MOVIE REVIEW - GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Warning: “Guardians of the Galaxy” is only for fun loving adventure seekers. Anyone that can still find Adam Sandler or quasi-romcoms enjoyable need not apply. There, I said it. For the few fuddy-duddies that happened to find themselves sitting in a theater of rabid Marvel fans and could not understand the laughter, applause and rooting for those whacked out characters known as “The Guardians…” there would be no explaining how excited we all were that director James Gunn not only got it right, but he’s possibly pulled off the best Marvel movie yet.

This is the origin tale of the young man who grew into the vagabond rogue Star Lord and, while on one of his various pirate trips, gets caught up with some very seedy aliens and a mysterious orb that sets up an adventure that has as many thrills as it does laughs. There have been comparisons to Harrison Ford’s Han Solo. But Pratt does Peter Quill (alias Star Lord) one better with a snappier delivery than the laconic Ford and dance steps that suck the audience in with his natural charm.

Then there are the aliens that inadvertently end up with him and each other. None of which really have much affection for one another in the beginning. Each have distinct personality traits that shine on long after they make their grand entrance. Zoe Saldana as Gamora is a lethal siren with a wicked sense of humor. Her rebuffs to Quill alone are worth the price of admission. Their chemistry is magic, but that goes along with the rest of them as they get to know each other. It’s not forced, and that’s what makes this film so wonderful, as opposed to all the special and makeup effects (which are quite impressive). It’s that James Gunn and company have captured the same lightning in a bottle that made such classics as “The Magnificent Seven” and “The Dirty Dozen,” – we really care about each one of these lunatics.

Bradley Cooper not only brings laughs with the hard bitten Rocket Raccoon, but also a loss of dignity. He’s not just a special effect. Rocket is as interesting and complicated as Gollum was in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. His accomplice, played with wonderful sincerity and innocence by Vin Diesel, Groot, is a wonderment to behold. A lumbering tree-person with a very limited vocabulary…three words, and it only gets funnier when he repeats them. Not to be outdone, pro-wrestler Dave Bautista gives us the literal Drax the Destroyer that appears to have stepped out from Shakespeare’s shadow and we practically hold on to his every word as he continuously makes us laugh and cheer.

Even the supporting characters shine in this sci-fi adventure/comedy romp, from John C. Reilly to the wonderfully animated Michael Rooker. They pepper the screen with their presence and we always look forward to their return. If there is a minor weak link to be found, it may be with the villains. Ronan, played nearly ham-fisted by Lee Pace, and the brief appearance of Thanos that feels like an after thought. Then, there is Gamora’s deadly sister, Nebula. Oh, if only her character had been as painstakingly thought out as her special makeup effects. But these are not glaring problems (along with a few overt action sequences that go on a little longer than needed). These are just my nit picks that would have made the film even better had they been addressed.

As it stands, James Gunn has delivered a slam dunk to the fun quirkiness of the Marvel universe. He demonstrates that Joss Whedon is not the only kid on the block that can answer the wishes of the most ardent Marvel fan while still entertaining a general audience as well. His daring has made a different kind of science fiction film that is part old time serial (in a great way) and part rollicking adventure that will have people returning to see and hear what exactly they might have missed while others were laughing so hard. Dare I say, “Guardians of the Galaxy” is everything the last three “Star Wars” movies should have been. It’s the best Lucas film Lucas never made.