Back in August a lot of people were stunned that a little movie called Guardians Of The Galaxy was taking the box office by storm. I’m not sure why so many industry analyst types expected this to flop, because it was clear to me from the first teaser that this was going to be both a rollicking adventure and a massive, massive hit.
With Thor’s Asgardian realm, alien villains in The Avengers, and the introduction of Infinity Stones throughout the various Marvel films, it was already clear that there was a wider, cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe out there ready to be explored, and Guardians drops us right into the middle of it with surprisingly little reliance on the existing MCU aside from a brief prelude on earth and the presence of a couple of fleetingly familiar faces, the warlord Thanos and Taneleer Tivan “The Collector”, introduced in post credits stingers of previous films.
Guardians eschews the darkly lit corridors, barren wastelands, and dour industrialized or post-apocalyptic aesthetics which sometimes dominate the Giger-inspired science fiction landscape. Gunn and his artists have instead shown us a colorful, adventurous universe that clearly has more in common with Return Of The Jedi than Prometheus.
Roguish goofball Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is from Earth, but after being abducted by space pirates as a child, he’s tried — and mostly failed — to reinvent himself as the infamous “Star Lord”. A series of escalating circumstances land him in prison with a cast of oddballs. Hulking Drax The Destroyer (Dave Bautista) seeks vengeance for the extermination of his family. Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the daughter of Thanos, rebels against the injustice she used to represent. Mouthy Rocket Raccoon (voice of Bradley Cooper) is a genetically modified, hyper-intelligent bounty hunter, and his mute partner Groot (voice of Vin Diesel) is a tree-like alien.
At first these characters are at odds with each other, motivated by their own different and mutually exclusive needs, but when it becomes clear that the valuable artifact in their possession is in fact an Infinity Stone with immense destructive powers, they team up to keep it away from the villains who would abuse it, among them Thanos (Josh Brolin) and his genocidal ally, Ronan The Accuser (Lee Pace).
Between Quill’s jokey personality, Rocket’s brash attitude, Groot’s moments of cuteness, and Drax’s misunderstandings (his literally-minded race can’t process metaphors or colloqialisms), the protagonists elicit a ton of laughs and light-hearted moments, to the dismay of the stately Gamora who remains stoic throughout, adding in her own way to the anarchy. This is a James Gunn joint, and his fun style (and recurring actors) are on display on a grander scale than ever before.
The film is infused not only with a lot of humor, but a surprising amount of warmth and emotional heft. The heart of the film is the theme of loss. Quill’s mother died when he was a child. Rocket was a lab animal subjected to horrible experiments which resulted in his anthropomorphism. Gamora has abandoned her villainous family and Drax mourns the murders of his. And although I can’t recall if it was mentioned in the film, Groot is the last of his species. Having bonded, they form not only a team, but a kind of new family. The film’s finale completes this journey and is incredibly touching.
The 70s and 80s pop soundtrack featuring songs like “Hooked On A Feeling”, “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” and “I Want You Back” greatly affects the tone, not only by lightening the mood, but by serving as a powerful symbol. Quill listens to these songs through his Walkman and on his ship’s stereo, reminding us of his last link not only with Earth, but with his mother, through the music they once shared together. Even if you don’t really care for these songs (as I don’t), their presence in the film enhances it so much.
The Package
Guardians Of The Galaxy was released on Blu-Ray in 3-D and 2-D editions on December 12.
As with most Disney releases, Guardians features stellar picture and audio quality as well as a bevy of extras. Note that there have been some reports of a green tint to the picture on 2D packages of the film. I can’t confirm because I got the 3D Steelbook Edition. I had no such issues on the 2D disc in my set, but these reports seem to refer to the actual 2D package as opposed to simply the 2D disc.
The Best Buy exclusive Steelbook edition includes 3D and 2D Blu-Ray discs and features a unique Walkman-style look, complete with inner print and front embossing. The spine could cause the biggest pause for collectors; rather than the film’s title it simply has the image of cassette player buttons. This edition of the film has sold out quickly in many stores, so if you’re thinking about it, better make it quick.
The special features on the disc are well-produced and presented in HD. The film is rated PG-13 for a humorously philandering hero (referenced but not shown) and some violence. I’d consider this OK for kids but what the hell do I know.
Special Features and Extras
Audio Commentary by director James Gunn
Guide To The Galaxy (20:56)
A behind-the-scenes guide covering some of the film’s most important production aspects: visual design, makeup, world building, and sets.
The Intergalactic Visual Effects for Guardians Of The Galaxy (7:11)
The inflated title misrepresents what this featurette is really about: bringing Rocket and Groot to the screen. While obviously computer rendered in the final production, the characters of Rocket and Groot were present on set as blue and green-suited actors. “Form follows function” is the theme here.
Exclusive Look At Marvel’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2:17)
This quickie peek at the upcoming film’s production emphasizes the new villain, expanded global focus, Hulkbuster fight, and new characters Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.
Deleted and Extra Scenes (4:22)
Offered with and without James Gunn’s director’s commentary. A couple of these are really great and probably should’ve been left in the film.
Gag Reel (3:54)
I usually find these gag reels reels pretty dumb but this one’s got some fun pratfalls (Get it? Pratt-falls?) and is definitely worth watching if only for the DANCE OFF, BRO!
Wild, colorful, and action-packed, James Gunn’s film is not only a great adventure, but one of the best films to come out of Marvel Studios. With a pristine, feature-filled Blu-Ray release, Guardians Of The Galaxy makes for a highly recommended purchase.
A/V Out.
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Guardians Of The Galaxy [3D Blu-Ray] | [2D Blu-ray] | [DVD] | [Instant]