Connect Statesboro 08.06.2014 www.connectstatesboro.com
10 Vince Garrett
'Guardians' breaks mold for Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy caps phase two of Marvel’s plan to bring their comic book characters to the big screen and kicks off phase three, where they bring forth characters who are obscure to the average movie-going audience while advancing the stories of the well-known stars. The challenge to making this film — about five outlaws who decide to work together to defend threats against the universe — is in introducing new and unfamiliar Marvel characters to the average movie-viewing audience. Fortunately, Marvel does it in a way that guarantees success. Even if you’re not familiar with this part of the Marvel universe, this is not a Marvel movie you want to pass on. The movie revolves around Peter Quill, played by Parks and Recreation’s Chris Pratt, who is
Review
'Guardians of the Galaxy' Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana & Bradley Cooper. Directed by James Gunn. 121 mins. PG-13
abducted as a boy by a group of intergalactic thieves. He carries with him a classic Walkman with a single mixtape of ’70s hits, given to him by his mother. Twenty-six years later, he is commissioned to steal a valuable item that is veiled in mystery. He also adopts the alias of “Star Lord” — which nobody calls him. Along the way, he is arrested and meets four other criminals. One is Gamora, an assassin and the adopted
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Guardians are an unlikely group of heroes who end up joining forces after meeting through prison. From left to right: Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Groot (Vin Diesel) and Drax (Dave Batista).
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rounding out the Guardians' group of unconventional heroes is Groot, a humanoid tree-like being, and Rocket, a machine-gun-wielding raccoon. Seriously, people, do you need any other reason to see this movie? daughter of Thanos, played by Zoe Saldana. He also meets Drax the Destroyer, who is a madman driven by vengeance against the people who killed his family. Then there’s Rocket and Groot, voiced by Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel respectively, who are intergalactic thugs who specialize in weapons and battle. The crew joins together to ensure that the special item doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. The movie spends very little time world-building, but gives the audience just enough information for them to follow the story.Pratt got into serious physical shape for the part, but his best feature is the way he delivers his lines. His timing that had people falling out of their chairs laughing. The interaction between the Guardians is the most fun part of the movie. At first they argue, which is hilarious. Eventually they learn to work as a team, which is even more hilarious. As the film progresses, you learn that there is more to this group of heroes than meets the eye. There are multiple storylines interwoven through great one-liners and plenty of physical comedy. Groot steals nearly every scene he is a part of. He’s powerful, peaceful and — I hate to say this about a Marvel character — he’s just cute, even though he uses
one single phrase in the entire movie. Because of the music and various pop culture references, the film is teeming with nostalgia. This movie serves as the bridge into new Marvel characters and opens up the opportunity for so many new stories in the Marvel Universe. There are some story changes and casting differences from the comic book, which might be a problem for the die-hard comic book fans, but people of common knowledge won’t be affected. The special effects work, but the costume design is so-so. It is generally difficult to melt into the film when some costumes are awesome and others just look like people with their faces painted. Still, I look forward to what’s next in the line of movies featuring the Guardians on their journey. They are the type of people who make you want to be a part of their crazy journeys. You can tell that the formula for introducing this comic was a mix of fun, memories and steady action as opposed to a slow buildup to one climactic fight at the end. As usual, there is an additional scene after the credits. This one, though, is not important to the plot. It is funny, but you could wait for the DVD.w