As I sit here and write this review, my first on this blog for a Marvel film, I find myself both impressed and surprised at what Marvel Studios has managed to accomplish to this point and time. Several days ago they, Marvel, released a 5 minute or so video that recapped, in very effective fashion, the path they have taken from Phase I on through Phase II. The video did a nice job of showing the broad strokes of the films that encompass the first two phases of Marvel's overall plan. But it also in some ways could be viewed as a victory lap for the studio. What really comes across in that video is just how confident Marvel is at this point in their plan and path going forward. Based on their newest film, Guardians of the Galaxy, they have every right to be.
If you look strictly at the facts, Guardians of the Galaxy should not even work, let alone be a success. It is a film, at least on paper, that is so ripe for failure: a director who has never directed a film of this size and budget, a talking raccoon as a main character, a sentient tree, characters no one, outside of avid comic readers, would know, and a lead actor who was mainly only known from a supporting role on TV. Yet, the film not only works, it soars. Director James Gunn manages a very tricky balancing act in the film between many different tones. There is well timed comedy here, stellar action sequences, and alot of heart. That is what surprised me the most after was just how emotionally strong the film was without having all that emotion overpower any of the comedy and action that was taking place. Comedy and action that were both just great as well.
I think it clear that Chris Pratt is on his way to being a movie star after this. If he isn't one already. There is a very easy charm to Chris Pratt the person that just naturally flows into his character Peter Quill. Quill is a scoundrel with a heart of gold steeped in the tradition of Han Solo before him. But unlike Solo, Quill harbors a very deep pain over a profound loss when he was just a boy. This makes his character more accessible than Solo and also creates a great deal of empathy for him from the audience nearly right away. Alot of that has to do with what Chris Pratt does with the character and I think the rest has to do with the way his loss and how it effects him is handled in the script. They managed to not make Quill's loss dominate the film or wring it for too much dramatic effect. The way it is handled is just perfect.
It is still amazing to me how far we have come with visual effects. Earlier this summer, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was a showcase on how incredible motion capture can be and how far visual effects can be pushed and used to achieve a desired result. Now with this film we have a very photo real walking, talking raccoon. There was never a moment in the film where I questioned Rocket as being anything other than real. Sure, upon greater scrutiny you can see he is a CGI creation. But in the moment, he is every bit as real as any other character in the film. We truly do live in an age of miracles in film right now where anything can be created, given time and money. It is so exciting. Seeing Rocket interact with other characters in the film and be believable while doing it was such a delight.
Now Rocket as a character in the film is just as strong as the effects work that created him. From the first moment we meet him in the streets of Xandar, it is clear just who Rocket is and what his relationship is with his partner and muscle Groot. As the film progresses we can see the pain Rocket carries with him over the experimentation that created him. This is not done in broad, messy strokes but rather small moments. James Gunn really uses a less is more approach when it comes to laying out the backgrounds and pain of these characters. Much like with Quill, Rocket's past is handled just right.
Groot is an interesting challenge on paper. Here is a character that is in essence a sentient tree who can only say three words- "I am Groot". It is incredibly limiting to both a screenwriter and director when it comes to developing said character and making him three dimensional and fully defined. However, James Gunn, the effects department, and Vin Diesel, were all up for the task and combined they deliver a character that is not only fully defined, but also probably the most interesting character in the film. I am not exaggerating when I say that Groot nearly steals the movie from the other main characters. The way in particular Diesel is able to get mileage out of Groot's one and only phrase is fun to watch. Groot is a character that proves that you can make a compelling character from the minimalist of ideas.
Equally surprising to me was Dave Batista as Drax the Destroyer. Batista, a former WWE wrestler, really takes Drax from a character who could simply be a muscle bound rage machine and gives him layers and depth. He is also very funny. One would automatically assume that Rocket is the primary source of humor in the film. But alot of the bigger laughs in the screening I was in came from things Drax said. You see Drax and his race take everything literally. So many of the funnier moments in the film play on the misunderstanding Drax has for what other characters are saying. It seems like something like this would grow stale after some time. But I think the opposite is true here and it works well every time it is deployed.
The only character that I think suffers a little is Gamora. I think she is the least interesting character of the core group and I feel it is the script that lets her down. There are moments when she could rise up and become a leader of the group and real rival to Quill for control. But every time those moments come up she never rises to them. It is disappointing in alot of ways as I feel pitting her as an equal to Quill and then have her challenge him would have provided the film with a very exciting dynamic. As she is played in the film, she is strong but not really compelling, interesting but not captivating, and ultimately just half of the character she could have been.
It is profoundly disappointing to me due to the fact that Gamora is the only woman of the group. I had hoped going into this film that she would have been one of the strongest and well defined characters in the film. I think Marvel needs to have their female characters lead and be well defined and complex. There is an argument raging in fandom about the lack of a female led superhero film. I certainly think that argument is a valid one and something Marvel should take seriously. But with that said, they certainly had an opportunity with Gamora to really quiet those fans by having a strong female character be an equal to the male lead in the film. Instead, they squandered that opportunity and gave us a good character instead of one that was great.
The villains of the film are just fine, but there is only so much time for character development and the Guardians get the lions share. Lee Pace plays Ronan the Accuser, a Kree who is obsessed with destroying Xandar after his people and the Xandarians sign a treaty. Ronan does not succumb to being simply a stock villain for the heroes to battle, but he also is no Loki. His primary associate in the film is Nebula, a half organic, half cyborg assassin. Nebula is, like Gamora, an adopted daughter of Thanos. Thanos being the villain Marvel is developing for future films, mainly Avengers 3. I think Nebula was a cool character in this but that there is much room for her further development in the sequel, due in 2017.
Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy is a film that understands what people look for out of a summer blockbuster. It is fun, action-packed, with real characters, emotions, and stakes. It doesn't talk down to you and really tries to just be a fun ride. Which it indeed is. This really to me right now is the best film Marvel has done to this point. The risk on their part was well worth it as they have delivered their best film to date.
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