You said it yourself… we’re the: Guardians of the Galaxy Review

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The first original film of Phase 2 was Guardians of the Galaxy, a film that is the reason “trust in Marvel” became a thing.  If you were too young in 2014 and didn’t see the film, you would be unaware that no one had faith in this film.  The Guardians of the Galaxy was a comic that originated in the 1970s with no real traction and had received the occasional reboot but was never really popular.

On a scale of Marvel’s popular characters, they were so low that you couldn’t see them. Yes, Marvel had been on a roll as of late with basically every movie since The Avengers doing quite well, but when people saw this trailer with a talking raccoon and a tree that were both main characters they thought it looked completely ridiculous.  It was also released in August which is typically not a very profitable month for movies, so even Marvel was nervous.

I do have a quick story about this film and how I got to see it. I wanted to see the movie.  I didn’t care that it looked weird, it had the Marvel logo in the trailer and it was part of the connected universe so in my mind I had to see it. Sadly, for me, my parents did not feel the same way and didn’t want to see the movie.

If it hadn’t been for the fact that my Dad and I received free vouchers after a power outage happened at our theatre, I wouldn’t have seen this in a movie theatre. It would still take a year and a bit to convince my Mom to see the film but eventually, she too would watch.  I am glad I saw this film in theatres as it allowed me to keep my streak of seeing the MCU films in theatres alive, and it introduced me to one of my favourite films of all time.

Guardians of the Galaxy is both in my top 5 MCU films as well as my top 20 films of all time.  I love this movie and everything about it.  To start at the beginning, I love that the movie actually starts on a serious note.  With all the trailers showing the wacky space adventure, this movie actually begins with a rather somber scene. In this opening we see a young Peter Quill watch his mother die in front of him after not taking her hand in her final moments. What a depressing beginning to see a child lose his mother in front of him and just start freaking out. 

After then seeing him get abducted by aliens, we cut to like 30 years later where we see a man with an intimidating mask walking around a barren planet until he takes off the mask and puts his Walkman on and the rest is history. I know I described that scene in great detail but that is because of the subversive nature of the opening.

For everyone who had seen the trailers, the opening of this film would completely subvert their expectations showing that this movie has a heart, and if they hadn’t seen a trailer they might all of a sudden be expecting a space drama instead of comedy.  Everyone remembers Star-Lord dancing but I think the lead-up to that was important to show the other side of this movie. With that being said when that title appears with Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love” playing it still brings a smile to my face. 

This movie works so well for many reasons but the first reason is the charm of the characters.  To start with our lead, Chris Pratt does an amazing job as Peter Quill.  Pratt was relatively unknown at the time besides his role in Parks and Rec where he played a funny fat guy.  He transformed for this movie getting into that superhero shape while still retaining his comedic sensibilities. He was abducted at 8 years old and since then has been raised by a band of pirates so it makes sense that his maturity is a bit stunted and his humour is the same as it was back then. 

He gets tons of funny moments but he also gets some great emotional moments like when he is reading the note from his mom at the end. All this makes him my favourite Guardian.  Gamora is also a great character as she is more stoic and definitely the most put-together of the Guardians. Her growth is more emotion-based as she was also taken by a genocidal maniac so it makes sense that she doesn’t know how to let loose or let people in.  She gets to open up with the Guardians, specifically Quill. Zoe Saldana does a great job in the role.

Bradley Cooper is unrecognizable as Rocket and I mean that in the best way. His sarcastic quips and comebacks are great and make me laugh every time. I also love his relationship with Groot who’s funny and sweet in all his scenes. Drax is amazing in all his scenes and Dave Bautista makes the action super believable but his humour and uber-seriousness make me crack up always.  The chemistry that the 5 Guardians share is what makes the movie and allows us to care about the characters.  

The action in this movie is great all around. The fight scenes are super fun and each character has their own distinct fight style that sometimes compliments each other but also gets in each other’s way sometimes which causes comedy. The space battles are also lots of fun in particular the final fight, and it completely stands apart from both Star Wars and Star Trek.  

While certain elements are similar, particularly to Star Wars this movie has its own identity that is distinct in every aspect. In terms of MCU worldbuilding, this movie does really do its own thing other than the set up of the infinity stones which obviously are important for later and they get a good explanation here. 

I of course have to mention the soundtrack which is amazing.  I own all three Guardians of the Galaxy soundtracks on vinyl and in fact, the first soundtrack was one of my first records. These albums have introduced me to many great songs that I wouldn’t have known otherwise. I am obviously not alone in this as the soundtrack was number one on the charts for 17 weeks.  

My two favourite scenes in this one are basic but still, I want to mention them. First, the entire dance-off sequence and everything is just amazing for the comedy of Peter dancing but also the scene where they take charge and show that they are a team.  Plus I love their closing line to Ronin. My second favourite scene is Peter’s motivational speech because I love how he calls on their shared loss and it brings them together. 

 My only complaint about the film is that Ronin is one of the blander villains.  I think the villains in the following two Guardians movies are more interesting and just have a better presence. Ronin isn’t the worst MCU villain but he is still low on the list.  

All in all, Guardians of the Galaxy is a near-perfect film with a great cast,  great comedic moments, stellar action, and a killer soundtrack.  I never get bored of this one and am always eager to revisit it and do it about once a year.  You can watch this one as a standalone or as a part of the MCU puzzle. You’ll be hooked on a feeling after watching this one.