Space Opera Explodes with Action and Humor from Marvel Studios

Rating: 9/10 (27 November 2014)

"Guardians of the Galaxy" is the latest film from Marvel Studios, and is loosely based on characters that have existed largely in the fringes of Marvel Comics from the 1960s until the present day. The film is effectively Marvel's first stab at space opera-- ironically, Disney now also owns LucasFilm, making the "Star Wars" franchise a sister property-- in any case, this dark-horse film is approached like an indie epic with better special effects, and it works superbly.
Directed by James Gunn (who also co-writes with Nicole Perlman), the film's plot concerns a ragtag band of malcontents, all thrown together by circumstance, none of whom guess that they are bound to become heroic renegades in a distant galaxy far from Earth. Chris Pratt is the self-described "star lord", Peter Quill: an Earth boy by birth (at least, his mother is an Earthling; his dad's origins are deliberately obscured for now). He spent about 10 years growing up in Missouri, only to see his mother die from cancer. In an emotional rage, he flees from the hospital and-- wait for it-- gets kidnapped by space pirates. Over 20 years later, Quill is a professional thief, seeking out various curiosities that will bring him big bucks (or credits or whatever money standards he deals with.) Getting captured on his latest caper, he finds himself forced to deal with the company of Gamora- (Zoe Saldana)-- a professional assassin sent by a galactic warlord; Drax (Dave Bautista), is a bruiser of ill-repute who openly vows to kill the space overlord Ronan (Lee Pace) for the death of his family; Rocket (voice of Cooper) is a dwarf-sized raccoon and a career thief/bounty hunter in his own right; Rocket's single-phrase-uttering best friend (and parallel character for Chewbacca) is Groot (voice of Diesel), an intelligent tree creature whose "I am groot" statement is his only dialogue.
The MacGuffin that these criminals-turned-rebel heroes are seeking is an "Orb"- a baseball-shaped knick-knack containing a gem that spews purple energy when touched and has a tendency to blow things up.
Ronan the Accuser is the main villain here.. He sends horde after horde of crazier bad folks after the Guardians, while occasionally standing off with Thanos (Josh Brolin.)
The film has some other key cameos and bit parts, including Glenn Close and John C. Reilly as Xandarian executives of the Nova Corps- a peacekeeping army and a close analog to "Starfleet".
The interplay between the characters is more dialogue driven than most of these films tend to be, and the actors inhabit the roles in a believable way, despite the obvious absurdity that defines the proceedings. Vintage top 40 pop music from the 1970s and 80s prominently figures into the plot throughout the film.
The final battle is lengthier than you might think, but it has a satisfying-- and heartbreaking conclusion, with the sacrifice of a team member.
The film ends on a note that signals more adventures are to come. Based on the execution by the filmmakers, a continuation of the Guardians' saga is very welcome.
After the stark commercial failure of the Disney-backed "John Carter of Mars", this project could have been stillborn, especially considering that with the exception of Ms. Saldana, none of the human principals were major box office draws on their own, and the voice-acting contributions of Cooper and Diesel as a talking raccoon and tree, respectively, could have simply been written off as a cash-grab. The script is more intelligent than viewers likely expect it to be, and the pace is brisk without feeling rushed. All in all, the film is a solid good time from Marvel.