Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
 |
Review #1,065 |
THE SCOOP
Director: James Gunn
Cast: Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Glenn Close, Benicio Del Toro, John C. Reilly
Plot: In the far reaches of space, an American pilot named Peter Quill finds himself the object of a manhunt after stealing an orb coveted by the villainous Ronan.
Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi / Comedy
Awards: Nom. for 2 Oscars - Best Visual Effects, Best Makeup & Hairstyling
Runtime: 121min
Rating: PG13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language.
IN RETROSPECT (Spoilers: NO)
“Why would you want to save the
galaxy?”
“Because I'm one of the idiots
who live there!”
Wacky,
zany and fun, the critics have been saying.
And yes, it is true. Guardians of the Galaxy is this summer’s
finest blockbuster and a fantastic Marvel movie. At the moment, I personally think this is Marvel’s
greatest triumph, but of course they are welcome to push the boundaries of their
collective creative and technical talents even further. As they say, the sky is the limit, but for
Marvel, it is the galaxy. So let us
rejoice and behold this wonderful effort.
I’m
sure many like myself have not heard of Guardians
until the studio decided to bankroll it and make it a tentpole
release. It is at a risky project,
ambitious in launching a new franchise alongside The Avengers (2012). Few are
acquainted with the characters – Star-Lord, Rocket, Gamora, Drax and Groot, and
the universe in which these characters operate have to be clearly and
interestingly communicated to the casual moviegoer.
Marvel
succeeds beyond expectations, from storytelling to characterizations to the handling
of tone, Guardians sees the studio
having fun with themselves and with their fans.
This is not an exaggeration, but I think a few years down the road, many
will point to Guardians as a
watershed moment for Marvel. At the peak
of their powers, they have decided to do something else, while retaining their
sense of credibility and clout. Now they
have put another egg in another basket.
Directed
and co-written by James Gunn, who made Slither
(2006) and Super (2010), films
that I guess not many know about, Guardians
surprises us with his wit and vision.
The ensemble cast of acting and voice talents also combine to superb
effect, particularly their comic timing.
They keep a straight face throughout, while we laugh at the seeming
absurdity of it all. Accompanied by a
generous dose of 1970s songs that adds a gleeful layer of retro-charm, Guardians is probably something
Tarantino would have made if he delivered a PG13 superhero movie.
When
I left the theater, I overheard someone saying that Guardians is the ‘Star Wars’ of the 21st century. That is an astute observation, which also means
J.J. Abrams has his work cut out for Episode VII (2015). Gunn’s film is full of
homage, a postmodern and thoughtful re-imagination of what we have come to
accept as the Hollywood blockbuster.
There’s
a meta-filmic quality that subtly prods you. In the opening sequence after the prologue, we
see Star-Lord stealing an orb, an object that starts the movie running in high
but economical gear, reminding us of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). And for much
of Guardians, it feels like that kind
of movie. Star-Lord is Indiana Jones and
Han Solo, Groot is Chewbacca, Rocket is an Ewok. And when you add Kevin Bacon in the mix, it
is a brilliant concoction of style, substance, reference, reverence and
collage.
Verdict: This summer’s finest blockbuster that
succeeds in every way from storytelling, characterizations and handling of
tone, and just maybe something Tarantino would have made if he delivered a PG13
superhero movie.
GRADE: A
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