By: Mike Strong
After eight years of methodic development, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the most expansive film franchise in history. With this summer’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” it has reached the furthest corners of the actual universe. This risky transition to galactic exploration has been handled in the most appropriate manner a Marvel fan could hope for.
Pairing up a team of misfit outlaws that include talking flora and fauna could have turned out negatively for those who formed this franchise. Moviegoers are used to recognizable faces such as Iron Man and Captain America. Bringing five new and obscure characters into “Guardians” actually ends up being the right move for Marvel in every way. Now that we have had at least two films for each Avenger, a change in locale and tone was necessary.
Despite the crutch of not having a full film to introduce each of the guardians, as the Avengers had, the film does a spectacular job of bringing each character into the fold and addressing their separate motivations. They each have a unique personality that is either hilarious, lovable or hilariously lovable. Particular standouts are the puppy faced talking tree, Groot, the irritable bounty hunter raccoon named Rocket and the overly literal macho-man Drax the Destroyer. Drax gets a few memorable one-liners that I found myself repeating for days, while Groot became my all-time favorite hero by the end of the film.
Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana also star as Star Lord and Gamora, respectively; they are the two more grounded members of the team. Pratt brilliantly pulls off the role of charismatic wise guy while also being a strong leader.
In just two hours, director James Gunn manages to develop these characters better than Superman has been developed in any film. This is just a testament to how diverse Marvel’s roster is and that any of the heroes can share the spotlight with the best of them.
“Guardians” is really a film about the characters, but the plot does not necessarily take a backseat to them. Rather, the film weaves these new characters and their motivations into the overarching Marvel storyline in a way that speedily moves the plot toward events that we will see play out all the way through “The Avengers 3.”
The rather forgettable villain Ronan is essentially used to introduce Thanos, who is set to be the villain of Avengers 3. Bits and pieces of previous films such as the first Captain America and “Thor 2” are explained through the introduction of infinity stones. Granted, only the most attentive viewers will make the connection. But that level of depth is what makes “Guardians” such an appealing movie overall. It absolutely does not rely on any prior knowledge of Marvel films, but it still does a lot for those excited about the future of the films.
“Guardians of the Galaxy” is perhaps the most accessible and purely entertaining Marvel film since the first Iron Man. It is an excellent breath of fresh comedic air mixed with a surprising touch of emotion. This is a film summer moviegoers needed after the heavy plot of Captain America 2 earlier this season.
This is certainly not the last we will see of the Guardians of the Galaxy. It is not quite clear yet when we will see them outside of the guaranteed “Guardians 2,” so viewers have plenty of time to get in on the ground floor of the most exciting Marvel series yet.
And a terrific soundtrack!