If you haven't already went to the theater to catch Marvel's newest juggernaut, stop reading this and go see it immediately, then when you're done, come back and read this (along with everything else on this blog as well as all my feature articles on whatculture.com since I get paid for views!). If you're too stubborn to heed my advice, then go ahead and read this review and I bet it'll change your mind.
Usually when I write about a film it's due to the fact that it was so offensively awful that I was motivated to key out a few paragraphs railing on it's awfulness. Conversely, I rarely take the time to write a positive review, which is in step with the rest of society who is quick to call a corporate office to complain about good service but hardly ever does the same to compliment excellent service. Well I'm going to attempt to atone for that with this review.
Simply put, GotG is fantastic. It's loud, fast, hilarious and an absolute blast. If you're one of those funsuckers who expects every movie to be a Daniel Day-Lewis tour de force Oscar candidate, don't waste your money. This movie is not for people who have an allergic reaction to smiling.
When the film was originally announced, I had little interest in seeing it. As a self-admitted nerd and avid comics guy, Marvel's cosmic genre has never been my forte. I just don't enjoy it. It's usually a lot of incomprehensible science and physics mixed in with a massive scale that lacks a personal feel that has made Marvel successful. But as the release date grew closer, my anticipation rose. And when early reviews started to trickle in, it became apparent that we may have a special movie on our hands.
When I called it the Star Wars of this generation, I didn't do so lightly. With the exception of Kevin Smith and his View Askewniverse compatriots, there may be no bigger Star Wars than myself. While the Lucas classics have many similarities with Guardians, they're also completely different. Whereas Star Wars was a serious tale of good and evil, redemption and love, GotG is a ridiculous romp full of jokes and gags. But the heart and soul of each film is very much the same, and the ability of both to capture imaginations is very much the center of their appeal.
Let's get to the characters...
Peter Quill AKAK Star-Lord (Chris Pratt)
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this is hands down the best casting choice Marvel has ever made, and that includes knocking it out of the park with Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. While traditionalists may argue that Quill isn't much like the comedic figure he's portrayed as in the film, who gives a ****? He's awesome and he's perfect and every second that he's onscreen is fun.
Gamora (Zoe Saldana)
The weak link of the movie for me. Her character isn't all that fleshed out and her motivations aren't given anything more than a brief 30-second explanation. For someone billed as "the deadliest female in the galaxy", we get very little actual evidence of this.
Drax The Destroyer (Batista)
This casting was the most controversial, as the WWE star had no real experience in high profile acting. The role was originally offered to Jason Mamoa (Khal Drogo), but he turned it down to star in and direct the straight to DVD Road To Paloma, which has made abut $367 so far. Great career decision, horselord. Drax's super-literal revenge-minded monster is at the heart of some of the film's funniest moments and Batista nails it.
Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper)
Skeptics were nervous at how a talking raccoon would play out in a summer blockbuster, but those doubts have no been silenced. Rocket is everything Jar Jar Binks wasn't. Along with Pratt, he's the character who most carries the movie,
Groot (Vin Diesel)
Flora colossus, a walking tree with superpowers, is a major character in one of the biggest movies of the year. And he's the coolest damn tree ever. Take that, Grandmother Willow.
Ronan The Accuser (Lee Pace)
While the characterization of Ronan is a little left of what he's been in the comics, Lee Pace does his best to break the streak of Marvel's non-Loki villains being empty, one-note "I want to destroy the universe" stereotypes. He was menacing and intimidating and did everything right. Great design, also.
Everyone else played their roles well, and if you can get past Yondu just being Merle with blue skin rather than his own unique persona, you'll love the entire cast. The jokes never let up, and the decision to make this a tongue-in-cheek action comedy rather than take itself too seriously is what makes this a classic.A sequel has already been greenlit for 2017, and don't be surprised if this turns into a hugely successful franchise spawning three or four installments.
In a year that's been full of great movies so far (Captain America 2, The Expendables 3, X-Men: Days Of Future Past), add one more to the list that have helped make this possibly my favorite year for blockbusters ever.
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