This movie came out over a month ago and defied all expectations to become an enormous crowd pleaser and the highest grossing film of the year (it’ll likely stay that way since the competition isn’t particularly robust in the Fall). But with the distance of time, does it really live up to the hype?
What Works: This is a pretty good movie that never quite takes off the asterisk of “pretty good.” Many people have praised Chris Pratt for basically playing a cannier version of himself and singled out Bradley Cooper’s work as a humanoid raccoon. And although I did think Cooper was a standout, I also thought Dave Bautista’s surprisingly intelligent Drax the Destroyer provided just as many droll laughs, and Zoe Saldana generates a surprising amount of heat with Pratt. It could be said that almost nobody combines vulnerable heart with ruthless action the way Saldana is currently doing.
What Doesn’t Work: The scruffy 80’s vibe makes the film feel more artificially fun than your typical Marvel movie, but it doesn’t really stay with you the next day. Guardians of the Galaxy is enjoyable junk food that’s more empty calories than the absolute best Marvel movies (Iron Man 1, Captain America 2). The action sequences aren’t memorable and the climax feels cheap.
What I Would Have Done Differently: Nobody cares. The studio couldn’t have been happier with the box office results, and the approval rating for this film is off the charts. If my ultimate complaint is that it’s more of a “B” movie than a “A,” then every suit that had something to do with making it would likely say “good enough.”