groot respectively. It's especially impressive for Vin Diesel when you consider just how much emotion comes through his line readings of the phrase "I Am Groot" (that's all his character knows how to say). WWE superstar Dave Bautista turns out to be the biggest surprise, with a shockingly effective performance as Drax the Destroyer. While I knew he would kick ass in the action scenes (he's a wrestler after all), his believable, funny, and even sometimes moving performance as this vengeful brute is hands down one of the best athlete-turned-actor performances in recent memory. I also have to give a shout out to Lee Pace as the villainous Ronan the Accuser, playing off his role as something like Emperor Palpatine if he was a James Bond villain. Even if the story occasionally stumbles, the cast always manages to keep it afloat.

Based purely on visual terms, this is definitely one of the most impressive looking films I've seen in quite some time. The locals and production design all have a unique look while still paying tribute to the cult sci-fi B-Movies and serials of the 1950s. Plus, the vast array of colorful aliens and creatures all realized through top notch makeup and computer effects are as creative as they are impressive. On that note, the film is also a great example of just how far cgi technology has come in recent years. The effects used to render Rocket and Groot especially are easily the most impressive effects from this summer's barrage of blockbusters. Plus the action is constantly entertaining, whether it be a chase scene, fight scene, space battle... you name it, it's there, and it's awesome. Script-wise, this isn't exactly high caliber screenwriting. The story itself is creative if not fairly generic, in fact most of it's plot points ring a little too close to The Avengers. Fortunately it redeems itself through solid pacing, the aforementioned enjoyable characters, and it's witty sense of humor. The banter between the cast is full of some hilarious laugh out loud moments, plus it's scattered with frequent chuckles throughout the movie as well. It's really more of a comedy first and an action film second, and I have absolutely no problem with that. If nothing else, it was such a relief to see another comic book movie that was so bright, vibrant, diverse, and colorful... I am so sick of the dark and drab aesthetic plaguing so many films these days (I liked Nolan's Batman films too... but seriously it's okay to have some fun once in a while).

So Guardians of the Galaxy... so far the most enjoyable film I've seen this year. It's diverse, it's funny, and it's a blast to watch. If you haven't seen it yet, definitely check it out before it's run in theaters comes to an end.

My Score: 4.5 out of 5!