Guardians of the Galaxy

****1/2
Dir. James Gunn

I remember when I was 10 years old and went to see the original Sam Raimi Spider-Man 2. To say that my imagination was captured would be an understatement. I felt the same giddiness that every child feels when watching their favorite superhero take to the big screen. Now, it's rare that I feel that same sense of awe and wonder when going to the movies. Simply put, they don't make Blockbusters like they used to. The last multimillion dollar budget flicks that have achieved this and have come out in the last 5 years are Avatar and Hugo. Now however, I am ecstatic to add Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy to my list.

The latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is already garnering Star Wars comparisons, and rightfully so. Whether it's the epic space fantasy storyline, the ragtag team of heroes, or the nostalgic emphasis on 70s/80s culture, this is certainly a film worthy of George Lucas' applause.

Guardians of the Galaxy centers around lead protagonist Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), a.k.a. Star-Lord, a space pirate who was abducted by aliens when he was a boy after his mother died (on Earth). Raised by the infamous Yondu (Michael Rooker) and his gang of thieves, the intergalactic outlaw spends most of his time raiding planets and stealing precious artifacts.

Yet this all changes when he uncovers an ancient orb of unlimited power which everyone in the galaxy is after. While evading the forces of the Kree terrorist Ronan the Accusor (Lee Pace), Quill is nonetheless apprehended by the Nova government, a more peacekeeping alliance uniting the galaxy's central planets (basically the equivalent of S.H.I.E.L.D. or The Federation). It is here when his story becomes intertwined with those of fellow bounty hunters Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel), as well as vengeance-seeking extraterrestrials Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista). With Gamora and Drax both having vendettas toward Ronan, this team of unlikely heroes must come together to keep the orb's infinity stone from falling into the villain's hands.

One thing about this film which might get overlooked but deserves recognition is that it is successful in showing and not telling. What I mean here is that the screenwriters don't waste time bombarding audiences with massive amounts of expository information. Rather than open with a cliché voice-over by Star-Lord explaining who he is and the state of the various intergalactic conflicts, director James Gunn and his co-writer Nicole Perlman actually realize that audiences are smart enough to figure these plot elements out on their own as the movie progresses. By applying this tactic, the film flows significantly better than most blockbusters today.

Yet what really makes this movie so fresh and entertaining are its characters. A favorite among Parks and Recreation fans, Chris Pratt combines the goofiness of Andy Dwyer with the cockiness and heroics of Han Solo into his portrayal of Quill. Even when he's in prison, he refuses to let the guards mess with his Blue Swede album. Another scene shows him telling Gamora about the Earthling legend Kevin Bacon in Footloose. There's hardly a dull moment when he's on screen.

Similarly, Cooper and Diesel rival Pratt's performance by bringing to life two of the most bizarre characters in comic book movie history. Both actors deserve genuine recognition for their voice work here, especially with the amount of energy Diesel brings to a character who's only line is "I am Groot" (said multiple times). Cooper's delivery of Rocket's quick-witted dialogue is spot on, and this is made all the better by the great CGI that went in to bringing this dynamic duo to the big screen.

Bautista definitely looks the part of Drax and gives a solid enough performance. While he has no real prior acting experience, he comes across as slightly less remarkable than the likes of Pratt and Cooper; but he is definitely the right choice for the role. Saldana's character is pretty similar to the one she plays in Avatar, but that didn't bother me. She's a more than formidable actress, and the ensemble work here could not have been better.

With his roots in indie filmmaking, James Gunn is no doubt a lover of bizarre storytelling. Other works of his such as Slither and Super demonstrate original takes on popular genres; which in the case of these two films are horror and superhero movies. Yet while those films are grounded in black comedy and are definitely not suited for everyone (though definitely for me, I adored Super), I was curious to see how Gunn would work with more lighthearted material. The only other family-friendly project he's done in the past was when he wrote the Scooby-Doo remake. Fortunately, his first mainstream movie highlights every one of his strengths as a director. Through solid pacing and eye-popping visuals (I'm not big on 3-D, but this is one movie that actually makes use of it), Gunn delivers a true display of cinematic wonder which viewers of all ages can enjoy.

The only real flaw in the film, and it is a common one among Marvel movies, is the presence of a stereotypical villain. I like movies which give you a reason to empathize with the antagonist. What makes Spider-Man 2 so great is that it draws multiple parallels between Doc Ock and Peter Parker. Audiences realize that Octavius is very much guided by motivations that would drive any other human; and they see that he is ultimately trying to do what's right. Here, Ronan is no different from the guy in Thor: The Dark World or any other warlord bent on total domination. Still, the central characters in this film are so unforgettable that this aspect is easy to overlook.

Before Guardians of the Galaxy, it had been a while since a big-budget superhero movie really left an impact on me. When I entered the theater last night, I was a nerdy college student with a solid knowledge of film and comics. From the time the movie started to the time the credits rolled, I was a kid again reliving the awe and wonder of going to the movies. So do yourself a favor and go see it already.