Rag-Tag Team Rocks Through the Galaxy

The anti-hero, who can be described as a vital character that lacks typical heroic qualities, has been a staple of both film and television over the past several years. Actors like Hugh Laurie, who created the iconic game-playing character House and Johnny Depp, who modelled his likeable yet sketchy pirate Jack Sparrow after Keith Richards, are just two examples of the moral ambiguity that comes with many a character nowadays. Perhaps a recent film that best exemplifies this term is when a group of rag-tag criminals come together to save multiple worlds in Marvel’s 2014 space action adventure flick Guardians of the Galaxy.

Filmizon’s Nikolai Adams with three cast members from The Walking Dead, including Michael Rooker (far right) who stars as Yondu Udonta in Guardians of the Galaxy

The story, which has a bit of a Star Wars vibe, follows our flawed hero, Peter Quill, or as he prefers to be called, Star Lord (Chris Pratt), who is taken away from his family on Earth at the age of eight by a group of what can only be termed intergalactic paid-for-hire criminals. They are led by the slightly palatable Yondu Udonta (Michael Rooker), who clearly has a soft spot for the human as he did not allow his crew mates to eat Quill as a child.

Having been surrounded by this group of low-lifes for so long, it does not surprise us that Quill becomes an outlaw as well – Pratt’s take on his anti-hero character will remind some of Han Solo. When we flash forward to the present, Quill is seen exploring a deserted planet for a mysterious metal orb wearing his patented cassette tape player and headphones (this device provides the viewer with a plethora of excellent retro tunes). He narrowly escapes with the orb, avoiding henchman Korath (Djimon Hounsou) and his crew, who report to the villainous Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace).

When Quill attempts to sell the orb, he quickly realizes no one will touch the valuable item with Ronan hot on its trail. Ronan sends one of his lackeys, Gamora (Zoe Saldana), to retrieve the orb, yet she has an ulterior motive, as she wants to sell the item so that she can escape her fanatical boss. While she is scrapping it out with our protagonist, two bounty hunters, one, a genetically mutated racoon named Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and the other, a tree-like humanoid called Groot (Vin Diesel), spot Quill (who has a bounty on his head) and attempt to capture the man. In the end, the four are arrested by Corpsman Rhomann Dey (John C. Reilly) and his group of officers.

The four eccentric individuals are placed in a high security prison, where the extremely buff and very literal Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) attempts to kill Gamora – as Ronan slaughtered his entire family. Yet, thanks to Quill’s quick thinking, the five become the most dysfunctional team in the galaxy – escaping the prison and making their way to The Collector (Benicio del Toro), who is willing to pay billions for the item. They soon learn that what is held within the ornate ball is a dangerously powerful infinity stone (something similar to the rings of power in The Lord of the Rings) and that it must not fall into the hands of Ronan and his crew of insane space thugs. Yet, at that exact moment, Drax, hoping to kill Ronan, phones the super-villain and tells him their location. Their only escape is to call in Quill’s former associate Yondu, who has a real beef with the Star Lord.

In the end, the rag-tag crew lose the stone to Ronan and must work together to defeat the immensely powerful super-villain, along with his loyal servants Korath, Gamora’s sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) and the rest of his army – who have turned their gaze on destroying the peace-keeping Nova Empire, led by Irani Rael (Glenn Close). The five devise a loose plan and aid the empire in their defence, showing that even the most diverse group of people can come together and become friends in order to defeat evil in the universe.

There is something extremely entertaining about Guardians of the Galaxy. Much of it stems from the richly written script (penned by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman) and its diverse group of characters. It is magical to watch Pratt in his role as Peter Quill. His quick-witted, fast talking, music loving and dance grooving take on the anti-hero is pure perfection. Throw in a missing father, a dead mother whose last gift still sits unopened in his ship and the fact that he was stolen away from his home at the tender age of eight and you have an even richer tapestry for this character. Yet, it is not only Quill’s persona that has depth. Saldana’s Gamora is a killer with an edge, but it is also fun to watch Quill try to melt her seemingly frozen heart. Cooper’s voice is unrecognizable as the sarcastic, jab-throwing racoon, who is rather touchy about his appearance and the fact that genetic testing was done on him. His partner, the single phrase uttering Groot (played by Vin Diesel), is surprisingly touching in his role, which is somewhat akin to Chewbacca in Star Wars. Bautista’s Drax is entertaining partially due to the fact that he is very literal and never really grasps the meaning of a metaphor, but also because of the depth he brings with the loss of his family to the evil Ronan. Perhaps it is hard to believe, but by the end of the film we are so invested in the characters that we truly feel emotion as the team make their desperate last stand during the harrowing climax.

The soundtrack must also be mentioned. The tape that is given to Quill by his mother contains a number of excellent songs from amazing artists, including David Bowie, The Runaways, Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5 as well as many other cool songs from lesser known artists. It really helps put us in the head of our protagonist.

Plus, you will be able to spot the typical Marvel cameo from the one and only Stan Lee – who is always entertaining in his bit parts (this time as an elderly gentleman chatting up a much younger lady).

What was originally thought to be a rather risky move by Marvel Studios (a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios) has turned into one of their biggest successes (with it being rated as one of their best – if not the best of their films). Despite its rather bulky budget of 170 million dollars, it nearly earned 775 million worldwide. So, don’t get distracted as you track down this big budget movie, for it is well worth joining this group of misfits on their unexpected journey through space . . . and don’t forget to groove to the tunes!