Movie review by Greg Carlson
The whopping financial success of “Guardians of the Galaxy” portends many eventualities, but chief among them is the seemingly bottomless desire of the moviegoing public for summery, blockbuster-budgeted superhero tentpoles. If Indiewire’s Kevin Jagernauth is correct, the “tipping point” may be in sight, with “30 comic book movies from major studios hitting theaters in the next six years.” In his August 7 post, Jagernauth argues that it is simply not possible for all nine of the planned 2017 superhero films to meet with box office success, and the author goes on to suggest that the genre will need to “change it up” to avoid exhausting viewers with tired and formulaic stories.
Director James Gunn’s new movie, a swashbuckling sci-fi adventure that liberally borrows from “Star Wars,” “Star Trek,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and Marvel’s own “The Avengers,” surprised many by turning out to be a critical and commercial hit. Marvel Studios president and architect Kevin Feige’s streak toward world domination remains intact, and we can expect the company to make a lot more hay while the sun shines. Gunn’s vision, based mainly on the 2008 “Guardians” iteration created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, follows the reversals of fortune experienced by Peter “Star-Lord” Quill (Chris Pratt) and the unlikely gang of interstellar misfits who follow him through gorgeous starscapes that look like the paintings of John Berkey and Chris Foss come to life.
Chasing a powerful and dangerous MacGuffin orb related to the Tesseract, Quill meets green-skinned assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana), genetically modified organism Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and Rocket’s leaf-bearing sidekick Groot (Vin Diesel). Later, vengeance-seeking, muscle-bound literalist Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) rounds out the collective. Stuffed with non-stop wisecracks and what feels like a contest to fit in as many variations on calling one another idiots as (in)humanly possible, “Guardians” bathes and basks in its self-aware irreverence. References to Jackson Pollock, “Footloose,” Alyssa Milano, Ranger Rick, “The Giving Tree,” and John Stamos fly by as quickly as the vintage pop radio staples on Quill’s “Awesome Mix Vol. 1.”
Despite the emotional enthusiasm of fanboys and fangirls, the movie is far from perfect. Next to Joss Whedon’s superior translation of “The Avengers,” Gunn and Nicole Perlman’s script fails to deliver a compelling and complex antagonist to keep our heroes on their toes. Thanos (an uncredited, motion-captured Josh Brolin) barely appears. Benicio del Toro’s Taneleer “The Collector” Tivan is fright-wigged comic relief. And Lee Pace’s Kree baddie Ronan the Accuser –the movie’s primary villain – is far removed from the elegance, wit, and charm of Tom Hiddleston’s memorable take on Loki. The best of the bunch is Michael Rooker’s blue pirate Yondu Udonta, whose whistle-controlled arrow competes with Rocket’s heavy blaster for coolest “Guardians” weapon.
Additionally, “Guardians of the Galaxy” insists on maintaining the bummer belief that even in other solar systems it’s a man’s world. Fulfilling the Smurfette Principle as the team’s lone female, Gamora gets the Black Widow slot, minus any scene as strong as the tables-turning interrogation of Loki. Even though she is missing from much of the merchandising, Gamora proves a formidable fighter. She may also be the smartest of the Guardians, although given the crew’s lack of brainpower, that’s not saying much. Recently, Amanda Marcotte staked out a pro-Gamora position. Manohla Dargis asserts that Gamora escapes Trinity Syndrome, but the point is debatable. Certainly Saldana brings much to the character, and Gunn and Perlman handle her more comprehensively than any of the other female characters, including Karen Gillan’s Nebula, Glenn Close’s Nova Prime, Ophelia Lovibond’s Carina, Melia Kreiling’s Bereet, and Laura Haddock’s Meredith Quill.