HOLLYWOOD—Summer is only about a month from being over, and the final comic book superhero movie of the season “Guardians of the Galaxy” has arrived. The bigger question at stake is rather the science fiction/action flick is worth your money? The answer is yes. Some may want to compare this flick to “The Avengers,” but not quite.
The film revolves around a group of misfits, Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Groot (Vin Diesel) and Rocket (Bradley Cooper) who ban together to save the galaxy. There is this perfect balance of action, comedy and wit to “Galaxy” that makes it a fun time at the theater; that could be a testament to the chemistry from the actors.
Pratt portrays the smooth talking, wise-guy who can be heralded as the leader of the crew. He’s a womanizer, a jokester, which gets him in quite a bit of trouble with Gamora (Saldana) who challenges her ally. Saldana completely immerses herself in the role portraying the green vixen; she donned similar make-up in James Cameron’s “Avatar.” Drax reminds many of The Hulk and The Thing in my opinion. He big, he’s brutal and you don’t want to be on his bad side.
Then we have Groot (Diesel) and Rocket (Cooper). They are polar opposites. Rocket is the fast-talking, wise cracking raccoon who is quite lethal and ruthless. Groot is the protector of Rocket; he can be 100 percent good or 100 percent evil, it depends on when you catch him.
Without divulging too many plot details, Quill steals a highly sought after orb from Ronan (Lee Pace), who initiates a man-hunt to retrieve the prized possession that has the ability to create major damage in the universe.
Director James Gunn plays dual roles serving both as a screenwriter and the director of the picture that is a slightly different tone for the Marvel universe. We’ve seen loads of comic book flicks in the past 10 years, but nothing on the edge, slightly humorous tone of “Guardians of the Galaxy.” This isn’t a flick that solely appeals to comic book lovers; there is something for all audiences of all ages. In addition, to the guardians, the film also has notable appearances from actors Glenn Close, John C. Reilly, Djimon Hounsou and Benicio del Toro.
Visually speaking the movie takes the audience on a journey presenting the galaxy in a way that hasn’t been quite captured on film in my opinion. We’re so use to seeing our superheroes on the planet Earth for most of their battles, this picture takes the audience into the depths of space which is fascinating to see on the big screen.
While “Guardians of the Galaxy” is no “The Dark Knight” or “The Avengers,” this movie stands on its own, comparisons can be made, but there is nothing quite like it filled with laughs and plenty of action the entire time.
By LaDale Anderson
