‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Theatrical Review

I remember back in 1977 the first time I ever saw Star Wars in a theater. No one really knew what to expect when you walked in. But when you walked out after the film had ended, you had that feeling that you had just witnessed a film that would stick with you for a long time. It told an intergalactic story of good versus evil on an epic scale, but kept the emotions on a human level. You were introduced to characters you would never forget, and the special effects and locations were like nothing you had ever seen before. Well folks, get ready to have those feelings all over again, thanks to James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

Marvel’s newest entry into their cinematic universe brings together a rag-tag group of space misfits in an attempt to stop Ronan the Accuser from using a mysterious orb to destroy the galaxy. Led by Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), a human that was abducted from earth as a child, the team consists of Gamora (Zoe Saldana), a mysterious assassin who aligned herself with Ronan at one time, Drax (Dave Bautista), a warrior bent on revenge against Ronan for killing his family, Rocket (Bradley Cooper), a smart-ass raccoon bounty hunter, and his sidekick Groot (Vin Diesel), a talking tree with a three word vocabulary.

Guardians of the Galaxy Pic 1

The audience is introduced to different worlds as Quill (or as he likes to call himself, Star-Lord) scours planets as a treasure hunter. On an uninhabited world, he finds a mysterious sphere that a client has asked for him to find. Unknown to him, it is also wanted by Ronan and Thanos, a sinister ruler of worlds. Ronan sends Gamora, daughter of Thanos to retrieve it from Peter. But to get it, she must battle Rocket and Groot, who are after a bounty put on Peter’s head. All four are captured and put into a space prison.

Things don’t get better in the prison, because Gamora is known by everyone as Thanos’s daughter, and pretty much everyone wants her dead, especially Drax, whose own attempt is halted by her claim that she is trying to stop Ronan and Thanos by selling the orb for a high price. Enticed by the money, Peter, Rocket and Groot enlist Gamora to help escape the prison. Drax enlists in the escape in the hope that they will lead him to Ronan.

Gamora leads the group to Knowhere, a mining colony. It is here that they meet up with her buyer, The Collector (Benicio Del Toro), who informs the team of the orbs power. But before a deal is made, Ronan and Nebula, Gamora’s sister, arrive to battle for the orb. Their plan is to use the sphere’s enormous power and destroy the galaxy. It is up to the self-proclaimed ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ to stop their plans.

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In this summer of never-ending sequels, Guardians of the Galaxy is the breath of fresh air we have been waiting for. Based on the Marvel comics, it’s an action-packed adventure with a smart-ass attitude that takes the audience for a helluva ride. Director James Gunn, whose only film prior to this was the comedic horror film Slither, brings what is basically a relatively unknown comic not only to life, but has shown that life out of The Avengers world does exist for Marvel. The action in the film is pretty much continuous with slight pauses that help flesh out the characters. Usually in origin films, audiences have to deal with lengthy explanations of who is who and why they do the things they do. Not so here.

Gunn has brought an amazing universe to life, with so much going on in a single frame, that repeat viewings is almost required to absorb everything. Perhaps the best example is the prison sequence. There is so much going on in the background, you almost want to ignore the main action. The same occurs in The Collectors room. If you look close enough, you may see clues as to possible Marvel film projects (they are subtle, but they’re there). The film has the Saturday afternoon cliffhanger feel that Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark brought to life many years ago.

The casting for Guardians of the Galaxy is spot-on. Chris Pratt delivers a star-making performance as Quill. You sense this from the opening scenes, as he’s dancing around the decimated ruins of the city. He has the natural good looks of a leading man, along with comic chops that make him so damn likable. If this doesn’t make him a big star, wait until next summer’s Jurassic World. Zoe Saldana is a science fiction poster child, with her third franchise film role (Avatar, Star Trek and now this). She has the look and the toughness that makes her Gamora believable. She basically plays the straight man to the antics of the other four characters, and she’s totally game.

Former WWE wrestler Bautista is a genuine surprise here, playing a character that could have been one dimensional. To me, he is the heart of the group, with the most tragic backstory. Cooper and Diesel deliver only voice performances, but they bring two of the most bizarre characters completely to life. Cooper’s Rocket totally steals every scene he’s in, thanks to the melding of the film’s special effects and Cooper’s perfect voice performance. And Diesel’s Groot may only say three words, but I don’t think I ever heard those words said the same throughout the film. Again, the special effects team nailed it with Groot’s look.

Guardians of the Galaxy Pic 3

The film’s production values are fantastic. The set designs are incredible, adding so much detail that audiences may need to see the film again to pick up on the nuances incorporated into the designs. Costumes and make-up look great, especially the details on Bautista and Saldana’s body make-up. And I can’t say enough about the special effects. The different environments, the characters; the look and feel of everything is incredible. The last battle definitely gives you the feel of the dogfight scenes in the original Star Wars films.

Guardians of the Galaxy is simply one of the most fun films I’ve seen in a very long time. Director James Gunn has worked magic, delivering a great story, terrific action set pieces, and excellent ensemble work from the cast. There were a lot of questions that came up when this film was first announced, most dealing with the fact that it is a mostly unknown property of Marvel. This worries me, because it basically says that if it’s not a sequel, a remake or a reboot, the industry doesn’t have faith in it. I think this film proves that as long as the film is good, and this definitely is a good film, people will be attracted to it. Guardians of the Galaxy is definitely the film we’ve been waiting all summer for.

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