Hooked on A Movie – Guardians of the Galaxy Review

Guardians of the Galaxy has added another superhero masterpiece to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This Marvel Phase 2 film is a rather obscure title compared to the well known films franchises such as Thor and Captain America, but the final product has proven to be no less epic then these MCU Phase 1 tent poles. If you take anything away from this article, please have it be to go see this film. Comic book fan or not, go see it. Marvel fan or not, go see it. Guardians of the Galaxy is visually stunning, very funny, action-packed, and full of heart. It’s the must-see of the summer!

Low Expectations

I will admit that when I saw the original trailers I wasn’t quite sold on what felt to be Marvel’s second string heroes. My first impression was that this film looked as it was going to be a futuristic, cosmically charged version of the A-Team, which would have been fitting since the cinematic release of the A-Team also starred Bradley Cooper. (Bradley Cooper plays Rocket the raccoon). And by the trailer’s end, the cast of characters took on a more Joss Whedon Firefly-esque feel as this bunch of galactic misfits appeared to band together and save the day. Not knowing any of the characters, to me these Marvel heroes really looked like the rejected character ideas from The Wizard of Oz, including an ill-tempered talking raccoon instead of a cowardly lion, a green-skinned female warrior rather than a broom-wielding witch, a walking, talking tree in place of a scarecrow, and silvery-skinned man with an aching heart kind of like the Tin Man.

I am happy to admit I was dead wrong.

After seeing, Guardians of the Galaxy, I have to say that it FAR exceeded my expectations! In fact, it was so good, we saw it twice in one weekend thanks to advanced screening opportunities provided by Disney Vacation Club and Disney Parks Blog. Side note: Leah rarely wants to see a movie twice, so that in itself is a testament to the film!

Who Are the Guardians of the Galaxy?

The film’s strength is rooted in character chemistry and successful storytelling. The cast is a well-matched ensemble that have risen to the challenge of launching a heroic origin film. Chris Pratt, Andy Dwyer on NBC’s Parks and Recreation and the voice of Emmet in The Lego Movie, brings his energy and playfulness to lead character Peter Quill, a.k.a Star Lord. Disney film alum Zoe Saldana (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl) brings a well balanced mix of physical strength and a deep-rooted emotional vulnerability to the warrior/assassin Gamora.  Former Mixed Martial Arts fighter and current WWE star Dave Batista plays the out-for-vengence Drax the Destroyer. The final two characters, Groot and Rocket are non-humanoid bounty hunters. These computer generated (CG) trouble makers are voiced by Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper, respectively. Both of Diesel and Cooper did an excellent job at making the audience suspend disbelief and accept the fact there was a talking raccoon with an itchy trigger finger and a human-like tree-thing that must express all emotions using only three words.

The ensemble of characters works so well, that within the first 15 minutes you are absolutely hooked. Queue Blue Swedes’s “Hooked on a Feeling”….a song from the film, which happens to be featured on the Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol.1 available in our giveaway.

Review and Impressions

As an employee for Marvel’s parent company, I obviously wanted to see this comic-book-to-feature-film strategy continue growing the studio’s list of franchises; however, I was originally concerned that this less mainstream Marvel title mixed with the Money Ball approach (of casting great actors that are not A-listers) would leave all the films success riding on the writing and the special effects. And after watching the film, it is clear that Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy has delivered on all aspects of what makes a great summer movie: unforgettable action sequences and mind-blowing special effects that make this movie an absolute visual treat, plus an entertaining, not-too-serious story with some big laughs.

Prior to the screening, a representative from The Walt Disney Company came out to give the usual public relations rhetoric, anti-piracy speech, and ask that we do not give away the details of the film until after it’s released. The gentleman continued by specifically noting we were in store for some great music and a wonderful story with a lot of laughs. And, he was right! The movie definitely had an engaging story that kept the audience rooting for the good guys combined with quite a bit of tomfoolery, pop culture references and general funny business from Pratt’s character all interwoven with 1970’s and 1980’s Billboard chart toppers.

What we were not prepped for were some of the more heartfelt and touching moments. In fact, for me this was the glue that held the other parts of this movie together.

These touching moments made it easier to suspend disbelief of the typical action sci-fi movie craziness, like a talking, gun-toting raccoon and a living tree that spouts nothing but “one-liners” (well, one one-liner, that is)! The underlying comic book tone keeps the characters unpredictable and the plot buoyant. From the opening credits through the final reel, there’s a genuine presence about the whole film.

Guardians of the Galaxy is also surprisingly funny. The laughs come big and come often, very often. During the second viewing, we paid more attention to the audience reaction to the film and found the laughs coming every 30-45 seconds (oftentimes less) for large portions of the film. Both kids and adults let out big belly laughs over and over. While there are some great comedic lines in other films from Marvel Studios, comedy has never been at the forefront like this in a superhero movie. It really widens the appeal of a so-called “comic book movie” and adds a new level of enjoyment for both comics fans and those who are less interested in Marvel characters and stories.

It was a bold move by Marvel to:

• take a lesser known comedic actor and make him a bad-a** action star
• throw in a talking raccoon with an attitude
• add a walking tree with practically no lines, but lots of personality
• and make it their big summer movie for 2014 (without a full-blown A-list cast)

Yet, I think it really works!

What’s the Appeal?

Guardians of the Galaxy is the kind of lighthearted, never superficial Sci-Fi adventure people loved to watch in the 1980s. That coupled with the fact that it’s full of 80’s pop culture references, it’s pretty clear who the target demographic is!

The story timeline hovers around the late 20th century into the early 21st century, so the writers were able to pull numerous cultural references that our generation would appreciate. These definitely help remind the audience that Pratt’s character, Peter Quill, is from Earth, making this Marvel superhero much more relatable than many others. It’s the characters’ stories that ultimately won me over and made it so much more than a CG-driven special effects display. It’s fast, it’s colorful, it’s weird (but not as weird as I feared) while being deeply satisfying and entertaining the whole time. The amount of detail and depth that went into every frame of this packed universe is staggering.

I believe this is the tenth installment in the Marvel Movie-verse, and has instantly become my favorites. Understanding each characters’ personal struggles and how their unlikely friendship was forged makes this movie more relatable for the viewer. The film doesn’t really focus on the relationship between heros and villains; it’s about the Guardians discovering within themselves what it takes to do what’s right. And it’s awesome!

Giveaway

Guardians of the Galaxy opens tomorrow (Aug 1, 2014) and we know you are going to love it, so we thought you might also love winning some cool prizes! We are giving away not one, not two, but SIX prizes! We’ll draw six random winners from the entries received. The prizes are:

• 1 – Marvel Guardians of The Galaxy Battle FX Star-Lord Figure, 12″
• 1 – Marvel Guardians of The Galaxy Rocket Raccoon Action Mask
• 1 – Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol.1
  (the collection of songs featured in the film)
• 3 – Guardians of the Galaxy Collectible Real D 3D glasses  (The packages are sealed; we do not know which style you will receive)

Here’s a look at all the Collectible Glasses that are available. Please note the three packages we are giving away are sealed and we do not know which style you will receive.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Terms and Conditions: By entering this Rafflecopter drawing, the entrant agrees to the following terms and conditions: Must be 18 or over to enter. Mailing address must be a valid United States postal address. Winner will be selected by Rafflecopter and will be notified by email. In order to be notified of your prize, you must have a valid email address associated with your Facebook account. In order to claim your prize, you must reply and provide full name and mailing address no later than 5:00 PM ET Aug 9, 2014. Your name and address will be used for the sole purpose of mailing your prize; we will not sell, share or otherwise use your information. One prize per household within 180 day period. Our Florida Project is not responsible for items after they have been shipped. The Walt Disney Company and it’s subsidiaries, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram are in no way associated with this giveaway.

Guardians of the Galaxy a Walt Disney Studios release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for “intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and some language.” Running time: 121 minutes. Opens Aug 1, 2014 in 3D and IMAX 3D in the United States.

Disclosure: We received complimentary admission to see ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ through special event opportunities sponsored by the Disney Vacation Club and Disney Parks Blog. Entry was granted on a first-come, first-served basis during an online signup period. At the theater, we also received complimentary popcorn and drinks and the items listed above in the giveaway. Views and opinions expressed here are our own and do not reflect those of the Walt Disney Company or any subsidiaries.