Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

*sigh* I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I am so sorry, movie! I’m sorry for judging you based on the trailers. I’m sorry for thinking this was gonna be Marvel, Jr. I’m sorry that I tried to keep my perceptions, despite the 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I’m sorry that I almost forwent seeing this movie, in place of the possibility of seeing the sequel to a dull, imbecilic horror/thriller/dark-Hunger Games-wannabe film that came out last year.

You win, Marvel. Marry me.

Yeah, usually I try to kick my reviews off with some articulate background knowledge or something, but sometimes, you just gotta start off visceral. For someone who hasn’t seen all of the movies this year, this summer however still is looking like one of the weakest summers for movies. Judging by the trailers, some films have potential, but a lot of them look…freaking…lame. So given my tendencies to go in with a preconceived thought of how a movie’s going to be, I was not expecting much from the new Marvel adaptation, Guardians of the Galaxy. But to my greatest, grateful surprise, I found myself engaged in this film in every way. This is one of the most eccentric, quirky, and offbeat comic book films I have ever seen. It is also one of the most consistently and thoroughly entertaining.

So let’s dive in! The film’s plot is centered around a valuable orb that happens to conceal a stone that has the power to wreak mighty havoc. A young man named Peter Quill, or Starlord, was abducted and taken to the planet Morag and grew up into being an outlaw. He wants the orb because it’s valuable. Meanwhile, the evil Ronan wants the orb because he wants to cause destruction to the planet, Xandar, because…uh…I think something about his father being killed by someone from Xandar and having a grudge against Xandar, despite a peace treaty between Xandar and Morag that was enacted. Peter goes down to Xandar to sell it, but Gamora, an assassin affiliated with Ronan, swipes it from Peter. While they battle for it, a genetically engineered raccoon named Rocket and a talking tree, Groot (just stay with me on this) and try to intervene, but they all end up getting imprisoned.

While in prison, it is revealed that Gamora actually plans to betray Ronan and not allow him to possess this orb because…um, damn…I seem to have forgotten. Believe me, if you see the film, there are so many other things to focus on than plot. Anyway, in prison, these four meet Drax, who has a grudge against Ronan for killing his family. So, they decided to band together as a quintet to find the orb and protect it from Ronan. Trust me, guys. Despite my complicated explanation, it’s actually not confusing in the movie. It’s kinda one of those things where you can actually follow what’s happening decently, mostly because outside of the plot, there is certainly much more to devour.

One of the many strong points of the film is the droll attitude that director/screenwriter James Gunn treats his characters with. The hero, Peter Quell, has his wry, sarcastic moments a la Tony Stark, but he isn’t uber cocky, at least not in a believable way. When he goes to steal the orb in the beginning, instead of being stealthy and cunning, he enters with his cassette player, dancing to 70s music with a self-imposed swagger. One of his primary concerns throughout the film is his cassette player. If he were ineffective, he would be the ultimate antihero. The talking tree, Groot, is this generation’s Iron Giant: powerful, clumsy, oblivious, but possesses a good heart. Consider a running joke where Groot can only say “I am Groot.” Drax is so aggressive and masculine that he doesn’t know about metaphors. And Rocket? He’s a wisecracking raccoon that gets drunk in one scene. Need I say more?

The idiosyncratic nature of the characters damn sure doesn’t get in the way of the goodies that are provided on the surface. As an action film, it fervently delivers. The special effects in the film are astonishing, very bright and colorful. The secret is that instead of being obnoxious with the effects, the film not only makes the action sequences fun and rousing, but also it never forgets the fantastical tone of the film. The world and characters of the film aren’t aggressive; therefore the effects seem even more remarkable and imaginative. Watching these sequences made me think about how much this film trumps over The Avengers. Of course, I am a big fan of that movie, but in that movie, the action sequences at times could be too taut and loaded that they could occasionally be incomprehensible. In Guardians, they’re more eye-popping because they’re looser and more flowing, thanks to cinematographer Ben Davis and editors Craig Wood, Fred Raskin, and Hughes Winborne.

And a little thing called 3D never hurt either. Sure, the film has its obvious shots that were put it just for the 3D effect, but let me say that I probably will never be able to watch a 3D film in 2D again. I never saw movies like How to Train Your Dragon and Avatar in 3D, so I don’t know that experience, but this. Damn. This may be the best 3D I’ve seen in a movie. I was moving all around in my seat because of dodging, ducking, moving my head side to side, and, in one section, gripping the arms of my seat because I thought I was falling. Looking back on it, I almost want to cry because of how damn good the action, effects, and most importantly, how it was composed and edited. Good show, guys!

However, the best effect in this movie is the other major reason why I like this film more than The Avengers: the humor. God. Damn it. I have never, repeat never, laughed so hard in a comic book movie. Instead of a review, I probably should’ve just made a 3-page list of the biggest, best laughs in the film. When Drax calls Gamora a “green whore,” it’s a big laugh. When Rocket convinces a man with a prosthetic leg that they need that prosthetic leg to help them out during chaos in the prison, only to find that Rocket was lying because he wanted to see that guy wobble, it’s a big, big laugh. My personal favorite is where the four are first arrested and Peter flips off the camera. The execution of that joke and how he does it still sticks with me and makes me chuckle. Excuse me for a minute.

OK, I’m back. Anyway, the humor is extremely witty and at times wry, in both the sarcastic and subtle form. In terms of the subtle form, just consider the scene where our five heroes are walking in a straight line in slow-motion. That trope has been used so many times that it’s perfect to satirize, but it’s even funnier, given merely the context of these characters. Also, consider the raccoon’s name, Rocket. The filmmakers take a cute little raccoon, make it a self-righteous, sarcastic jackass, and they top it off with that name, which tries to make a freaking raccoon sound badass. It’s that kind of subtlety that gives the humor multiple layers.

Even some of the violence is executed with levity. Consider a scene where Yondu, Peter’s paternal figure on Morag, uses his magical, whistle-controlled arrow on Ronan’s men. He stabs through all of them and then afterwards, all of them fall to the ground in unison. Never has violence been so abrasive and jolting and yet so broad and cartoonish.

Part of the reason the comedy works is not merely because of the ingenious script, but because of the impeccable cast. Despite the fact that some of these actors have in fact done comedy in the past, they still reveal comedic chops and timing that I didn’t except. Chris Pratt nails it at Peter, as does Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket. Zoe Saldana plays it straight and perfectly captures the quick-wit, focus, and authority of Gamora. Her being the most rational-thinking person in the group makes it funnier when she has to say, “I’ll have to die with the two biggest idiots in the world.” Dave Bautista portrays Drax with the right amount of conviction, machismo, and vulnerability. Vin Diesel, in a departure from his streak of action film roles where he just looks serious and flashes the occasional smile, voices Groot and delicately balances the character’s intense abilities yet cuddly spirit.

The sharp dynamic of the script and cast also sells the tender scenes as well. Yeah, I said it. Tender scenes. Take that, Avengers! The film begins with a young Peter on Earth, watching his mother die, presumably of cancer, and never obeyed his mother request to hold her hand, as she flatlines. This is a heavy intro for such a furiously entertaining action film. There are some scenes with a tender tone that are light in nature. There are even some touching moments that find to incorporate humor. Consider a scene where Peter opens a present that his mother gave him before she died. This happens at the end and I won’t dare spoil it, but if you find yourself crying and laughing, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Speaking of the end, stay through the credits. Usually, I’m not a fan of the credit cookie, but it’s worth it. Trust me.

This film can play as an impeccable companion piece to The Lego Movie, due to their technical competence and visual flair, sharp, witty script, vibrant energy, excellent uses of music, and the ability to transcend expectations, their genres, and age barriers. In other words, both are better than expected, both go beyond the strict confinements of their genres, and they both appeal to all ages, be it 5 years old or 85 years old. This is one of those movies where I almost feel bad talking about it on a technical level. To me, this is one of those movies where you just focus on the fact that you’re having fun watching it. In other words, this is a type of movie that makes me enjoy the movies.

And yes, I am hooked on the feeling. (hahaha It’s funnier when you see the movie)

RATING: Three-and-a-half stars out of four