Hi!
As you may know, I am a huge Marvel fan. I read Marvel comics, watch Marvel TV shows and one shots, can’t wait for Netflix series but most importantly I love Marvel Cinematic Universe’s movies (However, I also watched old Marvel movies like Daredevil and Blade). So, I was beyond excited to finally see Guardians of the Galaxy – the funniest, wittiest and quirkiest Marvel movie to date.
Guardians is the 10th installment in MCU. Short reminder of the MCU lineup: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor 1, Captain America 1, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Captain America 2, Guardians, Avengers 2, Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, Captain America 3
Summary: After stealing a mysterious orb in the far reaches of outer space, Peter Quill, a half human/half alien is now the main target of a manhunt led by the villain known as Ronan the Accuser. To help fight Ronan and his team and save the galaxy from his power, Quill creates a team known as the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ to save the world.
– Written by James Hake
I loved everything about this movie starting with the characters and ending with the soundtrack. It actually might be my favorite Marvel movie to date. My favorite character, of course, was Rocket Raccoon but Chris Pratt’s Star Lord was also a great leading man. Groot was so adorable, especially at the end when he was dancing. Zoe Saldana as Gamora was also amazing; I enjoyed her fight with Nebula. The only character that I wish they have worked more on was Drax. The villain (Ronan) was okay, he is not the next Loki, but pretty good. I wish we would have seen more Thanos but I guess they are saving him for Phase 3.
The storyline was also really cool, I like the fact that we got back to Infinity gems/stones storyline like in Thor 2, Avengers. If you want to know more about these gems I suggest you read Thanos Quest comic books by Jim Starlim, Ron Lim, John Beatty, and Tom Vincent. The whole story is super short (2 issues) but it gives you more information on what these gems can do and why Thanos is doing what he is doing.
Finally, we have to mention the soundtrack of this film – it was superb. You wanted to dance all the time. I went to this film on an opening night and the cinema was full of die hard Marvel fans and all of us were singing Hooked on a Feeling when it came up on screen.
Comedy was wonderful as well. I laughed more than I would laugh in a comedy movie. I also give huge props to Marvel for going in this easier, lighter, funnier direction. Another Marvel movie we got this year – Captain America 2 –was completely different, dark, moody, and serious. And this one was like a breath of fresh year after such a dark period of Hydra infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D.
About 50 people from 300 stayed through the end credits and we were rewarded and finally got to see the character we have been waiting for a long time. I liked the post credit scene but I am not sure if it was just an Eater egg for fans or if they actually are going to do it. I wish they would have showed that Avengers 2 comic con trailer after this movie.
The next film in Marvel phase is Avengers Age of Ultron . Sadly, Guardians won’t be in it but don’t be sad – a sequel has already been announced and is scheduled to be released on July 28, 2017 as a part of Phase 3. Director James Gunn will return so the tone of the movie will be the same.
Trailer: Guardians of the Galaxy trailer
Rate: 5/5
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If you’ve seen the trailers for Guardians of the Galaxy, you’d be within your rights to think Marvel Studio execs have been hitting the bottle hard or taking LSD.
The film revolves around a group of dysfunctional but goodhearted criminals – think Robin Hood’s Merry Men of the future – comprising human thief Peter Quill aka Star-Lord (Pratt), green assassin Gamora (Saldana), talking raccoon Rocket (Cooper), knife-wielding Drax the Destroyer (Bautista), and walking tree Groot (Diesel).
Like the Avengers, the Guardians get off to a false start but soon unite over a common cause, namely, the galaxy being obliterated by genocidal maniac, Ronan – not Keating – the Accuser.
Ah yes, the old, let’s-exterminate-everyone-for-the-mistakes-of-their-forefathers ploy.
But unlike Avengers Assemble, Guardians of the Galaxy oozes offbeat originality and frankly, it’s the most unique and delightful film Marvel has created to date.
It’s a hell of an achievement given the extensive movie library the company is building up and when you consider the characters aren’t household names like ‘big three’ Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, but Marvel seems well aware of that fact with the final production risky to say the least.
The film opens in 1988, which is when Quill is abducted from Earth, and 26 years later we see he’s become a crooked intergalactic outlaw with a taste for all things shiny, valuable and not his.
Given the distinct decade in which he was taken, his cassette player and mixtape of 70s and 80s tracks are laced throughout the film, which creates a quirky yet grounded quality in the midst of all of the dazzling interstellar warfare that takes place along the way.
In addition to the soundtrack, jokes and comedy have never been more of a feature in a Marvel film – perhaps Iron Man 3 was the closest – as gags are thrown into the unlikeliest of scenarios to lessen the tension, and I would imagine, to really differentiate itself from Avengers Assemble, Star Wars and Star Trek, which by comparison are left looking very sombre.
That said, if you were going to compare Pratt’s Quill to someone, the character is quite reminiscent of Chris Pine’s Captain James Kirk – smart, womanising, reckless leaders, who eventually find their feet.
The editing is supreme and makes each bit of dialogue super-sharp and tight, so when the infamous five are bickering or talking generally, the repartee all feels really clean and natural without being awkward or forced.
Thor can be stubborn, Iron Man can be arrogant and Captain America is considered too stiff, but all of the Guardians bring even more wildly different qualities to the table and offer some diversity that doesn’t ever grate or bore, which wouldn’t have been possible without such excellent casting.
Meanwhile, the film is very much in the here and now, with Quill’s backstory the only one that truly gets a look-in, which creates a sense of intrigue about his colleagues who only have their pasts hinted at, meaning sequel fodder.
There’s just no way of knowing where you’re going and tonally the movie delivers a piece of everything and it’s done big and without hesitation.
Guardians may have been a gamble, but I’m Grooting for it to Rocket to the top.