In the past decade, Marvel has shown itself to be a force to be reckoned with. They have made movies that not only perform like mad at the box office, but that also have the quality to legitimize the millions they are raking in (unlike some films that shall remain nameless *coughanythingproducedordirectedbyMichaelBaycough*).
There have been a lot of articles already talking about how Guardians of the Galaxy was a major ‘risk’ for the studio, and I am sure it felt that way for those in charge of green lighting it, given the fact that it didn’t have a known quantity of heroes within the pop culture lexicon to back it up. Oh, sure the Guardians are characters within the Marvel Universe, but most of the film’s target audience (which is everyone) will not know that. These are characters that will be known only to the few hard-core comic geeks and for everyone else to discover.
Which is what Marvel was banking on.
Well, that and their brand which has now solidified itself.
I don’t want to take away from the film’s genuine quality (it is an incredibly well made film), but part of its success (and the reason why I don’t think making it ever entered into the realm of risky) was that Marvel has become known for taking characters that the mass audience may not have heard of (Iron Man) and turning them into house hold names almost over night. They have an incredible team of writers and film makers who know how to craft well told stories and bring these characters to light.
But more than that, they know how to make them FUN. This is something that seems to have been forgotten when it comes to super hero films, and something that thankfully Marvel has held onto all along.
Superhero movies used to be looked upon by the general movie going public with a healthy degree of scorn and ridicule (and for anyone who has ever seen “Batman and Robin”, you can understand why). Films like “Batman Begins” and its ilk may have changed that perception (showing that yes, you can have Oscar-worthy performances in a film about a man who dresses like a giant Bat), but the downside is that then became the formula.
Dark and gritty superhero + angsty storyline + 3D and a lot of explosions = profit. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Too many of these films have felt like ordeals to be endured rather than something to engage its audience in. Can you remember the last time you ran out of the theatre after seeing a superhero movie and just went, ‘THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN!?’
OK, I can – it was “The Avengers”. And “Serenity”. And that’s what “Guardians of the Galaxy” is able to capture here – a sense of fun, silliness, irreverence, but also of genuine characters facing real difficulties and fighting for something they believe in.
It’s not a bad thing to take inspiration from those who have come before you. Too many times we may dismiss something as derivative (and sometimes it is), but by doing that we fail to see the love that these films may be showing for their predecessors.
“Guardians of the Galaxy” is one such film. It takes the space-opera essence of Firefly and combines it with the teamwork and ensemble strength of the “Avengers” (both coincidentally Joss Whedon films) and adds its own hilarious twist in the form of a group of extremely unique characters and a killer sound track from the late 70s and early 80s.
Chris Pratt plays Peter Quill (or Starlord – a nickname he appears to have given himself). He is taken from his home on Earth by a giant spaceship at a young age right after losing his mother to what we can only presume was cancer. The only items he had with him at the time were his walk man containing a cassette tape titled “Awesome mix volume 1”. This tape is his only connection to home and the music on it forms the sound track, not only for the film, but for the character’s journey as well. It gives us a glimpse into who he is as a person.
As an adult, he seems to have become an outlaw who “finds” items for those that commission them and sell them to the highest bidder. At the beginning of the film, we see him on some distant planet attempting to steal what can only be described as a small metal ball. He is soon confronted with people determined not to let him get away with it. We later learn through his attempts to sell the item that it is far more dangerous than he knew and he is soon the target of an assassin named Gamora who has been hired by her master Ronin (the film’s main bad guy) to get the item back.
As a punishment for betraying those he was working with and intending to sell the item himself, a bounty has also been placed on him causing two other characters – a mutated raccoon by the name of Rocket and sidekick, a tree named Groot – to go after him, determined to collect the reward. When all four are captured by the planet Xandar’s government and thrown in a high security prison we see them start to gell and the plot begin to take shape.
In the prison, we are also introduced to Drax – an inmate who lost his family to the fanaticism of Ronin and is looking for revenge.
As the four characters come to realize how dangerous the orb they have stolen is, they are forced to put aside their differences and work as a team to keep Ronin from using it to destroy an entire planet.
The Good:
- The soundtrack. Most often, soundtracks are chosen without much care or attention. Need a sad song? Stick a current pop ballad in there – any will do. Every now and then, however a company comes to realize just how powerful music can be in helping to tell a story. This is definitely the case with Guardians of the Galaxy. The tape cassette that Quill carries around is his most important possession and each song is used at the precise moment where it is needed for maximum emotional impact. From the beginning scene where he is dancing on the planet before stealing the orb, to the juxtaposition of “Hooked on a Feeling” as the guards tazer him, each and every note hits just the right emotional resonance. The use of music is not lazy, and yet they don’t rely on it to completely tell the story either. The songs chosen also reflect the visual scheme of film which helps to create the atmosphere. It is a brilliant balance and extremely catchy to boot
- The look of the film. In keeping with the sound track, director James Gunn has crafted a film that looks and feels as if we are stuck in the best parts of a 70s space opera. It had the potential to come across as cheesy or cheap looking, but instead manages to hit the perfect blend of nostalgia and beauty to make it work. The colours are rich and vibrant, the costuming gritty and worn. The ships look as if they have been flown through space and back and the set design is incredibly well done – bright and colourful, noisy and chaotic. Again this is where I am reminded a bit of “Firefly” in its use of colour, space and design.
- The running time and pacing. Something I often complain about is films being given an overbloated running time that ends up forcing the movie to drag on. Usually it’s because of action scenes that take up a good 75% of the movie, while the plot itself occupies about 25%. With films like Transformers 4, that ratio is more like 90% overblown action sequences to 10% actual plot and exposition. It’s difficult to get the balance right between keeping the film exciting and entertaining and giving the characters enough “down time” to get to know them and their motivation. The mistake that is usually made with pacing is to throw the characters in at the deep end and keep them running the whole time without allowing any time for character development. This film keeps the pace frantic, but also gives the cast time to come together as a group. This is especially difficult with ensemble casts and usually results in an extremely lengthy running time. Gunn eschews that here, by keeping the action scenes tightly controlled (not too long, nor too short) and allowing the characters pauses for emotional development. Some of the most moving scenes take place during those moments – Peter’s loss of his mother at the beginning is especially moving as is Rocket’s angry outburst at Drax midway through the film. Doing this allows us the time to actually care about these people and really bond with them.
- The blend of the ensemble of characters. A big problem with ensemble casts is giving each enough attention to make their story mean something. Arguably, Peter Quill is the main character so in any other action film, his story would dominate the screen. However, in this case, Gunn is able to give equal amounts of screen time and character development throughout the story to really care about each of the characters. Some obviously are given more development than others (I wanted more Gamora), but the balance is so so difficult that I think he manages to do an excellent job here. Each character’s story is interesting, moving and relevant to the plot. We are given enough information on Groot and Rocket’s friendship for example to have our hearts break right along with him when he sacrifices himself to save the others at the end. “We. Are. Groot.” SO moving.
- Casting. I could write a paragraph or more about each actor and how they are all so brilliantly chosen, but that would make this WAY too long. Suffice to say that Gunn and company knew what they were doing when they saw the talent in Chris Pratt as Starlord. Not only were they launching a franchise of Marvel characters that were barely known to the general public, but going with an actor to helm the franchise who had only been in a handful of films in secondary roles or voice acting. It must have been incredibly tempting not to go with someone more ‘bankable’, but thankfully they didn’t because Pratt has a brilliant sense of comic timing and is able to evoke the perfect balance of emotional pathos and humour that his character needs. Bradley Cooper voicing Rocket was an inspired choice as well as he is probably one of the most realistic CGI characters in a film I have ever seen. I was even pleasantly surprised by Dave Bautista’s performance as wrestlers do not always make reliable or good actors. It’s a big difference between being a performer and being an actor. Bautista managed to have a good sense of comic timing, even if his attempts to be dramatic were a tad over the top.
- The balance between drama and humour. It’s difficult in films like this to find a consistent tone between dark heavy drama, and light hearted adventure comedy. Often times films lean very heavily one way or another and it becomes easy to forget that people go to see movies to escape. Yes, we want to see emotional depth and drama, but we also want to have fun with it. We want to walk out of the theatre feeling refreshed and energized, not sad and defeated. Man of Steel and other films of this ilk make the movie going experience feel like an ordeal rather than a fun experience. Remember when Superman represented hope? Me either. But these guys do. These guys have brought back the fun and excitement of going to the theatre. There are moments that genuinely tug at your heart (Groot’s death, Peter’s mother’s death, Rocket’s outburst, their ‘circle’ conversation) but they are balanced with moments of humour, fun, and youthful vibrancy.
The bad:
- To be honest, almost nothing was ‘bad’ about this film. It was an almost perfect movie going experience, but if I was to pick one thing I wish the film had more of it would be Gamora’s back story. Again, this ties into running time concerns and the balance between the ensemble cast, but as the only female within the group, I would have liked to know more about her past. She is introduced as a henchman of Ronin’s and an adopted daughter of Thanos (the big baddie that Ronin is initially working for). Throughout the film we are given bits of information about her such as that she has been working for most of her life as an assassin for Ronin/Thanos. Which is why when she declares her intention of betraying them we as the audience want to know more. She gives us a bit of insight during her conversation with Peter, but we still don’t know what the tipping point was. Why now? Was it just the money the buyer was offering? Was it something more deeply emotional? What kinds of things did she suffer at the hands of Thanos? And what kinds of horrors did she herself commit to make so many hate her? I guess it’s just something they will hopefully address in a coming sequel (please oh pretty please!)
Overall, the film was one of the most satisfying experiences at the theatre I have seen all year. It was brilliantly crafted, beautifully filmed and wonderfully acted. It’s sad that I have to go from reviewing this to my next review – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles….sigh.
Blogs on the Silver Screen: Reviews and Discussion 