At this point in time, I know just about every line and every shot of this film. Every line that brings out so much emotion while providing excellent character development and every shot that makes this film one of Marvel's most beautiful. Guardians of the Galaxy is my favorite Disney/Marvel film and while some have issues with its peculiarity, its offbeat action and humor make it the most enjoyable for me. This film introduced the world to some of the weirdest characters in the galaxy, yet it still remains one of the most fun and rewatchable science-fiction films of the past decade.
This film is unforgettable because of its characters and remarkable use of a soundtrack to tell its story. Every character in this movie is beautifully written and has their own unique story that is told so well. Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot are all household names at this point and they develop so much over the course of this singular film. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, (the voices of) Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel were all perfect choices for their respective characters and have so much unbelievable chemistry together, which made their performances that much better. Even though this film does not escape the Marvel standard that had been set years before, it still manages to provide a better family dynamic than previous films. What makes this my favorite MCU film is the fact that it took the group dynamic that had been established in The Avengers but perfected it even more, making it more personal and relatable. Both groups of heroes had to get together to save the world, but in this movie, they actually learn to like each other towards the end, flawlessly setting up the characters for the rest of the trilogy. There might have been a few lines of cheesy dialogue here and there, but Guardians of the Galaxy still surpasses many superhero films when it comes to making the story charming while keeping the plot intact.
The other, most obvious part of this film that anyone can enjoy is its soundtrack. The compilation of classic soft rock with 60's and 70's love songs makes this film so much more than your average popcorn film, and it serves an actual purpose too. It's revealed that Peter Quill's mother made him the mixtape when he was young and this provides the driving force for his character through not just this movie, but the sequel and Infinity War as well. This mixtape was designed very carefully by director James Gunn and rightfully so. From the opening dance scene in the caves to the love scenes to the dance-off with Ronan in the end, every song in this film is beautifully chosen and fits every shot perfectly. Other parts of this film that I loved were the cinematography and the action. Up until this movie, there was never an emphasis on camera work in the MCU, but that definitely changed with this addition. It was also the most colorful and eye-popping movie until then, accompanied by fantastic action and awesome choreography. In particular, the scene on Nova where they all meet for the first time was so much fun and introduced their personalities very well too.
My only issue with this film was its main villain Ronan the Accuser. James Gunn delves deep into the history of the Guardians and absolutely does his source material research, but Ronan was still given the least amount of character development time. He was a very standard antagonist and there was nothing interesting about him in the slightest, other than his scary purple hammer. However, he served his basic purpose for the film and even introduces the Infinity Stones into the cinematic universe.
Accompanied by one of the best soundtracks in film history, Guardians of the Galaxy blends together every element that makes a space opera phenomenal. This film turned out to be one of Marvel's finest works, despite its irregular characters and story. I would strongly, strongly, strongly, recommend this movie to any fan of the space genre, since it stands on its own so well as a memorable and engaging action adventure.
My Rating: ★★★★★
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