Let’s get one thing clear right out the gate. I really didn’t care about Guardians of the Galaxy before I went in for this movie. I knew zilch about the team, their connection to future Avengers villain Thanos, what they did, who they were, or why Groot could only say that he was in fact Groot.
And You Thought Hulk Was A Man of Few Words
I thought their were better characters for Marvel to focus on. And by better characters I mean Black Panther because don’t I always? And to that extent, I do still think this was a weird choice for Marvel at this state. But all that being said, I have to say this.
Guardians of the Galaxy is fun. Plain and simple. Remember that? Just fun, without the unnecessary darkness, pessimism, or general buzz killing? Yeah. This movie has none of that. What it does have is heart, humor and a whole lot of explosions. The good kind. Not the over the top stuff like Transformers. Good stuff. This movie was a riot from start to finish, and you should all go see it.
Optimus Prime did not die for this.
The thing about Guardians is that it really focuses on the fun. The whole movie has energy, the kind that a lot of superhero flicks are missing. In the wake of The Dark Knight, there’s a school of thought that in order to make a good superhero movie, you have to make it serious. Sometimes that works(See: The Dark Knight Trilogy and Captain America: Winter Soldier) Other times it doesn’t. Like Iron Man 2 or Man Of Steel according to most people. Guardians doesn’t have that problem. It’s all about the fun. And that’s it’s greatest strength.
Guardians of the Galaxy at its heart is a story about a group of outcasts banding together for a greater good. It stars Chris Pratt the roguish outlaw Peter Quill(Also known as Star Lord) Zoe Saldana as Gammora, assassin and oddly enough, moral compass and Dave Batista as Drax the Destroyer, a man so hellbent on revenge that he tried to take on an army with not but his sunny disposition and knives. The movie also stars Bradly Cooper as Rocket Raccoon, an over the top gun toting raccoon bounty hunter and Vin Diesel as Groot, the a fore mentioned talking tree.
Yeah. You heard me. Talking. Tree.
The movie’s plot centers around this group coming together and pitting them against the servants of the mad titan Thanos(Josh Brolin) and his servants Ronan the Accuser(Lee Pace) and Nebula(Doctor Who’s own Karen Gillain), and if there’s one major fault I have with this movie, it’s that the villains aren’t fleshed out. Neither Pace or Gillian are really given much of a reason to do what they do. Lee’s character is opposed to a peace treaty being struck by two alien groups, but we’re never told why he’s opposed to it. Dude’s going on a genocidal rampage, you’d think we’d get a reason better than “They killed my father.”. Likewise for Gillian. We’re told she’s being lent to Pace by Thanos, but her own motivations are basically “Because I’m evil.” Shame, because those are two talented actors and they could have really fleshed out the world of the Guardians. But that’s a small clog in a very mighty wheel. I was also not big on the hinted Star Lord/Gamora romance. It seemed forced, but it was quickly dropped and for that, I am grateful. Our team has to stop the insane duo from getting their hands on the Macguffin de jour, something called an Infinity Gem, before it can be used to destroy the galaxy. But that’s not why you pay for admission.
The real gem(heh heh) of this movie is the team itself, and as I alluded to earlier, the tone. Guardians is a funny movie. Whether it comes from Drax’s literal interpretation of everything(“Nothing goes over my head. My reflexes are too fast and I will catch it.”, Star Lord’s cheesey 80s music, or Rocket’s delight in causing mayhem, the movie is just a lot of fun to watch. And that’s not to say these character’s aren’t without heart. You end up feeling a lot for Star Lord and Drax in particular, as both have lost family, and are in desperate need of a place to call home. Or Groot, the Ernest living tree who, even though he can only say the words “I am Groot,” manages to convey a lot of warmth and emotion. Both the tone and the characters blend together great, making a really wild ride with a lot of soul to it.
Guardians was a big risk for Marvel, in the sense that they were taking a chance on the unknown. The Guardians of the Galaxy don’t have the name brand recognition that some of the more traditional heroes have like Iron Man, Captain America and Hulk have. If this movie tanked, a lot of future unknowns wouldn’t get to see the light of day.
I don’t think that’s going to be a problem now.
This movie proves that now, there are no rules to making your superhero movie. It just has to be good. You can make a movie about a team of outlaws, in space, fighting a Blue Man Group reject with a hammer.
Seriously, HR is going to have a field day when they get to him.
This movie brought the fun to a genre that definitely needed it. I hope Marvel keeps up the momentum with its new projects like Ant-Man and its Netflix shows, and I hope DC’s also paying attention. Because at the end of the day, superheros are supposed to be fun. And Guardians of the Galaxy knows that better than most.
-Token Black Guy
The World of Movies and Media Seen Through the Lens of a Token Black Guy. 