Film Review: Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy. Rated M (science fiction themes and violence). 121 minutes. Directed by James Gunn. Screenplay by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman.

Verdict: A spectacular, hugely entertaining debut for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

Marvel Comics’ quest for global domination of our cinemas reaches unparalleled heights with this spectacular entry into its seemingly never-ending catalogue of big screen adaptations.

Arguably less well known than The Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy are a fantastic assortment of misfits who find themselves battling the megalomaniacal warlord Ronan (Lee Pace) for possession of an all-powerful Infinity Stone. In the wrong hands, the stone can be used to destroy entire planets and civilisations, and it is the evil Ronan’s intention to decimate the peace-loving citizens of Xandar (led by Glenn Close) and rule the galaxy.

Gunn and cinematographer Ben Davis (Wrath of the Titans) are in commanding form from start to finish, and Gunn’s screenplay with Perlman provides the enormous and expert cast with fantastic opportunities for everything from high drama, action and intrigue to hilarious moments of pure slapstick. Production Designer Charles Wood (Wrath of the Titans, Thor: The Dark World) has created a stunning visual environment, which somehow manages to not even remotely resemble anything we’ve seen before in this genre.

Chris Pratt (Moneyball) is wickedly good as Peter Quill, the rogue Ravager who would rather goof around than take responsibility for saving the world. Pratt’s winning presence and sense of humour are essential to the overall effectiveness of the tone Gunn has set for his characters. Pratt is perfectly matched by an excellent performance from Zoe Saldana (Avatar) as Gamora, an alien who has her own reasons for wanting to get her hands on the Infinity Stone.

Rocket the raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper), is a brilliantly-realised CGI character, and as you find yourself being drawn deeper into his friendship with the humanoid tree Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), you will realise that the film-makers have worked a very special kind of magic indeed.

This review was commissioned by the West Australian Newspaper Group.