Guardians of the Galaxy

Yes it’s true, Guardians of the Galaxy, the new film franchise based on the Marvel comic series of the same name, is as cool as it sounds. A ragtag collection of cosmic misfits careening through space by the seat of their pants, in a retro western space adventure set to classic 80s rock tunes.

It’s been an exceptional year so far for Sci-fi adventure films with excellent summer fare such as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Godzilla, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Edge of Tomorrow, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. But none are filled with as much cheeky fun as Guardians of the Galaxy.

Space junker Peter Quill, abducted from earth when he was just a boy, is the Jack Sparrow of a band of space pirates, who goes in search of fame and fortune by scavenging rare valuable artifacts. Flying a stolen space ship and carrying among his worldly possessions a Sony Walkman he had with him when he was abducted, he’s a fun loving loner with a difficult back story.

The MacGuffin that brings all the various heroes and villains together from different parts of a not so faraway galaxy is a mysterious orb that gives whoever possesses it, if they’re strong enough to withstand its destructive power, the ability to destroy an entire planet; a sort of Ring of Power in the shape of a miniature Death Star if you will.

Quill gets more than he bargained for after finding the orb when he suddenly finds himself the target of a number of galactic warriors, bounty hunters, and straight up evil megalomaniacs. Everyone is after the orb for different reasons but Quill just wants to make a quick buck and has no idea of its true potential.

If all this sounds suspiciously familiar, just look at the poster art for the film and it should trigger memories of another famous Sci-fi franchise that exploded onto screens back in 1977. This could actually be the film that the original Star Wars fans were hoping for back in 1999 when the first prequel, The Phantom Menace (1999), hit theaters to disappointed fan boy groans.

Among those who are quick on Quill’s tale is a green female warrior assassin Gamora, who is the adopted daughter of an evil leader Thanos, seeking revenge on a peaceful planet, a duo of bounty hunters comprising a genetically modified genius raccoon Rocket, a walking talking tree who has created his own language with only three words by calling himself Groot, and a hulking mass of muscle with little brains but lots of heart called Drax the Destroyer.

The amount of characters and names can be a little daunting at first and the villains are of the standard and one dimensional kind, but the movie’s energy and enthusiasm more than makes up for this. It’s really about the creation of a unique band of brothers, all outcasts who have lost their own families and eventually find in each other what they have lost. 

I was told that director James Gunn behind such films as Super (2010), and the writers of this film put all of their hearts and souls into the making of this film and it clearly shows in the loving touches evidenced by the movie’s rocking tunes, an array of strange but charming characters, a great sense of humor, comic dialogue and heartfelt storyline.

This movie is fun for the whole family and is filled with so much visual detail that it will definitely stand up to multiple viewings. With future installments on the way I’m looking forward to spending more time with these funny flawed heroes.

JP