by Joseph Rossi
Guardians of the Galaxy reminds me of how I felt when I was 6 and I first saw Return of the Jedi. Not that this has anything to do with that 1983 film but the feeling I got from watching it was… well…nostalgic. Very rare these days that I find a film that transports me back to being 6 again.
A group of rag-tag rejects gang together to stop an evil warlord hell bent on ruling the galaxy. If I were reading that plot line without seeing the film, I’d just roll my eyes. Been there, done that. But here’s the thing – so what? Yes, we have seen this before but it’s presented in such a winning and original way that we don’t care. The film reinvents the whole space adventure/buddy comedy. It takes the best of Buck Rogers, Indiana Jones and Star Wars and blends them up into a frothy concoction that goes down smooth and satisfying.
The cast is fantastic. Chris Pratt is finally given a role that allows him to be funny and dramatic. His Peter Quill is part Luke Skywalker and part Han Solo. The rouge who happens to be a good ol’ boy. Zoe Saldana adds to her list of alien roles as the sexy assassin Gamoroa. Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel lend their voices to the characters of Rocket Raccoon and Groot who are an actual talking rodent and a giant walking tree creature. Hey, it takes place in space so logic takes a back seat but hell if you won’t find a better pair of CGI creatures that will capture your hearts. Finally Dave Bautista impresses as Drax, a massive brute who is looking for revenge for his dead family.
Director James Gunn (Slither) finally has the budget that proves that he can handle large-scale movie making. His eye allows his craftspeople, who have outdone themselves, to create sets and visuals that are eye popping, well composed and brilliantly rendered.
Late summer is becoming a beacon of hope after a lacklustre June and July. This film checks all the boxes. It’s great entertainment.
