Really, I could have written this review last week. I knew long before I saw this movie that I was going to love it. Here’s why:
1. James Gunn.
The writer/director of Guardians of the Galaxy has created some of my favorite movies. If you haven’t watched the masterpiece that is Slither, you don’t deserve to have Nathan Fillion in your life! Gunn’s other foray into superhero movies is Super, which is the best movie that I’ve ever seen that I also never want to see again (it’s pretty dark, you guys). James Gunn has a really dark and twisted sense of humor. That being said, the guy knows how to deliver a joke, and he knows how to get you interested in action scenes.
Guardians is his first high budget project, and it is absolutely perfect for a voice like his. Guardians brilliantly walks the line between hilarity and darkness. The world is beautiful and colorful, but just a little bit gritty. That visual style is reflected in the script. Every sentimental moment is undercut by a hilarious moment, and that lets you drift into the story with ease. I can’t tell you how many times I couldn’t hear a line over roars of laughter in the theater. Speaking of laughter, most of the best moments come from…
2. Rocket and Groot.
In the Guardians of the Galaxy comics, Rocket Raccoon and Groot always steal scenes. That anthropomorphised Raccoon and his tree buddy are some of the best characters to ever come out of comics. In the movie, the visuals for both of them are amazing, and both Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel have voices that are perfectly matched to the characters. All the actors do a brilliant job of interacting with them, despite the fact that both of them are 100% CG. And, exactly like it should be, Rocket and Groot totally steal the show. At one point, Rocket gives a drunken confession about his past that, for me, was the most emotional moment of the movie. I can guarantee you that Rocket and Groot are going to be a bit of a phenomenon from here on out. I think they even managed to outshine…
3. Gamora.
I love Zoe Saldana. I think she’s gorgeous and talented, and I would be thrilled to death if she was in everything. That leads me to my one complaint about this movie: not enough Gamora. (This is Bitch Team Alpha after all, so I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the feminist side of things.) Guardians of the Galaxy does not pass the Bechdel test. Gamora talks to Nebula a few times, but each conversation was about either Ronin or Thanos, and as we all know, the Bechdel test is only passed if two named women have a conversation about something other than a man. I kept hoping that Gamora would turn to Glenn Close (who plays Nova Prime) and say “Hey, what’s up. Nice planet you got here.” However, I would argue that Gamora qualifies as a strong female character. There are many ways for a movie to satisfy feminists outside of the Bechdel test (check out our podcast about it here), and I believe that Gamora passes many of these other tests. Plus, this movie was co-written by Nicole Perlman, which means that feminists have many reasons to love Guardians.
In fact, it’s a little hard not to love Gamora in this movie. Her make-up and costumes were fantastic, and Zoe Saldana nails every action scene. Her thing was mostly to roll her eyes at how silly the other characters were being, but hey, every comedy needs a straight man. One might have expected that it would have been Drax, but Dave Bautista killed that role and ended up with some of the biggest laughs of the movie. This leads me to the main receiver of laughs…
4. Chris Pratt.
Chris Pratt is a beautiful genius, people. He was a perfect Peter Quill, and he pretty much carried the light-hearted tone of the movie. He dances, he charms, he buys a fake leg, and then he dances again. Just watch this movie, already!!! It’s hard to imagine that anyone wouldn’t be swept away by how fun it is. FUN! Guardians of the Galaxy is a comic book movie that makes you feel like you’re reading a comic. Rather than trying to tone down the ridiculousness, Guardians embraces the comic book vibe and runs with it. So, go! Watch it! Fall in love with Starlord because he’s stupid loveable. And let yourself get excited because the Guardians of the Galaxy won’t let you down.
Check out “Girls Like Comics, Dammit” and “Feminerd” to hear more from Katie Tregs. Email her with comments or questions at katietregs@bitchteamalpha.com.
