Guardians of the Galaxy was introduced in the form of a 1969 comic book by Arnold Drake and Gene Colan about a team of misfit heroes who, well, guard a galaxy. But what galaxy? From who? And at what cost?
Disney and Marvel Studios have done a stellar job of not divulging too much story through the trailers, but we can tell you in two words that Guardians is the best damn movie you’ll see this August. So that was more than two words, but the movie is awesome, and here’s why. (No spoilers).
1. Chris Pratt nails playing Peter Quill. Nails it. He’s like watching Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln, but a hell of a lot funnier. We might have just thrown all our credibility out the window by comparing one of the best actors in cinema to a guy who used to shine shoes on TV’s Parks and Recreation, but the comparison is spot on. Pratt is authentic, engaging, honest, and exceedingly entertaining. He’s freaking hilarious, too. Hilarious in that iconic Will Ferrell-Anchorman kind of way that makes you suddenly laugh when you’re least expecting it. So to answer your question, yes, if Daniel Day-Lewis and Will Ferrell had a kid together, it would be Chris Pratt.
2. James Gunn’s directing is excellent. It is a Marvel project, but it’s not a spectacle of visual effects. Yes, the visuals that we do see are great (and worth the 3D experience), but it’s a character story, and Gunn’s direction is clearly sensitive to this. What works so well is its originality. For the majority of us, we don’t know the comic book like we would a Spider-Man or Hulk, so we’re all on the same playing field. We want to take the journey with these characters and we don’t know what’s around the corner. Gunn manages to find this perfect blend where the story takes a backseat to the characters, but in a way that it never gets lost or too predictable.
3. “I am Groot.” Voiced by Vin Diesel, the walking tree creature, Groot, brings an amusing pop to the screen. He’s not your annoying Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars, but a badass bounty hunter who has an enduring friendship with Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper). The two travel the galaxy together looking to cash in on outstanding bounties before running into Quill. He can only speak three words “I am Groot”, but he steals the spotlight whenever he can.4. Awesome Mix #1. The soundtrack in this film is ingeniously great – it’s like Mike Judge’s Office Space – placing in uncharacteristic songs, but having them feel so right. In Guardians, it’s not just music playing over scenes, but popular songs from the 1970s are uniquely woven within the story line. Cherry Bomb (The Runaways), I Want you Back (Jackson 5), and Hooked on a Feeling (Blue Swede) are just some of the bars you’ll hear during the film.
5. Perfect for kids, but better for adults. Summer blockbusters usually need three things: a PG-13 or less rating, a release date, and people willing to go see it. That last part is key. Transformers 4 didn’t see high critical praise, but we still went – to judge for ourselves. The curiosity of Guardians is what has it going for itself. When the cat is out of the bag and people start to share how fantastic it is, the numbers will keep climbing, even with its lack of gratuitous “ass shots” of Zoe Saldana as Gamora.
Guardians of the Galaxy hits theaters August 1st, 2014. The cast includes Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax along with Vin Diesel as Groot and Bradley cooper as Rocket.