We Are Groot

Rating: Null/10 (10 August 2014)

By this time, we all know the kind of phenomenon this 'little' super(?)hero Marvel movie from the maker of 'Super' and 'Slither' has become. I confess, I was hoping for this, but was surprised at the reception. The nerds can also win!!!
Kevin Feige is a wizard. He started doing unorthodox stuff by first bringing Downey Jr. to be Iron Man. he got Jon Favreau to direct it. Joss Whedon for 'The Avengers'. The guys who made 'Community' for 'Captain America'. By far, this may have been his riskiest move, since James 'Slither' Gunn has never been known for anything other than cult, a fact proved by 'Super' as well (one of my fav movies, btw). This guy is a phenomenal talent scout.
In an ensemble, including the Whedon movies, each character has an arc, a beat, and a moment to call their own. In this one, the revelation is everyone coming together, and working as one single unit. Don't get your hopes all the way up though - plot-wise, this ain't no masterpiece, since there IS a central Mcguffin again, and everyone wants it, which other things are going on in parallel around the (hic) Galaxy.
The end-of-title-sequence has such a high WTF quotient that it needs to be seen for you to believe what the f was just filmed, and on whom (Gross? Heh-heh).
By far, my favorite movie this summer, and this has been a summer of greats for sure. I won't list them here, but boy, what a tiring summer! And what a way to ensure things go out - an astronomical bang that this one gives.
The perfect way to go would be to watch this on IMAX 3D, though I have not been as fortunate. I'd urge everyone, given your access, to spend that premium on IMAX fare.
I'm not done watching this one - I'm sure I'll see it at least twice or 3 times more before it completes its run, and am keeping my fingers crossed for one of those times to be on IMAX. Let us see.
The first time I can say that I truly enjoyed watching someone from the WWF have a role, and make it his own. Dave Bautista, to be fair, with enormous support from the creative team on this, does such a bang-up job sometimes that he almost steals away the movie in each/every frame that he's in. Watch him try and rationalize something crucial that his character does, while attempting to 'get' metaphors. Zoe Saldana gets her metaphorical moment as well, and neither appears corny or as a callback, while there was a chance of that happening in lesser hands. Kevin Bacon and Footloose get some fantastic callbacks as well, along with some great 70s and 80s music.
This is the most fun I've had at the movies in a long, long time now, and that's such a good thing now that I'm worried for all the ones that come later. Someone needs to do a thesis on how to re-invent mainstream blockbuster fare the way Marvel under Feige have done.
Chris Pratt proves all his stupid detractors completely wrong, by 'owning' his moniker of 'Star-Lord' (watch out for that scene which reveals the back-story behind that - I confess not being prepped for that one). It's still puzzling how mature (so-called) critics end up reacting to a character rather than the actor, and I do hope they all hang their heads in something close to shame when they catch this performance. But then, they still might be reacting to the character once again.
What's left to say of Rocket Raccoon? Amazing CGI on both Raccoon and Groot, but that's not all. he's as real as embodied by both Cooper and Diesel. You know they love each other, you know what they're capable of, and you simply adore them both. Each and every scene they both are in, singly or together, is a complete hoot, and playing to the galleries, this is how mass heroes should call back to their capabilities.
One of the best times at the movies - meant to be watched on the largest screen possible, with perhaps the largest number of people possible, repeatedly.