Hooked on a feelin, and high on believin’, I was after walking out of a 17-minute IMAX sneak peak of Marvel’s, James Gunn-directed, Guardians of the Galaxy. The sneak peak had raised my already high expectations of the film, and going into the full experience I can say I was still blown away by the experience.
Guardians of the Galaxy stars Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, Dave Bautista as Draxx the Destroyer, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon, Vin Diesel as Groot, and an array of other familiar faces such as Michael Rooker and Benicio Del Toro in an intergalactic, comedy-filled action flick about 5 “heroes” who are brought together by one common denominator. I’m going to start this off by saying I, unfortunately was only familiar with the Guardians franchise via word of mouth, and hadn’t read any of the Marvel comic book prior to seeing this film. The hype from my peers was more than enough to get me excited, however. This is one of those films that I feel perfectly scratches the surface of the story behind the characters. The need behind the need, per se. Most films, I’m looking at you, Amazing Spider Man 2, focus far too much on character development rather than the story at hand. Without throwing away any spoilers, I personally feel that Guardians gave you just enough information on the main characters that, while I’m sure many non-comic readers find themselves with unanswered questions, the film provides more than enough insight to get you through the plot. Guardians’ plot revolves around the five aforementioned protagonists and their ultimate goal to keep an infinity stone (one of the parts to the Infinity Gauntlet; the glove that makes Thanos more of a badass) out of the hands of Ronan (Thanos’ minion of sorts) and, ultimately, Thanos. The story allows for equal parts action and humor; with plenty of it. I found myself numerous times laughing out loud and nudging my buddies during an awesome action scene. There was not a dull moment throughout the entire film.
James Gunn and company did a wonderful job with Guardians. Everything from the casting and the sountrack, to the special effects and the story help make Guardians the phenomenon that it is. Every single major character in the movie feels like their corresponding actor or actress was built for that role. Even the famous “I am Groot!” line, which is Diesel’s only line in the film, is said enough ways that the emotion, or humor that Groot is conveying can be understood and allows for some good times. Saldana caters to all the fanboy fantasies as she does a fantastic job at fulfilling the role of the equally sexy and badass Gamora, and although Rocket is my favorite of the Guardians, I have to say Pratt’s role as Peter Quill, AKA Starlord, really stuck out to me as a stellar performance from Pratt. Not to take away from any of the other phenomenal talent that took part in the making of this film, but those are just a few examples to give you an idea. All of the components of this film combine to give you an experience that really makes you feel submerged into the fantasy world it portrays.
The soundtrack… Oh, the soundtrack. One of the most fun, and fitting soundtracks of any movie that comes to mind. In one of the first scenes, we can find Pratt’s Quill character dancing on the job to Redbone’s ‘Come and Get your Love,’ and yes it’s as funny and awesome as it sounds. Some other, incredible classic tunes from the 1970’s make their way into the film, all thanks to Quill’s ‘Awesome Mix: Vol. 1’ that was gifted to him from his mother prior to him making his way into space. The great soundtrack aside, the score of the film is phenomenal as well. One of the best scores ever paired with a Marvel film. The deluxe version of the film’s soundtrack includes the score as well, which is definitely worth checking out, if you’re a fan of film scores.
Guardians of the Galaxy brought a lot to the table that other films of the same nature really should take notes on. Offering an interesting, fresh story to the arsenal of Marvel films already familiar is definitely a plus, and its told in a way that really establishes the Guardians as a franchise that will very likely be here to stay for the coming years. Equipped with a list of incredible actors, a very familiar and fun soundtrack, ‘out-of-this-world’ effects, action, and comedy, Guardians provides a movie experience that is a must-see, and should not be passed by.
