(Courtesy of Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
With Volume 2 now in theaters, and it’s Flashback Friday, we have our review here of the first Guardians of the Galaxy installment released back in 2014. Based on the popular Marvel Comics series, writer/director James Gunn brings the title to live-action form with Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Vin Diesel (Root), and Drax (Dave Bautista).
In the farthest reaches of outer-space, a group of wanted criminals find themselves locked up together in the same intergalactic prison. This band of misfits, led by the rebellious adventurer Star-Lord (Pratt), have to work together to spring out of their cells. After working solo for so long, they must now become a team in order to stop the maniacal super-villain, Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace). With an all-powerful gem at his disposal, and his sexy assassin Nebula (Karen Gillan) by his side, this ragtag team must stop him from destroying the galaxy.
First off, we have to talk about the funniest members in the Guardians. Though they are never seen, audiences can instantly recognize the talented voices of Cooper and Diesel. Even though he just says three words, you would the Fate of the Furious actor would just phone it in. But Diesel gives it his all with wry humor and emotion with each reading. Cooper brings his own charisma to the role and adds to the comic relief.
Not only does the film have top-notch special effects, Gunn somehow makes the fantastical, which includes a talking tree and foul-mouthed raccoon, appear grounded in reality. The Sither director wasn’t aiming to make the next Star Wars movie; he was striving to remake The Last Starfighter. Notice in that narrative, Star-Lord’s walkman and headphones are the only things that keep him connected to Earth. In keeping with the ’80s motifs, the soundtrack consists of The Runaways, David Bowie, and Blue Swede.
Secondly, we have to mention how the motion picture has its similarities to the comic book. Just like writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli’s popular run, the plot revolves around how this unlikely group ends up working together. When the odds are stacked against them, somehow this underdog team can make things work, especially if their haphazard plan is improvised on the spot.
While we eagerly await for the sequel to hit the big screen, let’s reach into our Blu-Ray bin and pick out Guardians of the Galaxy for another flashback viewing.
Rating:
3 out of 4 emojis
– By Jorge Solis