In
2009, Disney paid $4 billion for Marvel Entertainment, acquiring major brands
such as Spider-Man, X-Men, and The Avengers. Back then, it’s safe to say Disney
executives weren’t banking on a $94 million opening weekend from “Guardians of
the Galaxy”, but here we are, another comic-book-adaption juggernaut is upon
us.
“Guardians”
has many trappings of the modern studio system: a ragtag group of intergalactic
misfits are united by circumstance against an evil force, that quite
fortunately, is led by a mammoth ship with a tiny weakness (“Star Wars”); there
is an Object of Great Significance and plenty of grand, computer-generated
battles (“Lord of the Rings”); and if you’re an executive, there is a
high-concept pitch (it’s “Ghostbusters” in space) and previous source material
like virtually every modern blockbuster.
But
instead of descending into cliché, the movie plays off conventions from the
recent deluge of superhero films. “Guardians” has exquisite timing, released
during a period where some moviegoers are suffering superhero fatigue. It is as
much comedy as action, with humor ranging from meta to sophomoric. Fortunately,
director James Gunn and co-writer Nicole Perlman balance these different tones
skillfully. Zaniness abounds, but the three villains are the typical snarling,
robustly confident evildoers you expect from this genre, but the fact that they
aren’t played for laughs adds real stakes. The movie never veers into “Scary
Movie” territory.
“Guardians”
likely won’t eclipse 2012’s “Marvel’s The Avengers” at the box office, but
“Guardians” succeeds where “Avengers” struggled. After a promising start,
“Avengers” dives headlong into the action without bothering to make the
audience care about any of the characters. The movie seemed to rely on previous
films and comic books for characterization.
“Guardians”
takes no such shortcuts. In a tight 121 minutes, there are few asides; the
action and jokes move the story along and develop the characters. Unlike
“Avengers”, I cared much more by the end, not less, thanks to some unique and
fun characters.
Chris
Pratt stars as Peter Quill, who as a boy, was kidnapped by an extraterrestrial
spaceship literally seconds after his mother died of cancer. (What Disney movie
would be complete without a dead mom?) But this rather dark opening transitions
to our first tone shift. We flash forward 20-something years, and Peter is very
much Andy Dwyer, Pratt’s lovable goofball from NBC’s “Parks and Recreation”,
dancing away to one of his last earthly possessions: his mother’s beloved mix
tape. Honestly, I’ve seen enough Walkman jokes for one lifetime, but the
running gag killed in the theatre. Unfortunately, I felt somewhat underwhelmed
by some of Peter’s hijinks, because he felt like a poor man’s Andy. Admittedly,
that may be my “Parks and Rec” bias getting in the way, because based on the
crowd’s reactions, I was in a small minority.
Fortunately,
the supporting characters are outstanding. Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) is
a brash, smart aleck raccoon, the result of botched experiments. He and his
bounty-hunting partner Groot, a human-like tree, is Chewbacca-esque in his
delivery (it’s the role Vin Diesel was born to voice) but also delivers
surprising heart and humor. The duo attempts to cash-in on Peter’s bounty, but
all three are imprisoned together in the scrum’s wake. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) is
also imprisoned, and as per leading-lady rules, Peter initially repulses her.
Inside
prison, the fivesome is quickly completed when the gang meets Drax The
Destroyer (WWE star Dave Bautista). Like the film itself, Drax is more than
meets the eye Rocket is trying to steal from you. Drax is indeed a hulking
presence (pun intended), but he’s also introspective, he has an extensive
vocabulary, and best of all, he is hilariously unable to recognize “Metaphor!”
Ultimately,
how much you like “Guardians” depends on personal preference. If you love this
genre, this is your next go-to franchise. But even if you hate the genre, you
can’t hate this movie. It pokes fun at the genre’s tired elements while also
maintaining some of the traditions that make action, fantasy films work. And
that’s good news for all types of moviegoers, because like it or not, we’re
getting more of these movies. They might as well be more original.
