Certification. 12A
Running Time. 2 hours 1 min
Director. James Gunn
Cast. Dave Bautista, Glenn Close, Bradley Cooper, Benicio Del Toro, Vin Diesel, Karen Gillan, Sean Gunn, Laura Haddock, Djimon Honsou, Lee Pace, Chris Pratt, John C. Reilly, Michael Rooker, Zoe Saldaña, Peter Serafinowicz.
Rating. 79%
When Marvel Studios unveiled Guardians Of The Galaxy in the summer of 2014, I think it would be fair to say that the majority of the cinema-going public would not have been familiar with the main protagonists involved. Hot on the heels of one of the strongest Marvel Studios films, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, many perceived the release of this film as a risky venture. By this point Marvel Studios had successfully delivered Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger and the first ensemble piece, The Avengers. The audience, at least, had some vague knowledge of these superheroes. But Star-Lord, Gamora and Drax the Destroyer?
If Guardians Of The Galaxy was a risk for Marvel Studios, then the recruitment of James Gunn to direct the project was a masterstroke. From the moment Star-Lord switches on his Walkman and Redbone's 'Come And Get Your Love' engulfs the opening credits, the film exudes confidence. Fast-paced and action-packed, Guardians Of The Galaxy is big, bold and ambitious. It is almost as if James Gunn wants to reassure Kevin Feige from the outset, "Relax, I've got this."
At its heart, Guardians Of The Galaxy is fun - one of the funniest films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is supported by a joyous soundtrack of sing-a-long, middle-of-the-road songs from the 1970s. Tracks such as 'Hooked On A Feeling' by Blue Swede, 'Go All The Way' by Raspberries and 'O-o-h Child' by The Five Stairsteps are integral to the film's appeal.
Only Peter Quill (apparently known as Star-Lord) is afforded a back story. 26 years later and Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) lands on the planet Morag to search for a small silver orb that contains something called an Infinity Stone. Little did the audience know the trouble the Infinity Stones would unleash in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Chris Pratt is perfectly cast and delivers an assured performance.
But Pratt is merely one of several standout performances. From the outset, the characters have an inherent warmth and natural chemistry. Even the CGI creations of Rocket and Groot (voiced by Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, respectively) are convincing counterparts. Rocket, in particular, is abrasive, sardonic and potentially unhinged. How could you not fall in love with him?
Lee Pace is sinister enough as Ronan the Accuser, but it is the two sisters, Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) that promise more substantive character arcs. Karen Gillan, in particular, steals the show as Nebula. Gillan's commitment to the role is only matched by the impressive costume design.
The dialogue is razor-sharp, yet the characters aren't fully developed. Nonetheless, James Gunn finds time amongst the intergalactic action for each of the main protagonists to have their moment in the spotlight, but more impressively, finds moments for the five of them to ultimately forge genuine bonds. So when the Guardians of the Galaxy do inevitably come together as a team, it would appear natural and not contrived. Joss Whedon required three years and five films to set up The Avengers. James Gunn assembles the Guardians in two hours.
Whilst the Guardians of the Galaxy exist in the same universe as The Avengers, I'm not sure we, as the audience, were truly aware of this. Certainly at this point, there was no hint of a crossover. Instead, Gunn manages to create a film that is both epic and intimate, and still stands up as one of the strongest origin stories in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Comments
Post a Comment