For the first time this summer, I laughed out loud during a blockbuster–and it was in a good way.
Marvel’s latest offering, Guardians of the Galaxy, is a refreshing new look at the marvel universe that does almost everything right. For slightly over two hours and enjoyed the simple, forward moving plot and never once asked myself, “How does this all lead to the new Avengers movie?” Instead I laughed, whispered inside jokes to my kids and enjoyed the audience around me enjoying the same thing I was seeing on screen: the film Transformers 4 wished it could’ve been.
The plot of the Guardians movie follows a human name Peter Quill who is thrust into a life of space privateering long before he is ready. As a result Quill is a character who desperately hangs on to the past. That struggle is symbolized by an object which brought to mind the Indiana Jones movies of old. Everything else about the film is old school, from the relationships between the protagonists and antagonists to the special cameo in the requisite after-the-credits scene. Quill and allies become embroiled in a conflict much larger than themselves and must learn to work together and with those around them in order to save the world. Sound vaguely Avenger-esque? It should, because the Guardians are built on the same template, though without the ‘Power brings responsibility’ angle so common to traditional heroes. Lets get this straight up front. These aren’t the well known heroes of everyday comics. The Guardians come from deep in the C list. However, Guardians of the Galaxy benefits from its obscurity. It is a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously and allows the director to explore a previously unregarded aspect of the Marvel Universe without the increasingly heavy burden of fan expectation.
I think Marvel is primed to score big at the box office and can find simple ways to continue tying this part of the world to the world we all know, love, and have grand expectations from. Still, the nature of the Guardians will allow viewers to put aside those lofty expectations and enjoy what is a great film and certain to have a great sequel.