Film review: Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel’s really knocked it out of the park with this one. Easily the studio’s riskiest film so far, Guardians of the Galaxy somehow just works. It’s big, bright, weird and exciting, but most importantly of all, it’s just about the most fun you can hope to have at the movies this summer.
For the majority of the audience, this is not a film where the characters are well-known. In terms of cultural awareness, Guardians has the least of any Marvel property to have graced the big screen. We at least have some vague knowledge of who the Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and company are, but Star-Lord, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket, Groot and Gamora? These aren’t characters that we know. This means the film has a lot of work to do in the early stages, and it’s impressive that director/writer James Gunn and writer Nicole Perlman manage to so convincingly convey what is absolutely the most otherworldly Marvel feature yet.
While it exists in the same universe as The Avengers and the rest of the Marvel heroes, this is both not really a superhero film and it’s set in the far-flung reaches of that universe. It’s not Thor or Thor 2, which need connections to Earth. There’s one brief scene on this planet, but the rest of the film takes place elsewhere.
We’re introduced to Peter Quill (aka Star-Lord), a space thief played by Chris Pratt who left Earth at a young age. He’s a charming rogue, feeling a lot like a more fun-loving and laid-back Han Solo. You’ll have noticed that many have been making comparisons between this and Star Wars. It’s a justified comparison, Guardians certainly feels like one of the most fully-fleshed and confident sci-fi stories to have appeared in a long time.
However apt the likening to Star Wars may be, though, this follows a far stranger set of characters. The second lead is Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the adopted daughter of the Mad Titan Thanos (glimpsed after the Avengers credits and played here by Josh Brolin). She encounters Quill when she attempts to steal an orb off him (that he’s recently stolen from somebody else). Then we’re introduced to Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), a genetically engineered racoon with a love for big guns and things that explode, and his companion Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), a tree creature who only says three words (“I am Groot”). They’re attempting to capture Quill for the bounty on his head. The final member of the team is Drax (Dave Bautista), he’s constantly angry (he’s also incapable of understanding metaphors) and on a revenge mission for the killing of his family by villain Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace).
If it all sounds unusual, it is. But, it’s not especially confusing. Credit has to go to the screenplay for not making things too daunting to approach. It’s a wild ride that is surprising restrained and, at just two hours and two minutes, not particularly long for what is a massive blockbuster. It’s bursting with huge laughs (this is easily the most hilarious Marvel movie so far, and the funniest big movie in ages), it has a lively tone and pacing with a refreshingly vibrant colour palette and a soundtrack full of dance-friendly ’60s and ’70s rock tunes.
I’ll be honest and say that I was expecting to love this movie. My expectations have been exceeded, emphatically. I have liked Gunn’s work in the past, but this is without a doubt my favourite film from the director and it rounds out my top 3 Marvel films (along with The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier). Is it flawless? No. But it is an absolute blast in a way few other films are capable of being. It carries itself like a real event film, and it has the air of a cult hit while also having the potential to earn a lot at the box office.
Whether it does or not is neither here nor there, it’s already been given a sequel and it concludes with Marvel’s familiar tease (this time: “The Guardians of the Galaxy will return”). Because it’s so disconnected from the Marvel universe, it’s the kind of film those that don’t care for superhero shenanigans will enjoy, and everyone will be eager to see what happens next time.
There’s a lot to love here. The actors have perfect chemistry as a team of intergalactic misfits. For certain characters, there was always going to be concerns about whether they could be convincing. The gorgeous CGI brings Rocket and Groot to life, while practical effects are frequently used elsewhere. Rocket himself feels like a real character, with his abrasive and slightly unhinged nature sold marvellously by Cooper. Similarly, Diesel fills Groot with an innocent but deadly power, managing to subtly change the delivery of his repeated line in a way that conveys a lot about how he feels.
At the centre of everything is Chris Pratt, who most will know as Andy from Parks & Recreation. He pulls of every moment of humour superbly, but more than that, he finds the emotional heart of his character. He shares some brilliant scenes with Saldana’s Gamora, who is sketched in shorthand like some of the others (Quill’s backstory is the only one that is shown rather than told, and that’s still a short scene) but still brings kick-ass energy, especially when facing her sister Nebula (Karen Gillan, completely unrecognisable here).
The plotting is straightforward, with that orb I mentioned before being one that is coveted by many of the big players in this universe. Religious fanatic Ronan (a member of the alien race the Kree) is most eager to get ahold of it, as he’s been asked to retrieve it by Thanos. While Ronan does do a lot of accusing, what he’s most keen on is exterminating certain races. He’s most definitely a basic villain, but there is something unnerving about his ideas and he’s played convincingly by Pace. Gillan pretty much steals the show on the villain side of things, though, with Nebula and Gamora’s rivalry making for a decent arc.
There’s clearly more ambition and potential in this film than can be realised in its running time, but it’s a great feeling to know that you’ve watched an excellent origin story and that there’s more to come. The thematic core of Guardians of the Galaxy taps into how the team is made up of characters who have all lost something and how they need to support each other and believe in their ability to do the right thing. In more ways than that, it’s reminiscent of Joss Whedon’s Firefly and Serenity (which I love, so this is high praise). The dialogue is razor sharp, the characters and world are fully realised, and the adventure truly feels exciting and fun.
I’ll concede that some of the criticism I’ve read of Guardians has merit. It does feel like a lot has been left on the cutting room floor, the villains feel undercooked and there are elements of the plot that are predictable. I also don’t know that I really mind about these things though. I prefer my big movies a bit trim, and while it does feel like some backstory is lost, it doesn’t hurt the overall experience. Equally, while the villains are an issue, it doesn’t drag the development of the team down and sometimes a vague threat is more fearsome.
Some of what’s disappointed people is that this apparently adheres too closely to “the Marvel structure”, and I’m honestly not convinced that this is an issue. If the Marvel structure is “the good guys win”, then I’m fine with that. I like how there’s a bit of a moral grey area here, as most of the heroes could easily be considered selfish bastards. I find parts of Guardians predictable, but not in a frustrating way. And elsewhere, it’s so consistently subverting expectations that it would be hard to accuse it of following any formula.
I just can’t bring myself to feel any disappointed in this film at all. It’s such a dazzling spectacle of gloriously bizarre entertainment that simply demands to be watched on the big screen. It has only a few flaws, so few that I consider them insignificant. The overall experience of watching this is the most fun we’ve been able to have at a big movie in a long while, and Guardians of the Galaxy deserves to be valued for delivering old school charm and excitement in spades.
Guardians of the Galaxy is in cinemas now (the video above is a “look back” at Marvel’s Phase 1 and 2, it features clips from all movies so far — but for Guardians, it’s only what’s been seen in trailers already — and it also has a little extra tease at the end)
