Rating of
2.5/4
Very Much its Own Entity
Looneymanthegreat - wrote on 08/01/14
Guardians of the Galaxy is clearly a crowd pleaser, but it’s not quite the epic action comedy that one might hope for. The movie is fun, but it feels imbalanced. The humor is, well, humorous; unfortunately though its silly sensibilities often invade the movies more serious moments. I’m kind of split on it, in case you couldn’t tell. While the movie is certainly fun and entertaining, it’s probably just a little bit goofy and adorable for its own good.
This is more of a comedy then it is an action movie. Its comedy aspects seep into the rest of the movie like some kind of virus. It often underhand’s the points were the audience is supposed to be led to feel sad or inspired. How can anybody connect with these characters or the events around them when the movie itself doesn’t even seem to take them seriously?
To be fair thought, the comedy itself is more hit then miss (And I didn’t even laugh as much as most of the people in the theater I was at.) The movie’s writers have come up with some legitimately funny lines and characters. Its formulaic plot devices are always preceded by a sarcastic one liner and a smile at the audience, and usually one that elicits a hardy bout of laughter from the viewer.
Overall the movies tone is the biggest problem here. Some movies can perfectly balance humor, action and drama, but “Guardians” isn’t among them. It’s definitely more original and interesting then other recent Marvel movies like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but its not as tightly crafted.
I particularly have trouble with the movies relatonships. All five of our “Guardians” have unique personalities and arcs. They’re all very likable and distinctive. But their friendship, which is the core of the movie, often feels forced or unbelievable. All of these main characters are loners and outlaws that should hate each other; they only seem to team up because the plot gods demand it.
So ya. . It has a lot of problems, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. I have a feeling this one will get kind of a weird cult status in years to come. There are a lot of quotable lines and memorable moments in this picture. Its parts are better than its whole, and there are some excellent parts here. It’s definitely not the best movie of the summer, not even close, but I think it’ll have a lot of staying power in the popular consciousness; especially if it does well financially.
James Gunn, the director, has put together a beautifully flawed movie in Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s a low calorie, high sugar version of cinema; and I mean that in all the best and worst ways possible. It’s not as solid as “Captain America 2” or as epic as The Avengers, it’s very much its own entity. That’s all it needs to be, it doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be itself.
