If you're one of my Facebook friends then for months now you have seen me post numerous things about the film, The Guardians of the Galaxy. It's based on an obscure little comic book that even most fan boys have never read, which is why so many of us scratched our heads when Marvel Studios announced it's 2014 release.
I will admit, I had never read any GotG(Guardians of the Galaxy) before I heard they were making the film. I knew the names Rocket Raccon and Groot, but not much more than that. I decided to check out the source material, the 2008 comic book series by Arnold Drake and Gene Colan. And I LOVED it! It was so different from the superhero-style comics that Marvel put out. It was weird, a little quirky, and didn't really take itself seriously. In 2013, Brian Michael Bendis relaunched the series to help people get acquainted with these heroes before the film opened, and it's been a hit ever since. Seriously, check it out, you'll get all those Peter Quill "dad" references in the film.
Because this property was so unknown the film was Marvel's Studio's biggest gamble since their first film, Iron Man. Park and Recreations star Chris Pratt plays Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord, a human who grows up with a band of intergalactic thieves. Quill finds an orb that everyone is after, including that purple guy who was at the end of The Avengers, Thanos. Peter then finds an entourage of misfits and outsiders who decide to come together to protect the orbs power from Ronan the Accuser, a Kree criminal who wants to kill billions of people on the planet Xandar.
This film felt like The Avengers in that it was fun as hell! There were a lot of laughs and a lot of action to make it the perfect summer popcorn film for everyone to watch. The characters were really the thing that made it pop. The five leads just sitting around talking were some of the best scenes. And these characters could have turned out sooo bad.
Being familiar with Pratt's work I wasn't worried about him carrying this film at all. Zoe Saldana as Gamora was probably the safest bet; her being a veteran to sci-fi films like Star Trek and Avatar. Vin Diesel's unique voice was perfect for the character of Groot, who only is supposed to say three words, ever. But I'll get to that. Pro wrestler Dave Bautista could have also been bad, but Drax the Destroyer seemed to be tailor made to fit his "range" as an actor. Finally, Rocket Raccon was voiced by Hollywood pretty boy, Bradley Cooper. Sure there were dozens of animators that helped bring Rocket to life, but I think Cooper did a great job of bringing this character out, so much that sometimes I forgot it was Cooper, and isn't that the point?
The other actors were small and really unimportant. Lee Pace as Ronan was effective, but not memorable and complex like Loki. Djimon Hounsou(who I think should be playing Black Panther) was a waste of talent in this film. Meanwhile, award-winning thespians John C. Reilly and Glenn Close didn't even have enough screen time to have character personalities. The best supporting role I felt was Karen Gillan as Gamora's sister, Nebula. She didn't say much, but carried that character with attitude. I would have loved to have seen that sibling rivalry more, but that's what sequels are for.
Now for the knit-picking kids! First off, the Nova Corps is Marvel's version of the Green Lantern Corp; each with tremendous power. So why did they seem more like a pathetic, galactic, military. None of them showed the strength a Nova Corps member was supposed to have. GotG is about opening up the Marvel "universe" so let's see the universal police be badass so people will say, "I want to see more of that." As of right now I don't want more Glenn Close unless she plans on boiling a bunny.
Gamora seemed a little too good. This is a girl who was raised as a warrior to kill and is the most feared woman in the galaxy. Why did she seem as pure as Princess Leia? Right now I fear Black Widow more than Gamora.
"I am Groot". That's all I've ever read Groot saying in any comic book, EVER. "We are Groot" does not make sense. It took me out of the film. In fact it made some people in the audience laugh at a moment that was supposed to be sad and sweet. I am Groot. That's all we'll ever need. And as for the post-credit scene? I found it funny, but these extra bits at the end usually add something to what is to come in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Is this a hint of things to come, or just a silly thing to make people laugh and say WTF? I'm gonna go with option B.
I had high expectations for this film, and although I really liked it, I didn't LOVE it. It's a great sci-fi/comic book film that I can't wait to see a sequel too, but the plot was simple and nobody outside of the main cast is worth remembering. Well, maybe Michael Rooker. However, I do hope this shows J.J. Abrams what today's audience is looking for in it's sci-fi/fantasy. I had a blast watching this film, and I'm glad everyone else did too. Now, to all of my Facebook friends who got annoyed with all my GotG posts. You're Welcome.
Rating: B+
P.S. What's on your Awesome Mix?
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