Marvel’s ‘Guardians of The Galaxy’ Review (a Thank You Letter) By Néstor Bentancor Dear Marvel Studios, I was three paragraphs into my -more traditional- review of “Guardians of the Galaxy” when I realized that a movie like this deserved something different…and you too. Other studios jumped onto the modern wave of comic-book adaptations with massively popular Marvel properties that you couldn’t exploit (The X-Men, Spider-Man), but you dared to lead the way into higher grounds with characters and talent that was considered at the time, either weak, a joke, or just plain toxic. Our relationship started with a great first impression, “Iron Man”, my favorite superhero origin story in film to-date (sorry Chris Nolan!). We have had some bumps along the way (mainly the disappointing “Iron Man 2”), but you have always been sincere, committed and brave. The more obvious proof of that was handling the driving seat of the biggest superhero team-up/crossover to Joss Whedon, a man that have had no financial hit in his directorial resume. Both, failure and success reveal a person’s true character. After pulverizing box-office records with “The Avengers”, you had a kind of “blue or red pill” choice in your hands: Repeating the same proven formula again and again (a la “Transformers”) or taking riskier paths. In a Hollywood land, ruled by fear and marketing gurus, you ignored “the hip,” “the big” and “the new,” and doubled down on their opposites. You have been looking back at the fantasy tales, buddy-cop movies and political thrillers of past decades for inspiration. Small names with big ideas -most of them writers as well as directors- were selected to helm a recent slot of films that, despite having a good degree of spectacle are anchored in relationships. You have played with different genres, styles and tones. But being the sweaty fan boy that you really are, you had to have your own old-school space adventure. I just only hope that your boss’ “Star Wars” is as good as yours. Taking the biggest risk yet, you decided to adapt an obscure, weird and -by commercial standards- unsuccessful comic-book property like “Guardians of The Galaxy,” where humans and Earth are almost absent and a talking raccoon and his talking tree companion are front and center. Is Tony Stark, Steve Rogers or Thor in the movie to serve as a bridge between this and the established franchise? And also bring a familiar face to mitigate the strangeness of it all? Nope. A bankable star as the lead? Nope. The most recognizable names are either just doing voice acting (Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper), appearing just for a moment (Glen Close) or covered under layers of regular or digital makeup (Zoe Saldaña, Josh Brolin). Once again you hired a fan favorite director like James Gunn and gave him the freedom to re-write the script, take the characters and the story in a new direction, and inject large doses of his quirky and edgy sense of humor. All these may have been seen as a chase for “the odd,” but after seeing the film -just once, sadly- it was clear that you were aiming for the familiar. The kind of film that in the late ’70s and the ’80s entertained but also marked an entire generation: “Back to the Future,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and of course George Lucas’ masterpiece. Sure, the general plot is pretty conventional and follows a linear structure: A group of colorful characters get together, fight, then become friends by overcoming different obstacles, and ultimately fight, shoulder to shoulder, against a common enemy to save the day. But -like Jack Sparrow says- it is about the journey, not the destination. Narrative commonplaces, like the intrepid hero trying to steal a mythical artifact or a prison-break for example, are turned into fresh, exciting and hilarious scenes. Just like when at the end of “The Avengers,” the audience thinks that Loki will give the cliché “monologue of the villain” and Hulk starts to destroy the floor with him. Tragedy is a tool that has been used for centuries as a shortcut to make us connect with characters. Pixar and Disney have abused that resource much more than you Marvel, but here it feels organic and justified. Why would each of these characters bond with each other if they had friends and families to go to? They are rejects, the kind of individuals that have been abandoned, and the comic-book characters that almost nobody believed that could star in a blockbuster. Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill (A.K.A. Star-Lord) and Saldaña’s Gamora are likable and serviceable, but the other three steal the show. As Drax the Destroyer, Dave Bautista is a revelation. The mountain of muscle is like Channing Tatum, in the sense that by not trying to be funny he is just hilarious. The ex-wrestler delivers flawlessly all the nuances that the character posses: Rage, mourn, joy, strength and compassion. Groot -the humanoid tree- is also a strong gentle giant, but the similarities stop there. He is a force of nature, full of unique powers that are displayed in some of the most bad-ass and beautiful sequences. I am especially grateful for Rocket. He could have been just the charming comic relief (like Olaf in Frozen), seen sporadically to add cuteness and merchandise profits. Instead, you and all the people involved in the process created a fully fleshed-out digital character that feels more real than most of those portrayed by humans in other projects. He is smart, funny, moody, rebellious and, arguably, this team’s most important player. All of that, plus his “Oh yeah” moment makes it iconic. I like Thor and Steve Rogers, but I am in love with this raccoon. I know that you don’t own Marvel Comic’s best villains, part of the reason why your antagonists haven’t been memorable on screen. But Lee Pace’s Ronan The Accuser really brings the menacing presence required to balance all the levity and brightness. He is ruthless, powerful and he’s nobody’s pawn. Both, Nebula (Karen Gillan) and him are presented as two of the deadliest creatures in the entire universe and both have opportunities to prove it. Those are key ingredients in a “good versus evil” tale that aspires to achieve immortality in pop culture by exploring sacrifice, friendship, heroism, duty and reinvention. In relation with the technical aspects, thank you for your best 3D yet and for creating CGI worlds that have their own flavors. I don’t usually quote ABBA, but thank you for the music. And finally, thank you for releasing a summer popcorn flick that feels shorter than it actually is, one that celebrates values without being preachy, one that can entertain and inspire children but that it’s actually targeting the kids that all of us adults have inside. Your friend, Néstor. P.S.: You don’t have to reply, I know what you would say: “You are welcome.” “Guardians of the Galaxy” opens in theaters on August 1.
