‘Guardians’ featured a great cast, fun action, and a welcome change to the predictable superhero universes. (Marvel Studios/aceshowbiz.com)
It sure seems like a long time since I’ve seen a movie in theaters. And additionally, it sure seems like a long time since I’ve seen a comic book based movie that doesn’t feel like the same…darn…thing, over and over again. The Nolan Batman trilogy aside, can you think of one that stands out as memorable, that hasn’t been tainted or watered down to an extent by sequels and reboots galore? Spiderman, Iron Man, Captain America, X-Men…they keep coming out with new ones that follow the same formula. Do they work? Sure, they’re probably fun, and harmless. But there’s no risk involved, there’s flailing originality in the Marvel and DC universes. Then came along the weirdest, brashest comic book movie I’ve ever seen to partially restore my faith in this genre: Guardians of the Galaxy.
An 80’s kid, a green-skinned warrior, a blue hulk of a destroyer, a maniac raccoon, and a tree with a below-average IQ. Those are your heroes. Those are the main characters in what Marvel hoped would not be an absolute bomb at the box office. Turns out their gamble paid off big time. The breath of fresh air from this band of misfits is so utterly enjoyable, so fun and likable, that it’s hard not to gush at what a good time it was to just sit back and take this film in. Will the story set the world on fire? Will it become an instant classic, or even become your favorite superhero movie ever? Doubtful, on both accounts. But it does so many things right, that those things don’t even seem to matter.
One thing the movie does better than most, is its’ humor. This is led by our main character, Peter Quill (aka, Starlord), played by the incredible Chris Pratt. From minor appearances in Zero Dark Thirty to Moneyball, and his starring role in NBC’s Parks and Recreation, it’s clear that Pratt is on the rise. And this role just put him over the top. He’s a normal guy superhero, with no superpowers or crazy suits and gadgets. He does possess impeccable timing for one-liners and great humor littered throughout the movie. But the laughs don’t end with just Pratt: the entire cast has brief moments of humor that make the watching experience that much more enjoyable.
Without going to the point of labeling this a comedy, it should be noted that Guardians is a hell of a ride when it comes to outerspace action, too. The effects were good (nothing incredible), and the worlds we were introduced to were grimy, realistic (despite being futuristic), and in a funny way…ordinary. That’s not to say they were like what you might see on Earth, but for some reason, they never struck me as crazy as some things in other Marvel or DC movies. Maybe it’s because I liked the characters so much, and was having so much fun watching, that I just accepted things as normal.
Even the voice actors – Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper – were good. Diesel voiced a tree, who had, from what I remember, two different lines he used in the entire movie. And yet, it was suitable and at times, very heartfelt (trust me on this). Cooper on the other hand, was a non-stop chatterbox, who hit it out of the park as an insane, yet insecure, raccoon.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: 
(out of 4)
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