Usually we have had three to deal with, but this year we now have four brand new installments.
However, this one is something completely new to the Marvel cinematic universe and not a sequel or prequel.
We have the ultimate band of misfits that is also considered to be the B-team Avengers. They consist of an outlaw, an assassin, a mad man, a tree and a raccoon.
With a premise like that, most people would think 'How can this be successful with the mainstream audience?'. What director James Gunn and his team have basically done is embrace the bonkers source material and not take itself seriously whatsoever.
You would think that the studios might have asked Marvel to play safe and gone down the same serious dark route with a lot of previous material. But despite the Guardians Of The Galaxy being pretty unfamiliar with the general public, I am hoping a lot of people will praise this, because it deserves to be.
For a story line that has gone to a whole new part of the Marvel cinematic universe, it is pure fun to watch. The pace and tone of it gave me such a delight that it confirmed to me how much of a successful recipe a sci-fi with a swashbuckling element to it makes it so enjoyable to watch.
We are introduced to so many new characters that you would think it would all feel rushed. It did feel like that at times, but only after seeing it. During the film, you seemed to understand the characters but not be insulted with someone basically explaining their motives in such an obvious way on screen.
There are several big positives to come out of this. With this involving a handful of main characters, they each need their time on screen so you can get to know more more. I felt, like in Avengers Assemble, there was a nice mixture of everyone contributing and having their moment on screen.
Chris Pratt holds it all together. His performance as Peter Quill a.k.a Starlord will have people comparing him to Hans Solo in terms of his personality and motives. Pratt gives a wonderful charm to his character that gives us a great mix of arrogance and vulnerability to Quill.
Zoe Saldana never fails as Gamora. Everything she seems to do works every time. There is a surprising performance from Dave Bautista. More known for his accomplishments in the WWE, his portrayal of Drax gave us another interesting addition to the group that produced some great one-liners and many of the laughs. As for Bradley Cooper voicing Rocket, I was actually struggling to picture him doing the voice which is usually seen as a positive as that means you do not see the character as Cooper, but Rocket.
The character Vin Diesel voiced (Groot) did steal a few scenes for me. With the lack of dialogue for Diesel to do, it was a case of the digital artists working their magic to gives such a nice character to engage with.
As for the rest of the characters, they all played their part wonderfully. Most notably, Michael Rooker who at times looked more threatening than the main villains.
When they all interact, there is great chemistry and memorable moments that gives us ideal development for any upcoming sequels.
I have to further praise the director as Gunn never lost sight of his ambitions with this movie compared to others who seem to drop the ball in the final act. With Marvel being known for their tongue-in-cheek moments, Guardians Of The Galaxy produced a new dose of humor. It does burst out with odd moments of comedy and even dares to mention some of the weirdest things to amuse you that somehow work.
The only negatives that I got out of the film were only minor. One negative I can see a lot of people talking about was the villains being seen quite weak. With the villains in this one, I thought they were fine. But I agree, since the performance of Tom Hiddleston's Loki, it is likely we will not find a better villain.
There were also times at the start where it felt a bit rushed, but I think that was because I was still adjusting myself to this new and fairly unknown franchise. There were a few silly bits that I felt were too much for its own good. I know the film was not taking itself too seriously, but occasionally they went a step over the line. But like I said, I am only nit-picking here.
This is definitely one of the best films to come out of Marvel Studios. There is so much going on that you may need multiple viewings to know all these worlds and characters. But for me, I felt it all clicked in the end, which is what the makers were hoping to achieve.
One big thing that makes Guardians Of The Galaxy a triumph is that the group would naturally be seen as a band of losers with no class or charisma. But you can see the director has confidence in these characters and believes in the source material and can see why this group has been such a success in the Marvel graphic novels.
Marvel has certainly created something that on paper looks like nonsense. But they have made it fun, smart and wonderful on its own merits.
If you feel a bit nervous in going to see this, then the best advice I can give is to just go with it. We are far away from Earth in this one and you will not be familiar in the surroundings. But as the film goes on at a romping pace, you get introduced to some ridiculous personalities that you just embrace and want to see more of.
As for the post credits scene, it is one that I am afraid only the graphic novel aficionado's will understand. I was fine with it as I sort of understood why they chose that, but I also felt disappointed. But every time I see something that I did not fully understand, I have to keep reminding myself about Marvel's grand plan that is still in its early years of development.
This has certainly been a great year for Marvel films and I think they saved the best till last. 2015 will have a lot to live up to.
Rating: 8/10
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