What more can be said about Guardians of the Galaxy than the fact that Marvel Studios and Disney prove exactly why they are the leaders in comic book movies. The remainder of the major studios are diligently grasping at what their properties can do to be able to recreate the success that The Avengers had with shared universe concept. Sony has even been hedging its bets on making spin off movies for numerous Spider-Man villains to follow the concept that has been laid out. Warner Bros. has turned the Superman sequel into essentially a Justice League film, and Universal is looking at re-inventing its classic monsters of old and creating a shared universe for them.
While each of these studios are setting the ground work to arrive in a few more years where Disney and Marvel landed two years prior, we see what has made them the followers. Instead of just resting on the success of the films that build into The Avengers, they are pushing the genre even further, creating more ground between them and their competitors. While the fad is creating superheroes in a ‘realistic’ earth setting, Guardians of the Galaxy ditches that concept completely and takes a fantastical voyage through space with an assortment of locations, aliens, and wonderful colours.
It is such a departure from what they have been previously doing, but the product is top notch and demonstrates that carving a new path can reveal the riches that can be uncovered in the cinesphere. It is a sprawling space opera that works with the clustering of unlikely travelling companions who each have personal agendas and see the others as a means to their ends. Writers James Gunn (who is also the director) and Nicole Perlman keep a flowing story of amassing evil on a galactic scale, but also keep it personal and intimate with wonderful and humorous dialogue between the heroes.
I recently read a tweet that mentioned what you would think in 2008 if you heard there was going to be a movie you were anticipating starring Bautista, Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, and Zoe Saldana. It made me chuckle because I would not have any faith in it. It illustrates how much the careers of people can evolve over a few years, and what a skilled director can do with the talent they are given. The best example is professional wrestler Dave Bautista who plays the powerful warrior, Drax. He is only given that which he can handle, and is able to deliver comedy as well as he uses his bulk. If used properly by directors, we, the audience, can be continually be surprised by performances from people who it may have seemed easier to simply write off.
To spend time talking about each character and performance would bog this review down in a sea of words that, while hopefully enlightening, would possibly dilute the sheer joy that I had during the movie experience. Chris Pratt, the main character (he who desires to be called Star Lord) wields action, comedy, and a humanistic element. The wonderful treat with this ‘popcorn muncher’ is that each character (even the walking tree named Groot) ushers in all three of those characteristics. The blending of writing and performances keeps the film, from start to finish, exciting, chuckle inducing, and touching.
There is no profound allegory here. There is no faltering message that underlies this bit of science fiction. It is about going to the theatre and having that marvellous experience that reminds us all of why going to the cinema can feel like a proper event. It triggers the inner child and it had me already thinking about what I want to see in a sequel before it even concluded. It may not end up being a genre defining picture (only time will tell that), but it plants a flag on the long desolate planet of wondrous, camp space fun and begs us to return.
Rating - 4 out of 4 stars
I don't know if the modern cinematic environment allows pictures to be as influential and trend-setting as they used to be. The box office will help with other execs checking and seeing what makes this work. I also think this is a deceptively intricate picture that does have truths that can be mined especially the notion of the lost and broken finding strength from each other. This is a rag tag groups that doesn't necessarily development individually but as a group they become closer and find meaning in life. As you said, it is a blast without any reading between the lines too. The colours of this picture is so fabulous because it has a brightness and cheeriness that has been missing from comic book movies for over a decade.
ReplyDeletePretty much all trend setting seems to come down to global grosses, and the desire to cash in on the same audience. I hope this gets people thinking about having fun with films instead of constantly churning out gritty and serious superhero content. It was such a refreshing break from everything else floating around right now, and reminded me of the past when films could simply dare to be fun.
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