Proof that not all superhero films need to be "gritty and realistic"

Rating: 8/10 (16 November 2014)

Guardians of the Galaxy (a delightful mash between the Star Wars prequels and the Mass Effect game series) managed to actually be non-generic in the sea of mediocrity that Marvel keeps churning out. A very welcome reminder that some comic book movies can still be charming and funny. For that alone I was willing to forgive its flaws. Zany, colourful, and full of humour and heart, I rewatched it on a plane having lost much of my will to live after the excruciatingly moralistic A Most Violent Year. Suffice to say, it kept me going.
When Hollywood decides to get a huge multi-million dollar space opera going, I bet Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel and Chris Pratt pre-2014 weren't high on their list. But I could not imagine this movie without any one of the five leads. Chris Pratt infuses Star Lord with such a delightful quirkiness that he's completely irresistible. I never find myself rooting for the main male lead in ensemble teams like this, but Quill is just so darn fun to watch. When he's not hurling one liners at his teammates, he's jamming to probably the catchiest darn soundtrack of all time (more on that later). I hated Saldana's fake green makeup, but she's a great actress and a terrific foil especially for Pratt. They have unbelievable chemistry, which I hope they continue to tease and resist Bonesing the Brennan/Donnaing the Josh/Becketting the Castle (you know, when they put people with great chemistry together and then you get bored of it?)
Dave Bautista is not a great actor, but Gunn knew that and used him well. There's one or two moments where I thought Bautista killed it with comedic timing, and his confrontation with Ronin was actually very well done. Gunn directs the hell out of Bautista, who hurls himself at Ronin in rage and grief and is completely outclassed. Its a really well done sequence, because I could feel Drax's frustration. Cooper and Diesel do great voice work for their characters. Lee Pace is a serviceable villain - once again his makeup is pretty stupid, but I thought his speaking voice fit the part really well and he is a commanding presence on screen. Michael Rooker I've loved ever since first hearing his voice on COD Black Ops 2, and he stole every scene he was in.
One thing that really irritated me was the film completely wasting John C. Reilly, Benicio del Toro, Djimoun Hounsou and Glenn Close. Between the four of them, they have EIGHT Oscar NOMINATIONS and in Guardians of the Galaxy, probably about eight minutes of combined screen time. Glenn Close is one of the finest actresses of all time, and she is stuck in a nothing role that could've gone to literally anyone. By locking her into this stupid role, she now has no other potential place in the MCU. What a disgrace.
Guardians is visually dazzling, with the regions of Xandar and No Where created superbly. I was really torn on the makeup - I hated the full body pink/green that they gave to some aliens, but the body transformations of Bautista and del Toro alone made the Academy Award nomination worthy. The entire ride is heaps of fun, directed beautifully by Gunn (he captures some really emotional scenes very well, and the action set pieces are even better). And the soundtrack. That soundtrack.
I needed to vent about some minor issues because they were so stupid that they took me out of the movie. - We open on a scene straight out of Terms of Endearment, with Peter unable to say goodbye to his dying mother. I loved this scene, and it was really well directed, right up until the SUDDENLY ALIENS ending. Seriously, what was that? They couldn't think of a better way to do it? I know both aspects of that were necessary, but the scene was so awkward. - I also take major issue with Peter's light ball somehow becoming capable of vaporising two enemy soldiers. Seriously. Its his light source, and by breaking it he obliterates them like the Nuke in Terminator 2 did to the world. If its capable of that, why are you carrying it around to flippantly! WHY DIDN'T ANYONE ELSE THINK THIS WAS STUPID? - Guardians takes major liberty with the whole vaccum of space fact. At several points, Peter and others are exposed to the vaccum of space, and by holding their breath they survive. Yeah, no.
But hey, who cares. Guardians is charming as hell. If I had been a Sim watching baby Groot dance at the end of the movie, I would have gained three happiness points.