Directed by: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan
Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running time: 122 minutes
Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars
You know when you walk out of film and can honestly saw it was absolutely perfect, well that is definitely the case with “Guardians of the Galaxy”. Immediately after watching it, my wife and I said that we could have easily sat down again for a second viewing immediately. Marvel Studios has really got something special going on here with their Cinematic Universe for these superheroes. Everyone knows Iron Man or Spider-Man but not everyone knows Guardians of the Galaxy, even Stan Lee was taken on record that he wasn’t sure who all of them were since he didn’t create them (he does have a cameo BTW). So this film was a risky move for them but it really paid off. It was funny, action packed, sharp and just really fun. I couldn’t help sitting in the theater and thinking that this is what “Star Wars” would have been like if it was made today. So who knows maybe in 25 years, this film will have that type of cult status, I certainly think it is capable.
Let’s talk about this ensemble cast, this film has one hell of a amazing cast. Chris Pratt, who plays Peter Quill/Star Lord, is know best from “Parks and Recreation” is blowing up and after this he is starring in “Jurassic World”. This guy really rocks in this film. He is charismatic, funny and just could help it but remind me of a modern Han Solo. Zoe Saldana, who plays Gamora, was amazing all in blue in “Avatar” and she is still kick-ass in all green for this film. Dave Bautista, who plays Drax in the film is absolutely amazing and he is known best for his WWE wrestling career. No idea how this guy said some of his lines without laughing. Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper lend their voices to Groot and Rocket Raccoon, respectively. They both easily steal the show, no question. Yes, that’s right a talking tree and a raccoon. Top of this amazing cast with Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, and Benicio del Toro. Makes up a hell of a dream cast.
The film starts off with us taking a trip to 1988, where we meet a young Peter Quill at his mother’s death bed. After her passing, he runs out of the hospital and ends up getting abducted by a spaceship. Flash forward 26 years later on a distant abandoned planet we meet again Peter Quill all grown up and seeking out an orb, in order to get a pay day. He finds that this orb is much more valuable then he originally thought and has many people trying to get it for themselves leading him to meeting Gamora, Rocket and Groot. The three of them end up in a high security jail after a fight for the orb. Joining up with a inmate named Drax in the jail, the group breaks out of prison to return the orb to safety after they find out what it is capable and who is really after it. Ensue hilarity and epic space battles. Did I mention that Thanos also pops in for a few…
The film looks just really amazing. I loved the use of practical effects mixed in with CGI. Director James Gunn is known for that and if you need an example check his past film “Slither”, which is tremendously underrated. The visual effects are also top notch for Marvel. The space fights are absolutely epic and really action packed. The 3D effects are also woven in very well, so they feel very organic and really draw you into film. And of course, the music…oh the music! I haven’t stopped listening to the soundtrack for this film, which is very 70/80’s inspired with tracks like “Hooked on a Feeling” by Blue Swede, “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” by Elvin Bishop and the scene stealing “O-o-h Child” by Five Stairsteps. Music is very important to me in a film and tied in with Tyler Bates amazing score, this film’s music is literally a character itself.
Looking back on the summer so far, I think about films like “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”, “Transformers: Age of Extinction” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and I enjoyed all of them but when you put them next to a film like this it honestly puts them to shame. I liked those but they were all flawed, I can say that this film is perfect. No question, Marvel’s best film to date and easily my favorite film of the summer. Can’t wait for the sequel, which is already scheduled to be released on July 28, 2017. Be sure to also stay at the end of the credits for a really cool post credits scene. It may not be incredibly important to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe but still very cool. Now if you excuse me…ooga-chaka, ooga-chaka!
