Guardians of the Galaxy: Review

Let's be honest: before the movie was announced, nobody but a small minority knew of the Guardians of the Galaxy. I for one was completely unaware of their existence, which is why many were confused at Marvel's decision to make a film revolving around the seemingly B-movie Avenger team. But with the huge success of this film mere days into its release and the acclaim its already received, I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more from the Guardians. 

The film begins with Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) - a 'ravager' whom collects ancient relics and objects of value and then sells them to the highest bidder. Peter also goes by the alias of 'Starlord', and is ambushed by some thugs while he is acquiring a small orb which is supposedly worth unimaginable amounts of wealth. It turns out this orb contains an infinitely powerful stone which is capable of immense destruction, which isn't the best news when it's being contested by the sinister Ronan (Lee Pace). Ronan wants the stone so he can exact violence upon planets, and so Starlord must team up with the other Guardians to keep it from falling into evil hands. 

Peter Quill / Starlord (Chris Pratt)

Although the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy is fairly engrossing and entertaining throughout, it isn't the aspect which is most memorable about the movie. Many Marvel films incorporate humour in some form to keep things relatively light-hearted, but Guardians does it to such an extent that it wouldn't be a stretch to call this a comedy movie. There were countless moments which made the entire cinema erupt with laughter, which is usually a rarity rather than a common occurrence when other Marvel films are brought into question. This doesn't detract from the urgency of the plot however. Even during some of the funnier moments, the film never fails to convey a sense of urgency and meaning to the story - despite the comedic tone - and this isn't a 'the best moments were in the trailer' affair either. In fact, the funny moments shown in the numerous trailers for the film were probably the flattest in the whole movie, which should definitely be commended in this age of trailers revealing far too much. 

Another thing which Guardians of the Galaxy has going for it is its soundtrack. As of late, I've rated the effectiveness of a movie partly on its soundtrack being catchy and memorable, as I would value this just as much as solid acting (which the film also features). Luckily, Peter Quill was born in the 1980s, and so he carries around a cassette tape which features classics such as 'Ooh Child', 'Ain't no Mountain High Enough', and of course, 'Hooked on a Feeling' which was featured in the original trailer for the film. This inclusion of 70s and 80s pop music makes the movie stand out from typical space-operas, and is another welcome feature which conveys the sense that the film never takes itself too seriously. 

Groot (Vin Diesel) 

The only real complaint which I have about Guardians of the Galaxy is that the film focuses largely on Peter Quill / Starlord within the Guardians, leaving the other members considerably mysterious in comparison. Obviously the source material for the film such as comics and graphic novels would expand the other's back-story, but it's unfortunate the film doesn't do this quite as much. Hopefully this means that future instalments will delve into their respective pasts, especially as the brief things hinted at sound pretty interesting. 

Verdict
Guardians of the Galaxy is probably one of the biggest surprises to come out of Marvel in a long time. It manages to elevate the Guardians from relatively unknown and then some, and is definitely worth your time. With the huge success of this film, it's a safe assumption to expect more in terms of a sequel, and hopefully an inclusion in a future Avengers movie. As with every Marvel film, a post-credits sequence is present, but it features by far one of the strangest cameos I've ever seen in a movie. 

"So here we are: a thief, two thugs, an assassin and a maniac. 

But we're not going to stand by as evil wipes out the galaxy. 

I guess we're stuck together, partners."