Review of Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy”

My first taste of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – all 17 minutes of it a couple of weeks ago – didn’t catch my interest in any way. I left the theater thinking the “racoon film” should have been called Yellow is the New Black. So if you visited the preview thinking it wasn’t a movie for you, then take heart: it just may be. I’ve spoken with a few other reviewers who felt the same way.

Because I am not a follower of science fiction or comic books in any way, I will first give the official sypnopsis of the film:

“An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand—with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.”

Honestly, there is no way that I could ever explain the above paragraph. However, I enjoyed Guardians of the Galaxy for the laughs, and for the story of friendship, love and willing to sacrifice oneself for another. The “quartet of misfits” begin mostly as adversaries, and grow closer until they band together in true friendship. There is some violence and strong action as in other Disney/Marvel films, more than I would feel comfortable having young children view. There is also some profanity that parents might not want young children emulating. Kids will love Rocket the raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and adults seem to be drawn to Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) in a big way. I think I could watch a whole Groot movie where he just says “I am Groot” and be enthralled. The soundtrack of the film is very familiar, it is hard not to be “Hooked on a Feeling” in a movie where the music hearkens back to my childhood.

Peter Quill is played by Chris Pratt, and Gamora by Zoe Saldana. Quill comes across as part Captain Kirk, part Indiana Jones as he romps through the galaxy. Gamora is not willing to be just another conquest. We recommend Guardians of the Galaxy.

We spoke with actor Djimon Hounsou about his role as Korath in Guardians of the Galaxy.

 

Mousesteps grade: B+

Guardians of the Galaxy is rated PG-13

Cast:                                         Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as

Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, with John C. Reilly, Glenn Close as Nova Prime Rael and Benicio Del Toro as The Collector

Director:                                    James Gunn

Producer:                         Kevin Feige, p.g.a.

Executive Producers:      Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Alan Fine, Stan Lee

Written by:                    James Gunn and Nicole Perlman