Guardians of the Movies

In Marvel we trust.

 

Its cinematic universe has expanded into space and it is glorious. In the trailers for Guardian of the Galaxy, Korath (Djimon Hounsou) catches Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) stealing an artifact shaped like a sphere. When Korath questions Quill about his identity, he answers “Star-Lord” as if everyone in the galaxy is aware of his reputation as a self proclaimed legendary outlaw. However, Korath hysterically has no idea who Star-Lord is. While I laugh as if I know all about Star-Lord, I honestly do not know much about the Guardians of the Galaxy even though I am a lifelong Marvel fan. It is definitely a lesser known franchise. Accordingly, the decision to use the Guardians of the Galaxy movie to expand the cinematic universe into space is a gamble by Marvel. On the other hand, the movie rights to the most well known space related Marvel characters, such as the Skrulls with the Fantastic Four and the Shi-ar Empire with the X-Men, are owned by Fox. For this reason, the Guardians of the Galaxy may have been the only choice for Marvel. In the end, it is another brilliant decision and homerun by the studio and its boss Kevin Feige. In addition, it is exciting for me to not know anything that will happen. Of course, I also have to give the most credit to Director James Gunn who does a phenomenal job with the film. When we watch the trailers, they are very funny. My concern was that Gunn would try too hard to be funny and unique from all the other Marvel films. While it is definitely different, it is for all the proper reasons. The movie is hilarious from start to finish. The humor is derived from great acting with superb dialogue instead of cheap laughs. The Guardians of the Galaxy team is comprised of Peter Quill/ Star-Lord, Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista). They are an excellent group of characters that are developed very well. They are the group of rejects and degenerates that band together to form the Guardians of the Galaxy. Another fear I had with this movie was that the storyline about how the team is formed would be clumsily done. However, the progression of the story and the formation of the team are very smooth and do not feel forced at all. The one weakness of the film is that the main villain, Ronan (Lee Pace) is not intriguing at all. Similar to most of the Marvel movies, he is there just so the heroes have someone to fight. Even though he has a weak story, it fits in perfectly with the rest of the cinematic universe and successfully brings it into space. The plot lays more groundwork for Marvel’s future. In the end, the film is too fun and entertaining for me to really harp on the lack of a great villain.

The film starts with Peter Quill arriving on an abandoned planet searching for an artifact. He enters a very dangerous tomb. Instead of showing any fear for the circumstances; he puts on his head set, turns on his walkman to play his “Awesome Mix Vol. 1”, and dances during the scene and through the perils to “Come and Get your Love” (1974) by Redbone. As dangerous litter rodents with sharp teeth attempt to attack him, he calmly kicks them away and picks up and squeezes one of them to use as a microphone so he can sing along with the classic 70s hit song. Eventually, he makes his way to the artifact, extracts it from the shields containing it, and cockily eludes evil forces who wish to take it for their leader Ronan. This opening scene demonstrates a lot of the aspects that make the film great. Despite the seriousness of the matter at hand, Quill is having fun and we are having blast with him. The light tone is maintained throughout the entire movie even though there are very serious and grave situations to follow. The humor draws from the irony of the characters lighthearted reaction to the dire straits they endure. The plot is brilliantly written and supplemented by excellent dialogue between the heroes. Although Quill is a fighter who should not be underestimated, he is just as likely to kill you with laughter by busting a move and challenging you to a dance off in the middle of battle.

Chris Pratt does an amazing job playing Quill. The character is a fusion of Indiana Jones, Han Solo, and Captain Kirk. The first scene is similar to Indiana Jones in Raiders in the Lost Ark as Indy steals an artifact while evading many booby traps. As such, both characters are experts at navigating tombs to secure an artifact. Of course, Indy does it for good so the items can be displayed in museums. Quill is an outlaw looking to cash in. Accordingly, he is a charming, fun space pirate just like Han Solo. Solo and Quill are also both men who like to act cool and pretend not to care but are good men underneath the cavalier exterior. They also have bounties on their heads placed by their former employers. Jabba the Hutt put a significant price on Solo’s head while Yondu Udonta (Michael Rooker who played Merle in the Walking Dead) does the same to Quill. In addition, Quill is like Captain Kirk since he is a womanizer and females of all different colors (e.g. orange) show up in his bed. Similar to Kirk, he is also a charismatic yet goofy leader. The sum of all these aspects equals a very intriguing and entertaining character. He is basically the Iron Man of the Guardians of the Galaxy. I cannot wait for Iron Man and Star Lord to team up in the future to create a new “Awesome Mix” team. Quill is also an avid fan of 70s pop music. His mother and he bonded over the music when he was a child. His walkman and “Awesome Mix Vol. 1” tape are his only remaining link to his mother who he still loves dearly. Accordingly, it is his most valuable possession and there is nothing in the galaxy he would trade for it. The mix tape is played throughout the entire movie and showcase show great the songs in the 70s still are. The scenes in the movie are synced perfectly to them. A lot of the songs get stuck in your head after the movie.

Rocket Raccoon is another great character in the movie. He is voiced by Bradley Cooper. The character is on par with Star Lord. He is the result of aliens experimenting on a raccoon for genetic enhancement. He is highly intelligent and the brains of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Moreover, he appeals to the younger audience because he is very cute. He is memorable because he is a sarcastic, wise cracking character. Accordingly, there are a lot of very funny exchanges between him and the other characters. He is mischievous and not afraid to play a joke on others even in serious situations. If he asks for three items to use in assembling something for one of his genius plots, one of the items is likely to be something he does not need at all but he wants it just for comical relief. Rocket and Star Lord complement each other very well. Rocket is also a bounty hunter who initially chases after Quill for the bounty on his head. Rocket is supported by his muscle, Groot. Groot is a giant humanoid tree. He is very strong but not very bright. Consequently, Rocket does the thinking for him. Groot is only able to say three words “I am Groot”. However, those three words mean different things if you understand him. He always smiles even if he is in the middle of a fight and thrashing multiple combatants. He is voiced by Vin Diesel. I hope Marvel did not pay Diesel too much for just three words. Rocket has a little Han Solo in him too. Rocket and Groot have a similar relationship as Solo and Chewbacca. However, Chewbacca is very intelligent unlike Groot.

In contrast with the lightheartedness of Quill and Rocket, the team includes the serious demeanors of Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Drax (Dave Bautista). Gamora is a highly skilled assassin. She is also an adopted daughter of Thanos. Of course, being daughters of Thanos is no gift. Thanos tortured and molded Gamora and Nebula (Karen Gillan) in his image under his cruel tutelage. They hate him but have followed his command since they have no means to escape or oppose him. Accordingly, they follow Thanos’s order to aid Ronan. Gamora enters the film when she volunteers to recover the artifact from Quill. Since she has lived a life of suffering and experienced no joys, she is a complete opposite of Quill. Neither of those facts deters Quill from trying to flirt with her. While she is also green, it just makes it hotter for Quill. In addition, Gamora is very intelligent and on to his game. There is tension between the two characters because she is no nonsense and despises his womanizing. Nevertheless, there is clear chemistry between the characters and a little tension. As such, we watch intently to see if Quill can crack Gamora’s icy exterior. Zoe Saldana is an excellent actress and has become a science fiction and comic book fan favorite with her roles as Neytiri in Avatar, Uhara in Star Trek, and Gamora in this film. While she has a more expanded role as a strong female character in the former two movies, she is still a badass assassin as Gamora.

Next, Drax the Destroyer is even more serious than Gamora. His wife and child were murdered at the hands of Ronan and his forces. Accordingly, the powerful Drax has raged throughout the galaxy looking for revenge. He has become a psychopathic murderer. Moreover, he is part of the race that takes everything literally. For example, Rocket explains that all of Quill’s metaphors go right over Drax’s head. In response, Drax hysterically says nothing gets over his head since he has excellent reflexes and catches anything that could go over his head. Of course, he proves Rocket’s point. In addition, his thirst for revenge complicates matters. First, he wants to kill Gamora because she is a known associate of Ronan. In addition, his blind rage makes him a danger to his allies since he is likely to do ill advised actions in his pursuit of vengeance. It is very funny to watch Quill’s metaphors and references to 70s and 80s pop culture fall on deaf ears with Gamora and Drax. It is similar to how cultural nuances are lost in translation between people from two very different societies. All these different and conflicting characters and motives make the story very interesting. During the Avengers, the heroes had a very difficult uniting as a team due to these differences. The Guardians of the Galaxy have the same issues and are all criminals. As such, it is fascinating to see whether they can form a team that protects the galaxy. It is highly unlikely but a whole lot of fun to watch them try.

The one major weakness in the film is a lackluster villain. Ronan is a definitely a cold blooded killer. However, he lacks any depth in his character. Nevertheless, the film does not even need an adequate villain because the protagonists are so entertaining to watch. On the other hand, the purpose of Ronan does enough to expand the cinematic universe into space. The film introduces us to two alien races, the Kree and the Xanderians. The Xanderians also include the Nova core, which is an intergalactic police force. They have an uneasy peace which is threatened by Ronan, who is a rogue Kree warlord looking to spark further war among the two civilizations. There are also two Xanderians in the film that are played by two well known actors: Corpsmen Dey (John C. Reilly) and Nova Prime (Glenn Close). While there is a case to be made that they are underutilized, I like their limited roles. Reilly is usually over the top funny and suited more for ridiculous movies (e.g. Talladega Nights). As such, I appreciate the scenes he is in for comic relief but I do not need more. In terms of Close, she has had a distinguished career. In Guardians of the Galaxy, she plays the leader of Xander. She was very strong as the vice president taking command in Air Force One after the president, played by Harrison Ford, is stuck on Air Force One after terrorists take control of the plane. Could Guardians of the Galaxy have done more with her? Sure. However, I like that the film accomplishes a lot in an efficient manner. It does not waste a minute as it is a 2 hour movie. As such, I am fine without more Nova Prime.

Similar to Loki in the Avengers, Ronan is not pulling the strings in the film. Again, Thanos’s hand is involved. Thanos was revealed as a future villain in the Avengers post credit scene when his vizier, “The Other”, advises him that human beings are not “the cowering wretches we were promised. They stand. They are unruly, and therefore cannot be ruled. To challenge them is to court death.” When I saw that “The Other” was taking to Thanos, I was pumped. He is one of the most powerful and evil villains in the Marvel Universe. We learn a little more about him in this film as Gamora name drops him and talks a bit about being his adopted daughter. Moreover, we get a first look at Josh Brolin as Thanos during a scene when he summons Ronan to his presence. I really like the look Brolin has as Thanos. He is huge and menacing with his gold armor, chiseled cheek bone, strong chin, and purple face. I started getting nervous at how imposing Thanos looked yet excited to know that there will be an epic battle once the heroes fight him. Another character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe that makes another appearance is Taneleer Tivan / The Collector (Benico del Toro). During the post credit scene of Thor: The Dark World, Sif and Volstagg visit the Collector to give him the Dark Elves’ Aether for safe keeping. The Tesseract and Aether are two of the six extremely powerful Infinity Gems. As such, they did not want to keep two of them together. In the comics, the six gems combined with the Infinity Gauntlet give an individual unlimited power. Of course, Thanos obtains all of them and threatens the existence of the universe. As a result, comic fans know that the films are building up to this story arc and an ultimate fight against Thanos. In Guardians of the Galaxy, the artifact that Quill steals in the movie contains another Infinity Gem. Accordingly, the Collector is involved again. Moreover, he gives a good explanation about the history of these items and their frightening power. I really enjoy that the film gives us more of both these characters.

I definitely recommend this film to all moviegoers. It is brilliant, clever, fun, and entertaining as Marvel expands its cinematic universe into space. I had my doubts about this movie and was cautiously optimistic about it. However, Marvel delivers another quality movie. My opinion of Marvel is best described by Blue Swede’s “Hooked on a Feeling”, that the Guardians of the Galaxy trailers and film have featured prominently and got stuck in our heads: “I’m hooked on a feeling. I’m high on believing [that Marvel will continue to give us great comic book movies]”.

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