REVIEW: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
It was almost bittersweet going to see GOTG. My most hyped about non-Oscar movie, featuring a cast of characters I know nothing about by the director of an extremely weird 2006 horror movie backed by the biggest movie studio in the galaxy right now. I'll still go see Thor 23 and all the other sequels but I love nothing more than seeing a new superhero movie, and this folks, is one for the books.
Adding to the magic and mythos of this excellent movie was coupled with the fact that it was my very first film I've seen before the general release date...not a midnight movie (it was only 7:50) but wow it was a cool feeling buying those tickets online. I don't even think I've seen a movie opening day, but my friends and I decided it was simply the only way to go to see a movie of this caliber. Gleefully diving into the unknown, we got seats third from the front (get there early, boys and girls) and took in a deep breath as the last of the 80 trailers ceased playing.
The last time I felt I was apart of a truly moving moviegoing experience was seeing Gravity in 3D last year, where I genuinely felt I was up there with Sandra Bullock (I would've told her I liked The Heat.) Even though we skipped the third dimension on this trip, the buzz in the air made this feel like a great cinematic experience. I always hear about people who saw Star Wars for the first time in 1977. I'm not saying this was a comparable experience, but man was it cool. Marvel has given birth to an utterly cool, breathtakingly hilarious and visually splendid motion picture, where raccoons handle weaponry and Vin Diesel's a tree.
Let me drive a point home: GOTG is the funniest superhero movie of all time, no doubt about it. Iron Man has great wit from RDJ, but everyone of the Guardians has at least one funny line, most of them belonging to Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and now-superstar Starlord (Chris Pratt.) Pratt said how grueling his regimen was to get in shape for the role, and it paid off. I'm not saying an audience couldn't buy a schlubby superhero (look at Hancock) but it's one of those basic requirements. The few complaints about this movie is Dave Bautista's acting as Drax the Destroyer, but the character is simple, so it works fine. Zoe Saldana validates her spot as the go-to sci-fi gal...how is it that she looks good in every color under the sun? Equipped with Rocket and Starlord's whip-smart wit, who's the perfect foil for this team? A limited vocabulary hero in the form of tree alien Groot, who will steal your heart by the end of this movie.
There's no weak link. In other words, there's no GOTG of Hawkeye. Every one of the team members has a purpose, a meaningful contribution to the greater good of the ragtag misfit band of antiheroes you find yourself wildly (G)rooting for. My only beef here is the villain of our story, Ronan (Lee Pace.) Pace had so much more scenery to chew in last year's Desolation of Smaug. Here he's the only thing that reminds me of lesser Marvel movies; the meh villain.
But here's the thing...I don't want to spoil anymore of this movie. I went into it avoiding the Rotten Tomatoes score, the YouTube critics I listen to, the newspaper...anybody. Totally isolate yourself from anything GOTG if you can. Submerse yourself in this beautiful world James Gunn has created, complete with hysterical irreverence, a dynamic soundtrack and gorgeous visual effects that will linger in the imaginations of young people like another galaxy did only 37 years ago.
Rating: 3.5/4 stars
Adding to the magic and mythos of this excellent movie was coupled with the fact that it was my very first film I've seen before the general release date...not a midnight movie (it was only 7:50) but wow it was a cool feeling buying those tickets online. I don't even think I've seen a movie opening day, but my friends and I decided it was simply the only way to go to see a movie of this caliber. Gleefully diving into the unknown, we got seats third from the front (get there early, boys and girls) and took in a deep breath as the last of the 80 trailers ceased playing.
The last time I felt I was apart of a truly moving moviegoing experience was seeing Gravity in 3D last year, where I genuinely felt I was up there with Sandra Bullock (I would've told her I liked The Heat.) Even though we skipped the third dimension on this trip, the buzz in the air made this feel like a great cinematic experience. I always hear about people who saw Star Wars for the first time in 1977. I'm not saying this was a comparable experience, but man was it cool. Marvel has given birth to an utterly cool, breathtakingly hilarious and visually splendid motion picture, where raccoons handle weaponry and Vin Diesel's a tree.Let me drive a point home: GOTG is the funniest superhero movie of all time, no doubt about it. Iron Man has great wit from RDJ, but everyone of the Guardians has at least one funny line, most of them belonging to Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and now-superstar Starlord (Chris Pratt.) Pratt said how grueling his regimen was to get in shape for the role, and it paid off. I'm not saying an audience couldn't buy a schlubby superhero (look at Hancock) but it's one of those basic requirements. The few complaints about this movie is Dave Bautista's acting as Drax the Destroyer, but the character is simple, so it works fine. Zoe Saldana validates her spot as the go-to sci-fi gal...how is it that she looks good in every color under the sun? Equipped with Rocket and Starlord's whip-smart wit, who's the perfect foil for this team? A limited vocabulary hero in the form of tree alien Groot, who will steal your heart by the end of this movie.
There's no weak link. In other words, there's no GOTG of Hawkeye. Every one of the team members has a purpose, a meaningful contribution to the greater good of the ragtag misfit band of antiheroes you find yourself wildly (G)rooting for. My only beef here is the villain of our story, Ronan (Lee Pace.) Pace had so much more scenery to chew in last year's Desolation of Smaug. Here he's the only thing that reminds me of lesser Marvel movies; the meh villain.
But here's the thing...I don't want to spoil anymore of this movie. I went into it avoiding the Rotten Tomatoes score, the YouTube critics I listen to, the newspaper...anybody. Totally isolate yourself from anything GOTG if you can. Submerse yourself in this beautiful world James Gunn has created, complete with hysterical irreverence, a dynamic soundtrack and gorgeous visual effects that will linger in the imaginations of young people like another galaxy did only 37 years ago.
Rating: 3.5/4 stars
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