In a movie landscape that is so saturated with much of the same, Guardians of the Galaxy stands out as a modern, new take on a comic-book movie. It’s a bonafide comedy, which is why it’s so successful.
Guardians of the Galaxy tells the story of Quill (Chris Pratt), a young intergalactic vagabond who stumbles upon a mysterious orb that is coveted by a powerful villain Ronan (Lee Pace), who dead set on obtaining the orb to destroy the universe and everything in it. In order to save the universe from ultimate destruction, Quill is forced to work together with a ragtag band of misfits: Rocket (Bradley Cooper), a genius, gun-blazing raccoon, Groot (Vin Diesel), a tree-like humanoid, Gamora (Zoe Saldana), a green-skinned assassin, and Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), a revenge-driven tatted up brute.
The movie is incredibly modern, funny and self-referential. It’s like a modern-day Star Wars, which is why it will be appealing to so many people, but at the same time, it’s feels so fresh that it’s hard to compare it to any other space, Marvel or comic-book movies we’ve seen. From some of the film’s first scenes, it establishes a quirky comedic tone as we see Quill scavenging a deserted planet for bounty while jamming out and dancing to his ’70s mixtape. It’s a laugh out loud moment, and immediately establishes that this movie doesn’t take itself too seriously and is going to be a fun, campy ride.
One of the best parts of the film is the characters, who are each unique and intriguing in their own right. From Quill to his obsession with his ’70s mix tape and cassette player to Groot, the tree-like brute who can only manage to utter “I am Groot” on repeat, it’s hard to choose a favorite because they are all so quirky and likable. Rocket, at first glance could be hard to relate to, is the biggest jokester of them all and completely endearing, despite his disposition to blast everything to smithereens. Gamora isn’t your standard beauty as her green skin is covered in visible scars that make you want to know more of her backstory. Dax is probably the least appealing of the bunch, but it’s because he is so hell-bent on getting revenge that it’s hard to love him. In the end, he comes around and hopefully will have a bigger part to play in future films.
The music, featuring throwback super hits from the ’70s, is another reason why Guardians is so great. It’s simply brilliant. From “Hooked On A Feeling” to “Come and Get Your Love”, the songs don’t seem out of place, but actually are relevant and add to the movie. Normally soundtracks aren’t worth buying (especially since they can just be streamed online), but this soundtrack is definitely worth owning.
For a brand new movie franchise, Guardians of the Galaxy has a lot of potential to become another billion-dollar franchise much like The Avengers. The film is satisfying, funny and leaves just enough loose ends to make you wanting more. Even though Guardians of the Galaxy toys are already flying off the shelves, I personally wouldn’t recommend it for children because it does have quite a bit of foul language. It’s a slightly more adult than other comic-book films, which again, is another reason why it works.
Guardians of the Galaxy is by far the best movie of the summer. Despite being a comic-book movie, it purposely and expertly stands out from everything else that’s been done before. It has everything you want in a summer blockbuster–humor, action, great characters–and so much more.
