How does Marvel keep doing this?

Rating: 10/10 (24 July 2015)

By 'this' I mean taking Marvel properties that aren't mainstream even by comic book standards and turning them into massively successful films. As part of Marvel Studios boss, Kevin Feige's Marvel Cinematic Universe master-plan they've taken characters like Thor and made them work successfully on the big screen and have recently done it again with a man who shrinks to the size of an ant. Such bold adaptations should never have worked but credit to Marvel they've nailed it several times now.
Few would argue that of Marvel's lesser properties that have been added to the MCU mixing pot, Guardians of the Galaxy is by far the most surprisingly successful adaptation. One of Marvel's more 'out there' (literally) properties, GotG was a big gamble and the lion's share of credit must go to director James Gunn who made the film very much his own. Colourful, subversively funny and achingly cool in equal measure, GotG blew cinema goers away with its infectious feel-good factor and brilliantly realised team of disparate losers. The script is the first and arguably most important thing that they got right. The consistently sharp and witty dialogue keeps your attention throughout and none of the main cast feel superficial or poorly written.
Chris Pratt almost steals the show with his portrayal of Star Lord and walks a fine line between making the character his own and falling into shameless Han Solo parody. Even the non-human CGI characters like Rocket and Groot are given a satisfying depth and what makes everything gel is the emotional heft that pervades throughout, be it Star Lord's grief over the loss of his mother or Rocket lamenting his tortured creation. Even wrestler Dave Bautista delivers as the dryly serious Drax who takes every verbal witticism by its literal meaning providing many of the film's funniest moments.
Yes, main villain Ronan the Accuser is somewhat thinly written with an almost generic genocidal drive to wipe out his people, The Kree's enemies but Lee Pace makes up for it somewhat with a commanding physical screen presence. Karen Gillian's strangely sexy, chameleon-like turn as Nebula is far stronger. Watch her express just enough mournful regret in her expression after seemingly killing her adopted sister Gamora to give the scene an added emotional layer. It's a beautiful moment in a film packed full of them. Indeed what Guardians does well is take time for those little moments of awe inspiring beauty like Groot's light spores and his moving "WE are Groot" heroic sacrifice.
No review of Guardians would be complete without mention of the astonishing soundtrack. The song choices are both fitting and relevant to Quill and are actually being heard by our characters as the scenes play. This helps pull us into Guardians trippy space opera and coupled with a rousing musical score Guardians is a treat on the ears as well as the eyes. From the surprisingly emotional 1988 set prologue to the über cool opening through to the musical montage ending the film whips along at a satisfying pace and not a scene or line of dialogue is wasted. The action is stunningly well executed and avoids the confusing Transformers-esque level of incoherent mayhem that pollute many modern summer blockbusters.
So 10/10, really? Well having watched it several times now I can't see where it puts a foot majorly wrong. It accomplishes all it sets out to do and more. It has enough depth to make repeat viewings rewarding and offers sufficient, technically flawless eye candy to never get boring. Indeed all of the $170 million budget is up there on screen plain to see and in terms of quality it's a film more than worthy of its financial success. And all this from a film that the majority of Marvel fans never really wanted or expected in the first place.
Going back to both the soundtrack and the film's pervading feel good factor, it's these two things working in tandem that are arguably the most memorable aspect of Guardians. A great meal is only as good as the last mouthful and by the end of Guardians' veritable feast you've been thoroughly entertained and emotionally satisfied and what else can you ask of a space-themed Summer sci-fi blockbuster?
The wait for their return to the big screen won't be an easy one and that's credit to what an amazing achievement James Gunn has made. He took what could've been seen as a Star Wars rip-off featuring a talking racoon, a man-tree and Han Solo and Malcolm Reynolds' love-child and somehow made it all work. Yeah, that gets a 10 in my book.