Back in 2008, Hollywood was blown away when Marvel Studios transformed Robert Downey Jr. into a marquee star and the character of Tony Stark/Iron Man into one of the most popular big-screen superheroes of all time. However, as it turns out, the studio’s plan to put its interconnected comic book universe to film with The Avengers was only the beginning. Because now the studio that earned serious money (and audience goodwill) from silly-sounding characters Thor and Captain America has lent the same Midas touch to a gun-toting raccoon.
An ambitious film right from the outset, Guardians of the Galaxy launches the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the far reaches of space in an adventure that has more in common with films like Star Wars and The Fifth Element than anything in the superhero genre. When Peter Quill (Parks and Recreation‘s Chris Pratt) – who goes by the criminal alias Star-Lord – attempts to steal a mysterious relic, he soon finds himself crossing paths with assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana), mercenaries Rocket and Groot (voiced by Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, respectively) and a warrior known only as Drax the Destoyer (Dave Bautista). Before long, this ragtag group finds that the fate of the very galaxy depends on their ability to band together for a common goal.
While Guardians of the Galaxy may not be quite as perfect as fanboys are making it out to be, the film does present a fresh perspective on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, literally opening up a whole new world of possibilities and bringing several soon-to-be fan-favorite characters into the mix. In one fell swoop, Pratt proves himself a capable and charismatic leading man, and the chemistry and sharp comic timing he shares with his immediate co-stars is certainly the highlight of the film. Saldana – who has traded in her blue-skinned Avatar role to play the green-hued Gamora – once again taps into the same strong ensemble work she demonstrated in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek films, and even with his limited acting experience, Bautista brings a dry humor and (naturally) an imposing physicality to the role of Drax. However, it is the CG duo of Rocket Raccoon and the tree-like humanoid Groot who share many of the film’s best moments (If you don’t get some sense of glee from the mid-credits gag, you clearly have no soul.).
If Guardians of the Galaxy has its weaknesses (spoilers: yes, it does), they definitely don’t derive from its titular heroic team and their fascinating backstories. Rather, its much of the surrounding material that weighs the film down from achieving true greatness. Once again, the story at hand revolves around a mysterious relic that possesses a vaguely-defined power, and while this is all clearly building towards a greater (and hopefully more interesting) purpose, it’s also the same tired gimmick that Marvel already put to mediocre use in Thor: The Dark World. Lee Pace and Karen Gillan are effectively menacing as villains Ronan the Accuser and Nebula, respectively, though Tom Hiddleston’s Loki still stands as the only truly compelling Marvel villain thus far.
Essentially, Guardians of the Galaxy begins to falter whenever it strays too far from the interactions between its five main characters. Perhaps because the film’s core storyline is fairly weak, it continually meanders from planet to planet and subplot to subplot at a moment’s notice. It’s almost as if the filmmakers were hoping to distract audiences from the film’s drawbacks by constantly giving them something new to look at, subbing in fast-paced flash for true imagination. Even the studio’s first real reveal of big bad Thanos (who was first glimpsed during the credits of The Avengers and is now played by Josh Brolin) ends up being pretty underwhelming. Hopefully, the recently-announced Guardians sequel can stay a bit more focused now that the team and its larger world have been inducted into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
LIke its predecessors, Guardians of the Galaxy has its flaws, but while the film may not be as rapturous as The Avengers or as well-crafted as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, director James Gunn (Slither, Super) largely succeeds at infusing his quirky, outrageous sensibility into Marvel’s big-screen efforts and making fans care about this new set of characters. Now that the studio has turned such an out-there property into a critically acclaimed box office smash, there may be no limit to what Marvel can accomplish. With the much-anticipated sequel The Avengers: Age of Ultron set for release next May, audiences will surely come in droves to find out what the future holds.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Guardians of the Galaxy stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan, and the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel. It is directed by James Gunn and is now in theaters.