GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

 

• Well gang, this might be a controversial one. This movie didn't hold up as well as I'd hoped or expected
• As mentioned, this is one of the few movies that I had already seen before Ashley and I tackled the MCU. I saw Guardians of the Galaxy 1 and 2 in the theatre, and hadn't seen either one since. And I remembered liking Guardians of the Galaxy a lot! So much so that during some of the less entertaining movies we've watched recently, I actually kept thinking, "It's OK, you'll have a great time watching Guardians of the Galaxy, you know you like that one."
• I now think the best way to watch this movie was the way I did it the first time: in the theatre, surrounded by a game audience. Watching it from the couch, there just isn't a whole lot to take away from this movie. Is it pleasant and capable? Sure. Is it easily forgettable? Absolutely. Doesn't that describe the majority of these movies? One could argue.
• There were some pretty cool shots that used slow motion effectively. Yondu's whistle arrow thing was neat. I liked the scene where Groot impaled a hallway full of bad guys, and then used them as a club to take out the rest of the bad guys. Aside from that, it was a lot of animated explosions. Formulaic and dull climax; I got a bit of a Star Wars prequels vibe. Although I do want to shout out this movie's use of colour. It's a visually vibrant film.
• I wanted to laugh more than I did. There were some funny subversions of action and sci-fi tropes and the cast is likable. But when this movie was released, its sense of humour was always brought up as one of its strengths. I remembered thinking that was the case the first time I saw it. But I couldn't pinpoint anything that will stick with me in the way really funny movies do. Based on what I've heard, I'm really looking forward to Ant-Man!
• This movie was the beginning of "Chris Pratt, Leading Man!" He was Andy from Parks and Rec! He was missing from Parks and Rec because he was getting hot! It was so awesome to see this goofball as the star of an action movie! And he's fine. Now that this is just what he does, the novelty has worn off. He's pretty convincing acting against a lot of CGI, though. And speaking of which...
• Rocket is the best part of this movie. "But Mark," you say! "You're Mr. Anti-CGI, and Rocket is an entirely CGI character! Explain yourself, you mewling quim!" Rocket was animated with character and personality, but the real credit goes to Bradley Cooper. He created such a fun, anarchic character, using only his voice, and then the animators brought him to life. If you haven't seen it yet, watch clips from Bradley Cooper's VO sessions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPa1d8ygmo8
• I would absolutely be remiss if I didn't give credit where it's due: This is one of the best movie soundtracks ever, and it definitely provides a lot of the affection I do have for this movie. The opening credits are probably my favourite sequence, and I still got a thrill when "Guardians of the Galaxy" popped up on screen, underscored by Come and Get Your Love. But if my favourite sequence from the movie is the opening credits, well, something might be amiss
• This is another long write-up, but I'll leave you with this: I feel very unnerved by Groot's wooden teeth