Guardians of the Galaxy Movie Review – An Instant 5/5!
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When I first heard that Marvel was planning on releasing Guardians of the Galaxy, a movie about space aliens and talking raccoons, I was amazed. It was pure hubris. The series was virtually unknown outside of the comic book world and the casting of Parks and Recreation numbskull Chris Pratt and professional wrestler Dave Bautista didn’t exactly inspire confidence. Was Marvel, drunk on its success with The Avengers, planning on milking every little piece of comic book property it could find?Â
But seeing Pratt dancing awkwardly to a 70s pop song at the start of the movie erased all of my fears. Guardians of the Galaxy is determined to not take itself too seriously – and it succeeds. The movie is pure, infectious fun – from the various pop culture references to the hilarious repartee between the crew. The film takes a much lighter tone than its Marvel cousins. It’s not quite a Judd Apatow flick, but the laughs come fast and heavy.
via film.com
The story follows the adventures of Peter Quill, a space pirate who makes his living raiding musty, old temples. He finds an ancient space orb that puts him in the crosshairs of Ronan the Accuser, a genocidal terrorist bent on destroying the planet of Xandar and Yondu, his boss, who puts a bounty on his head. On his way to sell off the orb, Quill is set upon by Gamora, a green-skinned assassin and bounty hunter pals, Rocket, a talking raccoon and Groot, a humanoid tree. Their conflict ends in a stalemate as the four are arrested and sent to prison where they meet Drax the Destroyer, a monstrous brute who has difficult comprehending irony and sarcasm. Discovering that they’re better off with each other, the ragtag crew joins forces and soon find themselves facing off against Ronan and his minions.
This is probably the most likeable team of comic book characters in movie history. It is genuinely satisfying to see these characters grow into a team and you’ll find yourself rooting for all of them.
Chris Pratt carries the movie on his big, goofy shoulders. He actually looks like he’s having fun. This is the start of a lucrative film career for Pratt. He already has leading roles in The Lego Movie and the Jurassic Park sequel, Jurassic World. Zoe Saldana is terrific as the green-skinned assassin Gamora. Even A-list voice actors, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper seem to be enjoying themselves.
The biggest surprise of all is Bautista. Having watched professional wrestling, I have never been a big fan. His in-ring character seems utterly devoid of charisma. But all those years of wrestling promos must have done something right because he steals the show. His Drax the Destroyer is the funniest part of the movie.
One has to admire Marvel for taking the time to do justice to this series. This could have easily been a cheap cash grab but instead it is one of the best films they’ve released, landing easily in the top five. Guardians of the Galaxy is a comic book movie done right and delivers on its promise as one of the most anticipated movies of the year.
Score: 5/5
