Guardians of the Galaxy (3D): Film Review – The galaxy saving starts here!

Almost perfect, this film delivers a knockout punch of epic proportions. 

Marvel delivers big! The world of the superhero has just expanded. With little Easter eggs littered all over the place, the Guardians of the Galaxy makes you grip the armrests, lean forward and feel the rush. Oh, what a trip into the void! You have a nearly unknown set of characters doing what they do best, kick ass and take names. James Gunn has made it to the show. Be prepared for the ride… sit back, get your game faces on and let the Guardians rock the screen.

So, here is the deal. I will keep the spoilers out of this. You can read this to your hearts’ content and relax a little. However, I will have to tell you about the Guardians. When Marvel Studios announced that they would be making the comic book into a film, nearly everyone were left scratching their heads (not everyone, some of us geeks knew where they were coming from). What are the Guardians? The team consists of Gamorra, Star-Lord, Rocket Racoon, Drax the Destroyer, and Groot. An assassin, a thief, a genetically-altered raccoon, a living weapon and a living tree. Still confused, huh? Take a look at the image below and that is them. The fate of the Galaxy rests in their unusual hands. Daunting, isn’t it? But hey… who said saving the galaxy was an easy job?

Getting back to the story at hand, we have Peter Quill a.k.a Star-Lord, played by Chris Pratt. A gentleman rogue, but with a heart of gold. Which is hidden somewhere, deep, in the recesses of a crevasse at the bottom of a pit. The film tracks him as the primary focus. As the story gathers steam, we get to see Gamorra, played by Zoe Saldana, kick some righteous arse. By the way, she is the adopted daughter of Thanos (yes him, the megalomaniac whose destructive-ness is legendary). Coming into the picture is Rocket Raccoon and Groot… the bounty hunter team who are unique. A weapons specialist and a living tree. Here is the best part, they are voiced by Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel. Also Groot just has one line “I am Groot!”, which is used so well. Vin Diesel makes Groot epic. And rounding off the Guardians, we have Drax the Destoyer played by Dave Bautista. A living weapon bent on destruction and revenge, but has some of the funniest lines in the film. Watch and you will get what I mean. As the ride starts, there is an orb which everyone wants, but no one knows what it does. Sounds like a Macguffin (like the briefcase, you know which one), but like I said earlier, no spoilers. Now that you have met the Guardians, meet the bad guys, Ronan the Accuser played by Lee Pace, and Nebula played by Karen Gillian. 

So 5 guys versus a murderous psychopath and an equally crazy augmented assassin. What could possibly go right?

The Guardians of the Galaxy takes place away from Earth. A rag tag team whose fates are tied together and whose lives have had some form of loss.

Each character is flawed in a relatable way. But they are all they have. The bad guys are villains, true to the meaning of the word. This is a visually-stunning film, with attention to a lot of detail. You are shown different worlds and the stark differences between them. And in the midst of all that beauty, we have gun play, action, bone-breaking, one-liners and tongue-in-cheek humor. Marvel has given us a film where you aren’t pressed to get inside the psyche of a hero or mindlessly follow the main lead. You are given these 5 flawed characters who are relatable and also reflective of humanity. The movie grabs you by the collar and leaps off into the unknown. You will not be shocked, but you will be laughing at the little things and the sheer awesomeness of it (forgive the word, but you will also get that reference). 

In the end, you will lean back wonder where did the time go and can they rewind the film and start this epic adventure all over again. 

Why should you watch this film?

This is one brilliant shout-out to the funny side of comics. It is a showcase of what happens when you are left to be crazy with material. The heroes are funny, flawed and fantastic to watch. The bad guys are ridiculously bad but hey, we finally got bad guys whom we love to hate. The visuals are stunning to say the least. The soundtrack will make you smile from ear-to-ear. As you enter the worlds, be amazed and also don’t forget… watch out for the Easter eggs. There are tonnes. Benicio Del Toro also does things as the Collector. And of course, the end credits scene is hilarious. 

This is one of those films where a bunch of relatively unknowns make it big. It is an epic metaphor (again, another little joke from the movie). Don’t miss it on the big screen.