Rating of
3.5/4
Saviors of the Summer
Chris Kavan - wrote on 08/03/14
Guardians of the Galaxy is hands-down the most fun I've had in the theater all year. It's a film that knows exactly what it wants to be: action, humor and just enough heart to hold everything together - while being tied in to the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite featuring a talking raccoon and a tree that speaks one line - the characters work out surprisingly well - certainly better than the so-called "humans" in the latest Transformers movie. With a sequel already in the works, it will be interesting to see how this disparate group of "heroes" crosses paths with the, well, somewhat more normal, Avengers.
We open with a young Peter Quill trying to come to grips with the death of his mother. After a tearful exit, he runs away, only to be abducted by a group of pirates - space pirates to be exact. Some many years later "Starlord" (Chris Pratt), as he dubs himself, now an outlaw himself, is on a dead planet searching for a powerful orb. This is at the behest of his pirate leader Yondu Udonta (Michael Rooker, and his whistle-controlled stick of death) but he's not the only one. Kree warloard Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace - nearly unrecognizable under a ton of makeup and with a voice enhancer to boot) has sent out his own team (led by a cybernetic Djimon Hounsou) to collect the same item. Guess who makes a miraculous escape?
But Quill isn't content with sticking to the terms, and gives Yondu the boot and sell the item himself. But a hefty bounty puts him in the crosshairs of Rocket (Bradley Cooper- voicing the gun-toting raccoon) and his muscle, the living tree Groot (Vin Diesel, earning the easiest paycheck ever by essentially repeating the same line over and over). Ronan has also sent his daughter, Gamora (the green-skinned assassin played by Zoe Saldana) to retrieve the orb as well. It all comes to a head on the peaceful planet of Xandar - where all four find themselves arrested and sent to a floating prison. That is where the last member of this team, Drax the Destroyer (an effective Dave Bautista) joins them - seeking revenge on Ronan for the death of his family.
So you would think with a talking raccoon and a giant tree man, the characters would be pretty thin, but, I'm glad to report, they actually work well together. My greatest suprise was with Bautista - who plays the "literal" Drax with ease - his quest for vengeance is well done, even if his temper often gets the best of him. But the entire cast, even with the somewhat ridiculous premise, pulls things off without a hitch. Pratt is a bit cocky, but his character is a womanizing loner - so that makes sense. Saldana is at her butt-kicking best and would give any sexy Star Trek alien a run for her money. And Cooper does an excellent job as humanizing a raccoon who has been subjected to some pretty terrible stuff. His relationship with Groot is personal and deep - and, more importantly, it works.
Beyond the main characters the support, from Rooker, Pace and Glenn Close (as the Xandarian leader, Nova Prime) are also welcome. You also have Benecio Del Toro back as The Collector and even get a brief glimpse of Josh Brolin (uncredited) as Thanos. The story ties into the big picture as well - with many connections to The Avengers and previous films - and I can't wait for the day when it all comes together.
The movie also features a kick-ass soundtrack, courtesy of "Starlord's" personal walkman (one of the few possessions he has - given to him by his mother) that features some choice tunes - "Hooked on a Feeling" from Blue Suede, "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)", "Cherry Bomb" by the Runaways and "Moonage Daydream" by David Bowie are just some of the excellent choices. And, by God, the songs fit every time - kudos to the both the editors and the people who selected the music - Quentin Tarantino would be proud of the way it meshed together so well.
Now, that isn't to say Guardians isn't without its problems. The movie can get downright silly - and when coupled with some truly dramatic moments, it doesn't always work out for the better. The comic relief is a bit too heavy-handed at times - though it's hard to take a movie like this seriously as well. The tonal shifts are just a bit jarring. I also with we had gotten a bit more history behind the characters - we learn some things about them (Rocket was experimented on, Gamora was ripped from her family) but they are so briefly mentioned, you don't really get to understand them - not in way that makes the characters that much deeper anyway.
When I first saw the trailers for Guardians of the Galaxy, I didn't know what to expect. But each time I saw more, I become more and more interested - this is going to have the biggest August opening on record, and it's for a good reason. The movie is the perfect summer blockbuster - a lot of action and flash, yet it has the story and characters (and awesome soundtrack) to back things up. These are the kind of heroes we deserve.
