Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel Studios’ newest film franchise, proves that even a superhero aficionado’s most obscure characters can make a great film.
Directed by James Gunn, the film follows Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) as he teams up with a deadly but comical group of outcasts comprised of Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Rocket the Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) to stop Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) from destroying Xandar, a planet inhabited by various alien races and home of the space police force known as Nova Corps.
Chock-full of action sequences and comedy, Guardians of the Galaxy takes a close look at the human condition (something that every Marvel movie has done) through the eyes of aliens, an anthropomorphized raccoon, and a plant, which must be seen to be believed.
The film is fast-paced and epic. At one point in the movie there is a giant spaceship fight and, I have to admit, it is the most impressive action sequence of the film. The comedy is appropriate and clever as well. Although most of the comedy is a banter between the guardians, it never gets stale. In fact, it only gets better as the movie progresses.
The cast for this movie is fantastic fit. None of the characters felt forced or misplaced, including Cooper’s performance as Rocket. After seeing this film, I believe that Pratt could potentially be the spearhead of the Marvel cinematic universe once Robert Downey Jr. decides to step down and put away the Iron Man suit.
Other notable actors include Glen Close and John C. Reilly, where Reilly is a high ranking officer of the Nova Corps and Close is the boss of Nova Prime. Benicio Del Toro reprises his role as the Collector, first seen in the secret ending of Thor: The Dark World, and Michael Rooker makes an appearance as Yondu, Star Lord’s caretaker. Josh Brolin also makes a guest appearance as Thanos, the mad titan.
The soundtrack is the best of any Marvel movie as it is bound to make anyone dance and feel alright. It is introduced as Quill’s Awesome Mix Vol.1, a mixtape he carries around inside a beat up Walkman. It has, what could be argued to be, the greatest hits of the 70s and the 80s.
Guardians of the Galaxy is worth the watch, whether you know the history of this rag-tag team of heroes or not. Gunn does a great job telling their story while making us laugh and cry. This movie also leads to the expansion of the Marvel universe and opens the doors for other interstellar heroes. The secret ending for this movie is a doozy but if you are versed in the Marvel lore you will either rejoice or cringe.
Adrian Toscano
Managing Editor
atoscano2@ucmerced.edu