As a 31 year-old cynical jaded skeptic, it’s very easy for me to never be excited about movies; even movies I really wanna see. Somehow, going into Guardians I was super excited and I’m not sure why. Typically I don’t fall for advertising and other gimmicks, but when I sat down to watch this flick I wanted to be amazed. I wanted this film to be the next Ironman. I’m sure that’s asking a lot, but for some reason that’s the mindset I had going into it.
I can’t help but feel a little disappointed in the outcome. By no means was the movie bad, in fact the Guardians themselves seem to be incredibly inventive characters that could live on for decades in pop culture. The idea of a superhero team made up of a band of criminals that really doesn’t have too many superpowers is intriguing. It’s like a team of Han Solos and Boba Fetts. What’s not to like? But, let’s tone down the hyperbole and get to the brass tacks of the movie itself though.
Looking at the other movies in the Marvel stable, most of them can be described as character action films with light science fiction elements. Thor was kind of a fantasy movie, Captain America was a period piece, but all of them were grounded enough in reality for the stories hit home. Guardians of the Galaxy, is unequivocally a science fiction movie, at its core, on it crust and on its gooey insides. If you’re not prepared for a sci-fi movie, please change your mind-set now. Some of the sillier aspects of that genre are prevalent especially in the villains of the movie. Parts of the movie even felt like a Mass Effect spin-off.
The best part of the sci-fi was the ability to incorporate characters like Rocket Raccoon and Groot, who for the most part steal the show. I mention the characters again because that’s really the strength of the movie. Chris Pratt as Starlord carried a similar charm to that of Andy Dwyer on Parks and Rec. I don’t know what that says about Pratt’s acting ability, but that charm is palpable. As good as the characters are, having to fit five personalities into the first installment of the series leaves the character development very weak throughout.
One of the biggest gimmicks in the movie is Starlord’s cassette tape with his mother’s favorite music on it. It’s not only used as a strong emotional plot device, but also provides a bangin’ soundtrack. I was skeptical at how well this would work, but by the time the movie ended it was clear that the retro soundtrack added a flavor to the movie most science fiction films will never have.
For the most part performances from the cast were excellent. The emotional scenes were executed wonderfully by Pratt and had I not known that Rocket was voiced by Bradley Cooper I would have never guessed it. Zoe Saldana was beautiful and on point as always and despite being viciously typecast, Michael Rooker played his redneck part well. The only hole I could see in the acting was Dave Bautista. Many of his lines fell flat, especially towards the beginning of the movie.
The action, the story, the climax, the resolution and the prospect a future endeavours all seem to have hit the right buttons. On paper I really liked the movie, the inclusion of the collector and the numerous easter eggs was great and tied everything to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s a fun movie, one that benefits from a summer release. However, I can’t help but feel like the movie left me a little flat. It’s one of those intangible things that’s hard to put your finger on, but I feel like I should have liked it more than I did. After seeing the reviews, the box office, and word of mouth, maybe I’m wrong…maybe that movie is amazing. I don’t know, hell, I didn’t think Avatar was amazing either. What do I know?
Where does this fit into the greater Marvel universe? Obviously the Infinity Gauntlet has to come into play. At this point we’ve seen three infinity stones, and Thanos. It would not surprise me if that was the plot of the next Guardians movie, or though rumored Avengers/Guardians crossover. All of this seems pretty far off. There still three Infinity Stones, and no sign of interstellar travel in the forthcoming movies. Guardians opens up so many potential avenues in the Marvel universe, so making this movie now is probably a great decision and seeing how well it’s being received the Marvel brand might actually be getting larger.
