If you're one of my regulars, you'll know that weeks ago I was fortunate to see a preview of footage from this film. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment that Marvel chose to screen. It was funny, yet clever with a bold mix of action and humor. I loved it. So now that I have finally seen the entire film, has my opinion changed?
Guardians of the Galaxy revolves around a gang of misfits who are trying to rid themselves of a mysterious orb whilst running from both the Nova Corps and Ronan the Accuser. The Guardians are Star Lord, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Drax the Destroyer, and Groot.
Luckily, the blended mix of humor and action extended beyond the 17 minutes that was previously screened for me. It's incredibly witty and quirky with an incredibly adventurous spirit. Much like the world of Star Wars, we are thrust into this environment knowing practically nothing about how their systems work and we are led in with very little exposition. We become immersed and respected because we are beginning a journey that doesn't spoon feed us with backstory. It's so much fun to try to pick everything up along the way.
James Gunn's style creates such a unique experience for a Marvel movie. It is almost Quentin Tarantino like in the manner of conversational revelations and dialogue driven scenes. It leads us to greater discoveries and understandings of the characters and their worlds. Tonally, it feels like the best parts of Star Wars, Star Trek, and Indiana Jones mixed together with surreal humor that never feels drastically out of place.
Acting wise, we have a large ensemble that gets their fair share of time, but there are a lot of gems that stand out especially.
This is the first time someone has been cast as a main superhero and I already was familiar with their work. I greatly admire the work of Chris Pratt. I've watched him and adored his work in Parks and Recreation, Moneyball, The Lego Movie, and he was the sole saving grace of the movie Delivery Man. In this movie, he is at his best. He has the charisma of Captain Kirk and the spirit of Han Solo. He holds no barred when he comes barging through on his mission. He is funny when he needs to be but always feels so strong.
I was always skeptical of Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon, but like i've said before, I've come around. He can crack wise, but he's also a full member of the team. The only way the movie could have worked is if they didn't use Rocket as gag, and I personally thank Cooper and Gunn for treating him with the respect the character deserves.
What surprised me the most was the performance of Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer. Given that he has done little to no acting prior to this led me to believe that he was cast simply due to his past as a wrestler and MMA fighter. But he is actually extremely soulful and he gives a strong contribution with his performance. He's very much the straight man, but he's the straight man for which you are empathetic.
All around, this movie is magnificent. I loved every moment, and I especially appreciated the post credits scene. I am happy to say that the grade has not changed.
A
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