It’s very difficult to pinpoint what made Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel’s
newest addition to its ever-expanding film universe, so universally appealing. I
haven’t talked to a single person that did not like it. How is it that I, a college-age
girl, find the same enjoyment in a movie as my eight year-old brother does? Marvel
has been successful in creating these movies, contributing to its dominance over DC
Comics and their movies.
If I were to explain the premise of this movie to someone who knew nothing
about it, it would sound ridiculous: a guy from earth, a green girl, a walking tree, a
talking raccoon, and a crazy tattooed man fly around in space attempting to defeat a
genocidal blue dude. Something about the mix of characters I just crudely described
is part of what makes GotG the wonderful story that it is. It is fun to root for a ragtag
group of heroes coming together to save the day. Look at The Avengers. In their own
movies, each of the heroes (I would say heroine, but for some absurd reason, Black
Widow has not been given her own movie yet) faces their own demons, external and
internal, but when they come together, they have to get over his or her personal
obstacles and work together to save the world.
Director and co-writer of GotG, James Gunn, manages to create likeable
characters almost as much as Joss Whedon did in Avengers. Unfortunately, where he
fell short was the character I went in hoping to root for, Gamora. She kicked ass as
much as I hoped she would, but in the end, she served as a motivator for Peter Quill
(you may know him by another name: Star-Lord). There was so much potential with
her crazy adopted sister, Nebula, and father, Thanos, so I’m hoping they’ll do more
with her unfortunate upbringing in future films because there was potential for
greater character development and depth.
I walked in excited about Gamora, but walked out in love with Groot. I
thought Groot, voiced by Vin Diesel, and Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper, were
going to be the comic relief that my brother laughed hysterically at while I rolled my
eyes, but they both became poignant characters through their backstories. Groot
only says four words the entire movie and, yet, he’s still this amateur film critic’s
favorite.
James Gunn also almost perfectly struck the balance between humor and
seriousness, which is, in my opinion, very important for superhero movies. The
funny moments make the sober ones much more touching. Characters that can joke
about themselves and their obstacles are much more relatable. I laughed
hysterically in this movie all three times I’ve seen it so far, but I’ve also teared up
each time. Few movies have that power. I don’t think I came close to shedding tears
in Avengers, even when Loki (only kind of) killed Coulson (if that’s a spoiler to you,
go watch the movie- it’s on Netflix so you have no excuse). Yet even in the climactic
scene of GotG, as the heroes band together to save an entire civilization, Peter Quill
maintains refreshing levity as he delivers one of the most memorable lines of the
film (I won't give that one away). Clearly, James Gunn has a bright future ahead of
him, with few other generally recognizable films under his belt as a writer and none
as a director.
The whipped cream on top of the delicious ice cream sundae that was
Guardians of the Galaxy is the soundtrack. I, like Peter Quill, grew up with oldies. I
remember listening to the Top 40 radio station for the first time in fifth grade and
not understanding what I was hearing. The 60s and 70s songs throughout the film
underscore each action-packed moment with warm nostalgia, even if the songs
weren't a part of your childhood.. The album goes on repeat for a week after each
additional time I see the movie, it’s just so fun. The cherry on top of the wonderful
whipped cream is that the soundtrack advances the plot rather than just simply
adding style. We hear what Peter hears and the songs come to mean something to us
as they did to his mom and for him. I never thought “Aint No Mountain High
Enough” could make me tear up, but it did.
I do my ratings on a ten-point scale, because I’m too picky to just use four or
five stars. I’m giving Guardians of the Galaxy a 9 out of 10- it’s the redemption that
this lack luster summer needed and very much deserved.