Film Review - Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)

^ - Now that's a Poster!

At the Theater - "Guardians Of The Galaxy" (2014) - Director James Gunn's (Slither, Super) vibrant, offbeat space opera has the look and feel of the original Star Wars film (I refuse to tack on the "A New Hope" crapola) mixed with certain quirky elements of Guillermo Del Toro's two Hellboy movies.  This is an experience that is heavily adorned with creatures that could have easily sauntered out of Mos Eisley Cantina, complete with a dashing, Han Solo-esque central protagonist in Chris Pratt's (Zero Dark Thirty) charismatic scoundrel, "Star-Lord".  "GOTG" is a little thin in the character development department and darts along by the seat of its pants, but makes up for any narrative deficiencies with an exhilarating large-scale scope, a  pleasing mixture of quality CGI and practical makeup effects, an impressive cast of game talent and a handful of delightfully strange sequences (set to hits from the 70's and 80's) all glued together with a sense of undeniable fun.  It's my pick for best live-action tent-pole film of 2014 (thus far).

Pratt stars as "Peter Quill" AKA "Star-Lord"- he's an Earthling turned Space Pirate who acts as impromptu leader of our five diverse, titular Guardians.  The normally pudgy actor appears remarkably fit here, displaying presence, charm and comedic-timing to spare.  Similar to Chris Evans's breakout role as Captain America, Pratt's landed a gig which will undoubtedly propel him into movie-star/household name territory.

Star-Lord kicks the film off with a dance number (set to "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone) staged across a rain-swept, otherworldly landscape just prior to stealing a mysterious, spherical MacGuffin.  The orb, of course, subsequently turns out to be a weapon of immense power that proves highly coveted to the darker forces of the galaxy, namely Super-Villian, "Thanos", and militaristic radical, "Ronan The Accuser".

Zoe Saldana (Avatar) co-stars as "Gamorah", a sexy, green-skinned warrior who just happens to be an adopted daughter of Thanos.  Gamorah's a conflicted sort who soon betrays Thanos and joins up with our motley misfits with the intent of redeeming herself for past transgressions. Saldana is attractive even under all the green paint and should be considered for a role in that proposed all-female Expendables, should it come to fruition.

Two-time WWE Champ-turned-actor Dave Bautista (Riddick) effectively chews scenery as the hulking alien berserker, "Drax The Destroyer".  Seeking vengeance for the death of his family at the hands of Ronan, the heavily-tattooed/scarred warrior with anger issues reluctantly enlists with the ragtag group to further his efforts.  Bautista, while often employing a deadpan delivery, somewhat surprises here- he's at his absolute most likeable.

A couple of strange bounty hunters round out our heroes; "Groot" (voiced by Vin Diesel) is a towering, sentient tree with a limited vocabulary (but with no shortage of surprises), while "Rocket" (voiced by Bradley Cooper) is a wisecracking, genetically-engineered raccoon with an affinity for large hand cannons.  Both characters are brought to fully-realized life by razor sharp CGI and motion capture, effectively running away with the film.  The silver screen may never be the same.

Lee Pace (Lincoln) supplies this film's particular central villain, the powerful and imposing "Ronan The Accuser"- the radical, warhammer-wielding boss is serviceable enough, though Pace is slightly underutilized in a turn that comes dangerously close to token bad guy territory.

Fans of AMC's The Walking Dead will more than likely recognize Michael Rooker as "Yondu"- the blue-skinned leader of a crew of crusty bandits also acts as an agitated paternal figure to Quill.

 

 Karen Gillan (BBC's Doctor Who) slithers in and out of the film as "Nebula", a bald-headed, blue-tinted, cyborg assassin (she's also an adopted daughter of Thanos), while Djimon Hounsou (Gladiator) portrays "Korath", an intergalactic hunter that pursues Quill and company across the galaxy.

For what it's worth, Thanos (voiced here by Josh Brolin) only makes a few cameo-like appearances in GOTG.  The nihilist, death-obsessed figure is rumored to be the main villain in the third Avengers film, arriving sometime in 2018.

Glen Close (Fatal Attraction) pops up in a couple of brief scenes as the leader of the Nova Corps, an intergalactic military/police force based on the peaceful planet Xandar, while John C. Reilly (Magnolia) portrays an officer/corpsman.

Benecio Del Toro (The Wolfman 2010) supplies the flashy hoarder, "The Collector"- most will remember him from the mid-credits sequence featured in Thor: The Dark World.  I'm sure Marvel and company will have much more for him to do in future films.

Guardians... is an irreverent throwback, an experience that's peppered with super-cool winks at the audience- I recognized it as the zesty spice that's been curiously absent from the majority of Marvel's films.  Director James Gunn's caution-to-the-wind tone is a welcomed deviation from the overly contrived, pretentious, suffocatingly serious likes of The Dark Knight Rises and Man Of Steel.  I have no qualms in revealing that there are a number of inspired moments in GOTG that made me feel like a kid again- sometimes we ALL need that in a film.

Funny thing- I wasn't enamored with most of GOTG's soundtrack selections, but enjoyed their mere usage to break up Marvel's familiar formula. I don't think I have a single one of the songs featured in this film amongst my 1500+ Itunes playlist.  I can't say I miss cassette tapes or Sony Walkmans, though nothing really says "I love you" like a mix tape made thoughtfully for someone you cherish...

If there's one nagging problem here, it would be in that the dialogue often delves into adolescent territory, mining terms like "A-holes", "dick" and "butt" for all their worth- I definitely don't mind a bit of salty language in my Sci-Fi/Action/Adventure films, though the zingers here come across as a bit ill-advised, often delivered in a juvenile fashion.

Potential viewers can expect a wealth of quality material for the spectacle-seeking, action-craving, Sci-Fi-lovin' crowds, complete with a healthy amount of visual and technological innovation on display.

This is fun stuff, filled with colorful, detailed alien landscapes, impressive set pieces and wicked-cool star ship designs.  All of the blaster showdowns, one on one fight scenes and airborne dogfights one would anticipate in a playful adventure of this nature are present, along with several hearty laughs, a few touching moments and a couple of crowd-pleasing developments.  The experience culminates in a dazzling showdown between good and evil, punctuated with an upbeat ending that will surely leave most leaving the theater with a smile.

I'm comfortable in saying that GOTG fits in nicely alongside Iron-Man (2008) and The Avengers (2012) as the strongest Marvel Movies to date.  For those interested, "Guardians of The Galaxy 2" is scheduled for the summer of 2017.

Stay a few moments into the post-credits for a very cool scene and those patient enough to remain through the entire credits will be treated to one helluva weird re-introduction to Marvel's most notorious water fowl...

And, Dad- that request for "Lots of extra butter" on our popcorn was a very bad idea... it haunted me for hours.  That said, I'm glad I saw it with you.

Highly Recommended (the movie, not the extra butter)- Strap yourself in and prepare for the geeky cool event film of 2014.

9.0 out of 10

Director: James Gunn
Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glen Close, Benicio Del Toro and Michael Rooker
Run-Time: 122 minutes
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language