Guardians of the Galaxy Review

Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the years most entertaining films

- By Matthew Cooper

I’d say that J.J. Abrams has tough shoes to fill with Star Wars Episode VII. Not only does he have to live up to the original trilogy and make up for the prequels, but now he has to best Marvel’s lovely little space epic. It’s here, it’s different, and it is a wonderful ride. Not only is Guardians of the Galaxy one of this year’s most entertaining films, but it’s also infused with humor and heart. Marvel took a massive risk to make this film, and it paid off.

I couldn’t help but think of Guardians of the Galaxy as a sort of an “Indiana Jones in space”. The basic story consists of a magical object, a lot of people that want said object, and a bunch of the people team up to keep said object from the really bad person. It’s a classic plot, but it doesn’t weigh the film down. Instead, Guardians of the Galaxy takes the time to focus on characters. Really, really, good characters.

The film centers on Peter Quill (aka “Star-Lord”), played with a lot of energy by Chris Pratt. He’s got a nice backstory, and he fills the protagonist slot nicely. Along side him are Gamora and Drax (played by Zoe Saldana and Dave Batista, respectively). Then there’s Rocket and Groot (Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, respectively), the two oddballs. A talking Racoon and a talking tree. Sounds dumb? Well it’s not. Rocket and Groot are actually the two best parts of the film. They both have a lot of personality and they add a lot to the overall film. On their own, everyone gives a good performance, but together, the main cast has fantastic chemistry, and they all play well off of each other.

Guardians is directed by James Gunn, who does a great job at emulating other science-fiction classics, while also making something fresh. It’s a dangerous balancing act, but he pulls it off with precision. The film is beautifully directed and has great art direction. All of the action looks good and all of it looks real. Major props to the visual effects department for creating such a gorgeous film.

As per the usual Marvel film, there’s a lot of hinting at things to come. Guardians doesn’t tie into the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe very well, but all the pieces are in place. After a few more films, The Avengers will be ready to enter the cosmos.

However, as much as I loved the film it’s not entirely perfect. There were a few moments where something doesn’t quite work, a joke or an element of the plot. That being said, Guardians of the Galaxy is a ton of fun. It doesn’t have a lot of depth, but that’s ok. The movie knows what it is - a good time. And in that regard, it passes the test with flying colors.

4.75/5