Guardians of the Galaxy Movie Review

Since its beginnings in 2008 the Marvel Cinematic Universe has prided itself on offering the best modern superhero movies to audiences worldwide. Having covered the primary heroes created by Stan Lee, the studio now turns its attention to a more obscure comic series, with mostly solid results.

Guardians of the Galaxy begins in the 1980s where a young Peter Quill is abducted from Earth; flashing forward twenty six years, Quill (operating under the name Star-Lord) discovers a strange artefact which attracts the attention of several races and factions. Following capture at the hands of Nova Corps, he is introduced to a band of rogues and mercenaries who eventually team up to unravel the mystery of the artefact and ultimately save the galaxy from impending destruction. Like every Marvel movie before it, action and emotion in equal measure are expected in Guardians of the Galaxy but with each of the characters being mostly for themselves at first, a few fresh situations are brought in, from an intense prison break-out to full-on space combat to keep the viewer guessing. Despite not following the structure of giving each character their own film before bringing them all together, Guardians does a great job of juggling all the characters and building up a strong sense of camaraderie across its two hour run time. Although the film does fit the bill for a typical ensemble superhero flick in this regard, the obscurity of the source material means that some plot threads and sudden twists may seem a bit confusing for some. The film could have provided a better introduction for audiences if there was more time to develop the history and lore of the galactic setting and the aliens who inhabit it (though they’re probably saving this for the 2017 sequel).

While the cast doesn’t make as big an impression as their Earth counterparts, each member of the team has their own unique characteristics which make them all enjoyable to watch. Chris Pratt brings a calm, cool and laid-back approach to Star-Lord, making him instantly likeable whilst Zoe Saldana plays off him well with a more subdued and emotive performance as Gamora. Former wrestler Dave Bautista brings a surprising amount of sympathy for the vengeful Drax and as for Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel; they fit the archetypes for Rocket the Racoon and Groot the humanoid plant sparingly, becoming the main source of comic relief. The likeable characters are combined with some witty and often comedic dialogue which compliments the character’s roguish nature very well. The main cast is quite good, though the villains could have used some tuning up; Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) certainly looks the part with his draping cloak and heavy war hammer but we don’t really learn much about him, his comrades or his blue-skinned species throughout the film, again linking to the need to develop and expand on the universe and all the quirks contained therein.

Guardians of the Galaxy utilises a mixture of practical effects and computer generated imagery to paint its expansive setting and the recipe has paid off; stunning views of space and celestial backgrounds give way to a carefully crafted variety of worlds and planets over the course of the film. The same goes for the creature effects with the green painted onto Saldana contrasting against the detailed CGI on Rocket and Groot fluidly. Despite the often wild carnage taking place, the film is predominately well shot and edited whether it’s ship-to-ship battles or close quarters combat. Interestingly the film makes a wide use of classic tracks from the seventies and eighties for most of the soundtrack; these emphasise the light-hearted tone present in the story and characters while also tying the film quite smoothly into Peter Quill’s constant reminiscence about Earth. All told, Guardians is another great looking film that is sure to dazzle and amaze.

Aside from some missing details regarding the history and lore of the universe and some slightly flat villains, Guardians of the Galaxy is an effective science fiction/superhero movie.

Rating: 4/5 Stars