By Brett Blake GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY represents Marvel Studios’ biggest creative risk so far. The source material is so out there (with its cosmic mysteries and bizarre alien races) that it’s hard to imagine it coexisting in the same universe as the more grounded comic book stylings of the Captain America movies, for example. On the page (and in the wrong hands), the material could tip into the territory of the absurd, with so much weirdness on display that there’s nothing for the audience to invest in. Thankfully, that’s not the case here, and Marvel’s gamble has paid off in a huge way - GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (in the hands of director James Gunn) is exuberantly entertaining, a grand and satisfying space adventure that is one of the most purely fun experiences I’ve had in a theater in years. The narrative revolves around Peter Quill AKA Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), an intergalactic relic hunter (abducted from Earth as a young boy in 1988) who gets his hands on a mysterious orb, something that brings him into contact with Gamora (Zoe Saldana), a trained assassin, Drax (Dave Bautista), a surprisingly literate beast of a man bent on vengeance, Rocket (Bradley Cooper), a machine gun-toting raccoon wiseass employed as a bounty hunter, and Groot (Vin Diesel), a walking tree-like alien with a big heart who can only say the words “I am Groot.” These characters find themselves having to work together to defeat the various interested parties in pursuit of the orb, namely Ronan The Accuser (Lee Pace) and his henchwoman Nebula (Karen Gillan), who seek the orb with the intention of using its power to conquer (read: destroy) entire planets. Also in the mix are a band of space pirates/cowboys led by Yondu (Michael Rooker), and hovering in the background over all of this is the so-called “Mad Titan” known as Thanos (Josh Brolin), a shadowy presence with ambitions of galactic domination, first introduced to audiences (quite cryptically) in the post-credits sequence of 2012’s THE AVENGERS. Given that very “Cliff’s Notes”-ish plot summation, it is something of a minor miracle that the film is as approachable as it is. Yes, numerous colorful, strange aliens and settings are here and in full force, but they are grounded in relatable, human emotion and a cheeky sense of humor. Even more importantly, the characters themselves are fundamentally relatable and well-drawn. As Quill, Pratt’s charisma explodes off the screen, and while it might be too soon to call Star-Lord the heir apparent to the likes of Han Solo, it’s a star-making performance from Pratt. Saldana’s Gamora finds her place as the moral center of the group, while Bautista’s Drax might be the biggest surprise of the film, bringing an ultra-dry sense of humor to the party (a sense of humor which the character himself seems delightfully unaware he possesses). Both Rocket and Groot (as voiced by Cooper and Diesel) get some wonderful moments of humor to play, as well, but writer/director Gunn wisely also supplies them with moments of genuine pathos; these are not “gag” characters - they’re fully fleshed-out beings with arcs of their own. Any one of these five would surely be considered the scene-stealers of any other movie, so it’s great fun to watch all of them steal scenes out from under the others, often several times within the same scene! Most important of all, the movie presents these characters initially as morally-sketchy, damaged individuals who begin the story at-odds with each other, and who then grow into genuine friends who are willing to risk their lives to protect innocents. This central dynamic is a powerful one, and it anchors the movie in a really satisfying way. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is also - far and away - the funniest film Marvel has released thus far; it never crosses the line into being an outright comedy or parody, but if pressed to describe the kind of tone the movie establishes, the phrase “comedic space adventure” seems quite suitable. There are some big, big laughs in here, and some lines of dialogue seem destined to be quoted in years to come. Several reviews have made the comparison to GHOSTBUSTERS, and while that movie is more explicitly a comedy first-and-foremost, that kind of vibe is not too far off the mark. Director Gunn’s handle on the humor is an outgrowth of his overall deft handling of the movie’s tone itself: yes, it’s often flat-out hilarious, but there are also big things at stake, and the characters deal with very human emotions and baggage. These emotional elements may be the most unexpected component of the film. Based simply on the trailers and other advertising, the studio has sold the movie based on its quirky assortment of characters, its humor, and its sizable “space opera”-flavored action (of which there is an abundance and variety; it’s not all “spaceships shooting at other spaceships”). The emotional content has been rather well-hidden in the ads, but this is probably to the audience’s benefit, as it allows them to discover the uncommon depth for themselves. Just as there are moments in the movie that will leave many gasping for breath due to laughter, so are there other moments that are incredibly moving on an emotional level. Aside from his contribution to the screenplay, director Gunn deserves to be commended for the visual style of the movie; he presents a huge canvas to the audience, one packed with imagination and executed with a vibrant color palette. There’s a true sense of scope to the story, and a feeling of wonder at the cosmic vistas and locales we visit is present, as well. It’s not without flaws, of course. The motivation of the villain, Ronan, is unfortunately undercooked (though Pace’s performance is excellent, conveying a sense of deep rage and entitlement that makes him a formidable presence even though he doesn’t have much to work with), and the film does spend perhaps too much time setting up further adventures for both the Guardians and, yes, even the Avengers back on Earth; the inclusion of the character of Thanos feels less like an organic outgrowth of this specific story and more a case of Marvel laying the (probably necessary) groundwork for the general direction of the next few films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But those are mostly nitpicks. On what could have been Marvel’s most dangerous commercial play, they’ve pulled it off in style. The core characters are so entertaining, so winning and charming, that it’s hard to see the movie as anything other than a complete success. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is an unbelievable amount of fun, and I’d happily watch (at least) ten more movies with this group.
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