Eye on Comics
  • About/Submissions

12 Per Cent of a Plan

  • Reviews - Other Media

Guardians of the Galaxy
Actors: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio Del Toro, Djimon Hounsou and the voices of Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel and Josh Brolin
Director: James Gunn
Writers: James Gunn & Nicole Perlman
Studio: Marvel Studios
Rating: PG

It didn’t disappoint.

To say I was looking forward to this movie is an understatement. Like many comics fans, Guardians of the Galaxy held a special place in my heart because it was a major movie release featuring something other than household names in terms of comics characters. As such, I did something last night I never do: I went to an opening-night showing. The plotting here is by the numbers, but the cast and dialogue really help this movie stand out. It’s a safe bet it’ll be an eternal favorite, the kind of flick that one would eagerly sit for multiple viewings.

Outraged by a newly signed peace treaty between his people, the Kree, and the peaceful Xandarians, Ronan the Accuser sets out to destroy Xandar by obtaining a little known object of limitless power. Circumstances bring a band of criminals together, led by Earth-born thief Peter Quill, AKA Star-Lord, to oppose Ronan’s cosmic rampage.

Something I noticed more with this flick than just about any other I’ve seen is how much material was crafted and filmed specifically for the marketing effort. There were a number of scenes and bits of dialogue I saw in trailers and commercials for Guardians that was nowhere to be found in the movie itself. And we’re not talking about stuff that ended up on the cutting room floor. There were things in the ads that were clearly (now) designed for that purpose, such as John C. Reilly’s “They call themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy” line we saw in so much of promotional material.

One thing that struck me about this Marvel movie was the use of A-list actors in roles that offered them little and really didn’t require big stars. Reilly is completely miscast as the Nova Corps member with whom Quill interacts, and Gunn makes surprisingly little use of Glenn Close. Their presences in the movie distract from the story rather than add to it. Djimon Hounsou’s character Korath is completely redundant in the movie, and nothing is done to explain his character — what motivates him, what his abilities are, nothing. Ultimately, I think he’s here only to give the Drax character something to do in the climactic third act.

Zoe Saldana’s natural charm and grace come through quite well throughout the movie despite the green skin and forehead prostheses, and she plays an obviously pivotal role in the story. Unfortunately, while her performance was solid (though not as engrossing as her Uhura in the Star Trek franchise), her character arc isn’t written all that well. She’s built up as the deadliest woman in the galaxy, but she seems dispatched by supposedly lesser warriors several times. Her sister, who’s cybernetically enhanced like her, seems practically unkillable. Gamora kicks ass when the plot calls for it and she becomes the damsel in distress when the men need someone to save. Gamora’s portrayal is inconsistent, but those inconsistencies really didn’t jump out at me until after the movie was over.

I realize the tone of this review might seem negative, but honestly, I thought this was a terrific movie. The plot isn’t all that remarkable, but the experience really isn’t about the plot. The emphasis throughout the flick, even though there are some melancholy character-driven moments, is on fun. The performances and dialogue keep one smiling from beginning to end.

Bradley Cooper as Rocket absolutely steals the movie, and that’s saying something when you consider he only has his voice to convey his performance and that the central hero is portrayed by the wonderfully charming and funny Chris Pratt. Surprisingly, the most touching and personal moments come from Rocket as well. Comparably, there’s little that allows Vin Diesel’s performance to make as much of an impact. The strength in Groot’s performance stems (heh) from I’ve been telling friends that once this movie was released, Rocket and Groot would become a couple of biggest pop-culture icons, on par with Chewbacca and R2D2, and I remain confident that will prove to be the case.

Considering his background is in professional wrestling, Dave Bautista fares well in the role of Drax. Fortunately, he’s written in a way that any awkward or stilted aspects of the performance can easily be attributed to the characterization. He’s angrily and intensely playful in a weird way that’s quite entertaining. Of the core cast, it’s only Gamora who provides little in the way of comic relief.

Josh Brolin is lost in the Thanos CGI, but the visual is striking. Lee Pace’s performance of the nihilistic Ronan hits all the right but stereotypical notes, but Karen Gillan definitely brings something special to her role of Nebula. Her anger and envy really shine through in her intensity, and the makeup job makes for a striking look for the character, explaining by Gunn offers so much closeups of her. Speaking of villains’ looks, I’m stunned at how well Ronan’s design from the comics was translated to a live-action portrayal.

I saw Guardians opening night, and as such, I only had a 3D viewing as an option. As usual, I found the 3D distracting, and so much detail is lost through that experience. Nevertheless, it’s a great looking movie. The sets are convincing, and I like how these characters’ corner of space is portrayed as rough and filthy (contrasted nicely with the pristine nature of the scenes set in the Utopian society of Xandar). The Dark Aster, Ronan’s ship, looks as though it might have been designed by some of the same people who had a hand in the Dark Elves elements from Thor: The Dark World. And Knowhere, when it’s revealed, is absolutely breathtaking in its horror and wonder, and it, more than anything else, demonstrates just how much inspiration the filmmakers drew from the Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning comics featuring these characters.

Again, the performances and dialogue are what make Guardians a must-see movie. Overall, it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but what it does prove is that given the right actors and writers, even obscure, weird characters from the world of comics can make an easy transition to other media. Guardians will definitely cement Marvel Studios reputation in the entertainment business without any caveat that its offerings are popular simply because they feature icons of the super-hero genre. This movie shows its approach to filmmaking and not widespread familiarity with its properties is its true strength. I’m definitely going to see it in the theatres again (hopefully this time in 2D). 8/10

Follow Eye on Comics on Twitter.

August 1, 2014 Don MacPherson

Post navigation

Still Crazy After All These Years → ← Quick Critiques – July 28, 2014

Recent posts

  • The End of the World As He Knows It
  • Burnt-out Ends of Smoky Days
  • They Do Need Those Stinkin’ Badges
  • Future Tense
  • Teed Off
  • Scar Issue
  • Of Gods and Monsters
  • Genre Splicing
  • A Mouthful of Dollars
  • Striking the Wrong Chord

Categories

Archives

Categories

  • Announcements
  • Editorials
  • Features
  • Original Comic Art
  • Reviews – Action Lab
  • Reviews – AfterShock
  • Reviews – AiT/PlanetLar
  • Reviews – Archie
  • Reviews – Black Mask
  • Reviews – Boom! Studios
  • Reviews – Dark Horse
  • Reviews – DC
  • Reviews – DC/Vertigo
  • Reviews – DC/Wildstorm
  • Reviews – Devil's Due
  • Reviews – Drawn & Quarterly
  • Reviews – Dynamite
  • Reviews – Fantagraphics
  • Reviews – IDW
  • Reviews – Image
  • Reviews – Indy/Small Press
  • Reviews – Legendary
  • Reviews – Lion Forge
  • Reviews – Marvel
  • Reviews – Miscellaneous
  • Reviews – NBM
  • Reviews – Oni Press
  • Reviews – Other Media
  • Reviews – Quick Critiques
  • Reviews – Radical
  • Reviews – Slave Labor
  • Reviews – Titan
  • Reviews – Tokyopop
  • Reviews – Valiant
  • Reviews – Zenescope
  • Reviews- Humanoids
  • The New 52 Review Project

Search

Recent Posts

  • The End of the World As He Knows It
  • Burnt-out Ends of Smoky Days
  • They Do Need Those Stinkin’ Badges
  • Future Tense
  • Teed Off

Recent Comments

  • Marcelo Soares on Coming Clean
  • Perry on Scoop
  • R Phillips on “Fixed… With Tape”
  • Leslie on Avengers… Disassemble Those Guys
  • Perry Beider on 2018 Glass Eye Awards – Creators
April 2021
S M T W T F S
« Mar    
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
252627282930  

Archives

  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • January 2021
  • November 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • April 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
Powered by WordPress | theme cats456