Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy
The fact that I even watched this film says positive things about its promotion. Initially, when I saw the first trailer for the film, I was put off. Then, as more promos came along, my interest was slowly piqued. And finally, the positive reviews for the film won me over. I know sometimes positive reviews aren’t a guarantee that I’ll enjoy a film, but in this case it worked out.
When I first looked at the Guardians, they didn’t look like your normal (if there is a normal) superhero team, but therein lies their charm. Part of what makes them entertaining is the fact that they are this unlikely grouping of criminals turned heroes. It also helps that all of the right people seem to have been cast in all of the right roles.
Each character gets some focus and has his or her own alluded to backstory, so no one plays a wallpapered extension of the ship. They start out as equal partners, and through a series of antics and obstacles they begin to bond quickly. The heart of the plot centers on an infinity crystal that, in the wrong hands, can wipe out an entire galaxy. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that by the end of the movie, the galaxy is still intact, our heroes have won (for today), and you feel like you’ve just been on an amusement park ride and want to get back on again.
There are some nice funny bits (especially Quill’s dance moves), tender moments, and moments of solidarity, but nothing gets too serious. It’s clear that the idea is to deal with serious issues while keeping things relatively light. And it works. I had wondered how I might take to a large walking tree who only says “I am Groot,” and a raccoon armed with a bad attitude as main characters. All I can say is that I had nothing to worry about. Both characters ended up being great, and they had some of the best moments in the film.
What I am most happy about is what I did not see in this movie: No Nazis. No one unrealistically made out to be less just so someone else could seem like they are more. No long and drawn out action scenes that go on and on. No destroying everything and everyone around in an effort to protect and preserve those very things and people (which is always a head scratcher when I see it). And I’m happy to see that the women were featured well in this film. I am officially a Gamora fan, and that Nebula seems very interesting too. I certainly hope to learn more about them next time around. :)
I hope the production can keep up the great work. I look forward to Guardians 2 coming out.
Final Analysis: Finally, a fun Summer-time action film.
Grade: A-