“Guardians of the Galaxy” successfully blasts audiences into the farther depths of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (Poster property of Marvel Studios & Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
When Marvel Studios announced that the Guardians of the Galaxy would be given the Silver Screen, non-comic book fans stated: “Who the hell are the Guardians of the Galaxy?”
The Guardians of the Galaxy are a quintet of outlaws who are the true definitions of anti-heroes! The group’s core line-up involves Peter Quill aka Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) and Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper).
In order to prepare for this film, I bought the relaunched series penned by Brian Michael Bendis and I instantly fell in love with the characters.
This film exceeded my expectations by a tenfold!
First of all, I would like to give kudos to James Gunn and Nicole Perlman for writing probably one of the best Marvel Studios screenplays of all-time! They brilliantly paid homage to Marvel’s vast cosmic universe. From the continuation of the Infinity Stones storyline to the welcomed addition of the Kree and the Nova Corps, Gunn and Perlman mastered the craft of blending black comedy and action into the perfect space opera.
Chris Pratt gave a superb performance as Peter Quill. The Parks and Recreation fan-favorite cemented his status as a leading man as his Fleetwood Mac-like chemistry with his co-stars and scene-stealing dance moves made the audience roared with delight. In addition, Zoe Saldana’s performance of Gamora would make her creator, the iconic comic book virtuoso Jim Starlin, very proud.
While they were not physically sharing the screen with Pratt, Saldana and Dave Bautista, both Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper made their presence known with their outstanding voice over work. Diesel’s diverse takes on the sure-to-be immortal line: “I Am Groot” put smiles on my fellow moviegoers’ faces and Cooper brilliantly brought out his sarcastic side to voice the vicious assassin.
Ben Davis’s cinematography brilliantly brought the far reaches of the Marvel Cosmic Universe to life. Fans were seduced by the prison fight and the final battle, plus enjoyed seeing life on the Nova Corps’ home world: Xandar. He has set the bar for future Marvel Studios cinematographers…. extremely high.
Final thoughts: Guardians of the Galaxy showcases that Marvel Studios can boldly go beyond its familiarities and proves that it can go and adapt other iconic characters from its in-depth library. It is also one of my favorite movies of 2014! A+
