Review of Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) by Ffilmgeek — 03 Aug 2014

Where do I begin with "GOTG"? Don't you hate it when the whole world is caught up in a cultural moment, where everything just seems right with a movie, and you just don't feel it? Maybe I'm jaded, maybe I'm out of the times, or maybe I just think entertainment needs to "earn it"a bit more. Everything here is certainly in earnest and yes I had some laughs, especially with Rocket Raccoon and Groot (who are so good, they should have their own trilogy), but the film felt empty, poorly scripted (especially for Pratt's Starlord, leaving him with little to do but be cute, which he oozes effortlessly) and just creatively bankrupt. In particular, the device of the walkman could have been brilliant, but the filmmakers lack originality in their music choices and simply coast on songs that have already had their massive cultural moment (in particular "Hooked on a Feeling" which all but belongs to Quentin Tarantino, not to mention momentous choices from "Boyz in the Hood" and a PSH scene from "Almost Famous"). It would be one thing if Gunn was either 80 years old, or 22, but Gunn came of age with these other films (I'm assuming he's seen these touchstones) so his borrowing feels much more like laziness than homage.

I am also shocked that the filmmakers were unable to make Zoe Saldana, one of Hollywood's most stunningly beautiful actresses look good. Honestly, their makeup made her almost unattractive. And this is someone who blew people away in BLUE makeup and cat eyes in "Avatar", and is incredibly sexy in the 2 recent Star Trek films (where she at least had a chance to appear in her natural pigment). Fortunately she brings gravitas to an almost thankless role (except the enormous residuals), thankless because the writers seem to forget about her until she is convenient.

Mostly this is a caper that spends a great deal of time with bickering, and highlighting ways in which Pratt's character is an unredeemable jackass to just about everyone he's ever met including his dying mother, some unfortunate little alien flying creatures, his father figure Yondu (Micahael Rooker).

And once again, this is a movie where the film's funniest sequence is all but ruined by the trailer. I was bored watching the characters' introductions as previously seen in the trailer because, yep, seen it already, and it was funnier in the trailer because it had tighter editing.

As I said, there are so many problems I didn't know where to begin. I'll stop here. Go see GOTG. Enjoy it's moment. I'm sorry it somehow escaped me.