Guardians of the Galaxy - Review

Guardians of the Galaxy is finally out and making tons of money, but does it deserve your hard-earned cash? Short answer: I am Groot.

The story is rather simple, centering around a mysterious orb that everyone wants to get their hands on. Chris Pratt plays Peter Quill, also known as Star-Lord, an outlaw who finds the orb so he can sell it for a large sum of credits. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) attempts to take the orb from Quill so she can sell it herself, but things get slightly complicated when Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel) show up to collect the bounty on Star-Lord's head.

It isn't Shakespeare, but the story serves the film well, moving at a brisk pace to introduce various characters and plot points in an entertaining fashion. The actual feel of the film is reminiscent of classics like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars. Star-Lord even comes across like a mash-up of Indiana Jones and Han Solo, with just a dash of Captain Kirk. Though Chris Pratt is a bit sillier than those characters, he does it with style and personality, such as when Star-Lord does a little dance during the intro title sequence.

A visual seemingly inspired by Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Putting together a team so quickly and making the audience care about them is a difficult endeavor, but director James Gunn did an excellent job considering the time frame allotted to accomplish this task. Every character has different motivations and backstories that are revealed without feeling too contrived. In particular, the foul-mouthed raccoon called Rocket and his sentient tree friend known as Groot really steal the show. Bradley Cooper does such a good job that you will forget he is behind the voice. Vin Diesel emotes excellently as Groot as well. "I am Groot" takes on many meanings and you will feel his emotions.

This guy will win your heart.

Part of the reason the characters are so likable is because of the dialogue. There are some bad parts, such as one scene where Gamora feels the need to explain to the audience what they already saw, but these are few and far between. For the most part, the dialogue is very funny and helps the personalities of these characters really shine. For example, when Drax (Dave Bautista) is made fun of because he takes things too literally, Rocket says that metaphors will just go right over his head. Drax responds, "Nothing goes over my head! My reflexes are too fast. I will seize it." Moments like these really add to the fun atmosphere of the film, and the team dynamic really flourishes as a result.

I trust what he says about his reflexes.

While the protagonists are fairly well-developed, the villains feel like a missed opportunity. We know so little about Korath (Djimon Hounsou) that he might as well be just another faceless henchman. Nebula (Karen Gillan) has a backstory with Gamora and Thanos (Josh Brolin), but this could have been fleshed out a little more, which would only have helped give even more depth to Gamora as well. Ronan (Lee Pace) is a powerful and intimidating villain, but it would have been nice to see him use that power a little more. This does not take away from the film very much, but it would have made the villains more interesting, and added more tension to the eventual climax.

If you see Ronan in a dark alley, RUN!

One of the more interesting characters in the film is Yondu, played by Michael Rooker. He is the leader of an intergalactic band of outlaws called the Ravagers. Yondu took in Peter Quill and trained him as one of his own. However, Yondu serves as both an obstacle and an ally for Star-Lord. Definitely one of the more complex characters in the story, and hopefully one to show up again in the Marvel cinematic universe.

Note to self: do not get on this guy's bad side.

Another standout in the film is the superb soundtrack. The best thing about it is that it is not just arbitrary music. Some of the songs are related directly to the story. Star-Lord's most prized possession is his cassette player, his only tie to Earth. The player houses a mixtape with various songs from the 70s such as "Cherry Bomb" by The Runaways and "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" by Elvin Bishop. These tracks help set the mood and keep the fun going as the story progresses.

"I-I-I, I'm hooked on a feeling! I'm high on believing! That you're in love with me!"

The visuals impress in terms of special effects and frenetic action that takes place, which includes gunfights, dogfights with spaceships, and hand-to-hand combat, all of which add to the fast and fun mood of the film. Again, both Rocket and Groot stand out in this sense as well. Part of the reason the audience grows to care about them is because of how good the animation is.

Pretty!

The various locations these characters visit also pop, with lots of interesting inhabitants depending on the kind of place they visit. For example, Xandar looks like a sunny planet and is home to the Nova Corps, an intergalactic police force that wants to stop Ronan. On the other hand, Knowhere is a seedy locale featuring a few unsavory characters and questionable activities.

Knowhere is also the severed head of a being called a Celestial... Creepy.

Marvel took a lot of risks with this film. James Gunn has never had a project of this scale, the characters are obscure even among comic book fans, four out of five of the main characters are not even human, and the film comes off as more sci-fi than superhero compared to the rest of the Marvel cinematic universe. Yet it somehow all adds up to a highly entertaining ride. The characters are memorable, the visuals are some of the best around, the soundtrack is stellar, and the cast does a great job playing off each other. Any perceived flaws come off as trivial when you are having this much fun. In the end, that is all a film like this really needs to be.

That is why Guardians of the Galaxy earns a 9 out of 10!

"You're damn right we get a 9 out of 10!"

This is arguably one of Marvel's best films to date. Right up there with Iron Man 1, Avengers, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. If you asked me if I wanted a sequel, I would say, "I want them back." ;)