GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY REVIEW

By: Anthony Zangrillo

Marvels biggest gamble to hit the screen has finally arrived in our universe. A ragtag group of outer-space bandits are forced to work together in order to save the universe from unspeakable horrors. Director James Gunn has created a wonderful character piece, which respectfully pays homage to the original comic, however a weakly developed antagonist and some nagging pacing choices prevent Marvel’s funniest film from reaching perfection.

A prologue effectively introduces a child Star Lord (Chris Pratt), giving us most of the background information necessary to understanding this character. Placing a charismatic and witty leader in the guise of a goofy, scavenger outlaw is brilliant. Pratt truly shines as the protagonist, jumping out of the screen within his first major scene.

It would be useless to talk about this character without mentioning his most prized possession: a mix tape of awesome jams from the 70s and 80s. The selection of this music provides an interesting twist on action sequences, which is a norm for comic book films. Surprisingly, the mixtape also furthers the protagonist’s development, explaining some of his rough edges (although the prologue sort of spoils this element).

One of the most unique members of this squadron is Drax the Destroyer, played by WWE wrestler Batista. The Animal has reached a new stage in his quest to conquer Hollywood, as he is phenomenal in this role. Approaching the challenge with great enthusiasm, Batista’s physical grit portrays Drax as the most feared fighter in the entire universe. At the same time, Batista has fun with the scenes that portray his character’s “literal” handicap, which prevents Drax from understanding the meaning of most metaphors. Sometimes, overplaying a role in this fashion is a negative, but I found it to be very entertaining, while providing an interesting side to the team’s muscle.

Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel), beginning as an odd pair of bounty hunters, steal many scenes throughout the movie. While Diesel is excellent in replicating his “Iron Giant” performance, Cooper provides a witty and inventive voice to the irreverent rodent. In fact, a more serious side of Rocket is showcased when he begins to question his own existence, admitting that he is merely a by-product of inhumane science experiments.

Interjecting these serious scenes is usually utilized to fantastic effect; however there appears to be no moderation in this approach. This creative decision negatively affects the pacing of the film, specifically in the final climactic battle. A film of this magnitude needs an ordinate balance of light and serious moments. While there is no doubt that this is the funniest blockbuster of the year, I believe Marvel was more successful in blending these differing elements in Iron Man 3 and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

There are also nagging elements within character motivations. Star Lord performs multiple selfless acts, which I felt ultimately downplay the hero’s sacrifices. As a leader of a team of anti-heroes, this sort of action should be reserved for a single event in order to achieve a lasting effect. By forcing the image of Star Lord as the “heroic” leader, his actions can be seen as mere clichés (although the dialogue immediately following these actions insinuates the creative team is fighting these clichés).

Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the adopted daughter of Thanos could be seen as the weakest developed Guardian. She is first introduced as a villain, but the audience quickly discovers that she is a double agent. Her role as a stranger to Earth culture is utilized tremendously. Seth MacFarlane should take notes regarding how to make smart pop culture references from this screenplay.

There are multiple attempts to set up a strong rivalry between Gamora and her stepsister Nebula (Karen Gillan), however there is no significant payoff to this relationship. The true villain of this installment is Ronin the Accuser (Lee Pace). Introduced in one of the creepiest, yet most powerful scenes of the marvel cinematic universe, Ronin is a radical religious zealot of the Kree Empire.

While having such a serious villain would appear to create an interesting parallel to our comic heroes, Ronin is just too much of a threat to be a believable villain in this scenario. To make matters worse, not enough time is given to developing this character. The audience is constantly reminded of his unwavering beliefs, but most of his brutality is not shown on screen. In his first fight with Drax, Ronin is obscenely over-powered, and this only worsens by the end of the film. While the conclusion makes sense, it is somewhat infuriating how ridiculous they make Ronin behave, after establishing such a staunch terror with vaunting ambitions.

The show stealer, for me, is the brief, yet marvelous appearance of Thanos, portrayed by Josh Brolin. The current motion capture technology allows audiences to truly recognize the talented actor’s expressions, reminiscent of Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk. Witnessing the sadistic grin of the Mad Titan adorned in glimmering gold armor is a true sight to behold. Moreover, the infinity gems have finally been explained by The Collector (Benicio del Toro), providing much needed exposition for non-comic book readers. It appears that Marvel is still building towards an infinity gauntlet influenced film in Avengers 3.

To that credit, the universe building is rather impressive. This film was no easy feat, channeling a different tone, while stocking the movie with action sequences, ranging from prison breakouts, to spaceship dogfights, and all out brawls. I would recommend seeing this movie in 3D to immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring special effects. The Motion Picture Club gives Guardians of the Galaxy an 8/10.