Like many others around the world, I just heard the tragic news regarding the loss of Robin Williams, who died today at the age of 63.
This is certainly saddening news, as several of Williams’ most well-known films came out during my childhood. He was a gifted actor and comedian, showcasing his abilities to both make people laugh and put on a gripping, dramatic performance.
Of Williams’ films, the ones I’ve enjoyed the most over the years (in no particular order) are Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Aladdin (1992), Jumanji (1995), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Flubber (1997), Good Will Hunting (1997) and Insomnia (2002).
I think about it and wonder if this is how people felt when Elvis died (or something along those lines), as Williams was an artist of my generation whose work I’ve admired for years.
I won’t say much more, other than it’s a sad day indeed for the arts, especially for comedic artists. He will certainly be missed and remembered.
After taking July to focus on other writing endeavors, I return to the blog realm with one of my most anticipated 2014 films.
I’m not exactly sure when it was I first heard about Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, but I’m sure my initial skeptical thoughts were the same as other moviegoers.
It was sometime after seeing The Avengers in 2012 when my lack of interest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe began to evolve into a love for the franchise. I introduced myself to Thor (2011) and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), and was looking forward to 2013’s Iron Man 3. Then, upon researching the other upcoming Phase 2 films in the MCU, Guardians of the Galaxy caught my eye.
First thoughts? Who in the hell are the Guardians of the Galaxy? How is this connected to The Avengers? A walking, talking tree and raccoon?
Curiosity certainly got the better of me from the get-go. My initial readings on Marvel’s new cinematic venture told me very little. All I had to go on was a group of intergalactic misfits and criminals that band together to save the galaxy. It sounded like something right out of the Star Wars universe, and I have to admit that I wasn’t sure what to think at first.
The only cast member I recognized in the beginning was Zoe Saldaña, from films like Avatar (2009), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The Terminal (2004), Star Trek (2009) and Drumline (2002). I’ve always enjoyed her work, so when I learned she was playing the alien assassin character of Gamora, my level of excitement climbed a touch.
I occasionally paid attention to the film’s development throughout 2013, and finally saw the first trailer with Captain America: The Winter Soldier this past April, which shined a much brighter light on the film in my eyes.
I found myself surprised at the tone of the trailer to be honest. I knew all the MCU films to feature a touch of humor, some more than others, but judging from the trailer, Guardians of the Galaxy seemed it would definitely be the most humorous of anything Marvel Studios had done up to that point (which proved true upon seeing the film, only going up against The Avengers).
The use of Blue Suede’s “Hooked on a Feeling” over a shot of the five principle characters standing in a line-up, appearing bored and yawning, added a rather unconventional touch to the trailer’s tone, emphasizing the lack of sincerity.
In addition to humor, the trailer showed the film’s quintessential space adventure elements, such as spaceship battles, a bizarre assortment of humanoid creatures and mystifying sci-fi objects—again, something right out of what we’ve seen in the cinematic world of Star Wars.
Benicio del Toro’s role as Taneleer Tivan, a.k.a. The Collector, in Guardians of the Galaxy
One of the key shots of the trailer, showing the main tie to the rest of the MCU, was that of Benicio del Toro’s role as Taneleer Tivan, a.k.a. The Collector. Viewers who stay for the post-credit scenes in Marvel’s films would recognize him from the end of Thor: The Dark World, when two representatives of Asgard, including Lady Sif, leave the Aether, one of the six Infinity Stones, in his care.
The Infinity Stones, in my opinion, are the glue holding the MCU films together. Each is sought after by the antagonistic titan Thanos, along with the Infinity Gauntlet, which will supposedly be the plot point of the third Avengers film. The way I see it, each of these films is building up to the climactic showdown between the Avengers, assisted by the Guardians, and Thanos, with Guardians of the Galaxy being the major stepping stone in that direction.
As I realized this connection between the Guardians, Thanos, the Avengers and the Infinity Stones, my excitement for Guardians of the Galaxy peaked, and I could no longer wait for the weekend of August 1. I have now seen the film twice, and I must say it’s everything I expected it to be, and just as enjoyable the second time.
The general plot revolves around a band of misfits: Peter Quill, an Earth-bred intergalactic thief; Gamora, an assassin and step-daughter to Thanos; Drax the Destroyer, a brute hell-bent on avenging the death of his family, who also happens to speak with an immense and literal vocabulary; Rocket, a wise-cracking raccoon, the result of experimentation, who makes his living as an intergalactic bounty hunter; and Groot, a humanoid tree-like creature serving as Rocket’s bodyguard and muscle, whose vocabulary is limited to “I am Groot.”
The eponymous Guardians meet in an odd twist of fate surrounding a mysterious orb, which is revealed to be another one of the six Infinity Stones, and have to work together to stop the murderous Ronan from using the orb to destroy the galaxy. Despite their differences, the five wind up having more in common than initially suspected, and make a hell of a team because of it. But of course, who couldn’t see that coming, right?
Charlie Wen’s concept art (top) for Guardians of the Galaxy, and the film depictions (bottom) of the characters
It’s hard for me to pick my favorite aspect of the film. The top two are definitely the soundtrack and play on “Earth” pop culture.
Guardians of the Galaxy features an awesome, and memorable, collection of music from the 1960s and ‘70s. Along with Tyler Bates’ space opera score, the inclusion of ‘60s and ‘70s pop songs not only adds to the character of Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill (Star-Lord), but it adds to the film’s humor, originality and fun. The music helps make the other story elements relatable to the audience because they know the world Quill comes from, and understand his manner of explaining the culture to other unfamiliar folks, which in this case are intergalactic beings.
Some of my favorite tracks from the soundtrack include Blue Suede’s “Hooked on a Feeling,” The Runaways’ “Cherry Bomb” and David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream.”
The other aspect that adds a wealth of humor to the film is Quill’s various references to the “Earth” (American) pop culture of his time—1988, when he was abducted from Earth. My favorite is the Kevin Bacon reference when Quill tells Gamora the notorious tale of Footloose (1984) and the legend of Kevin Bacon, one of Earth’s greatest heroes. Gamora recalls this tale during their climactic battle aboard Ronan’s ship. “We’re just like Kevin Bacon!”
It’s this kind of humor that makes the film such an enjoyable experience. That combined with hilarious one-liners, the music, and an adventurous space opera-tale, Guardians of the Galaxy evokes a feeling within the viewer similar to that of the original 1977 Star Wars.
It’s these kind of films that make movies fun, and what’s best is that despite being part of a larger film series, Guardians of the Galaxy leaves the viewer with a resolved ending, giving the film a more stand alone feel. So even if Disney and Marvel abruptly decided NOT to continue the cinematic adventures of the Guardians, we’d still have one solid film at the end of the day.
I still won’t say it’s my favorite film of the MCU, as that title still belongs to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but Guardians of the Galaxy certainly among my top five in the company of The Avengers, Iron Man (2008) and The Incredible Hulk (2008).
The next time we see the Guardians may not be until the third Avengers film, as we have Ant-Man (2015), a supposed Doctor Strange film and the third entries of the Thor and Captain America trilogies to look forward to for the next few years. But at least we can say Marvel successfully pulled off what was probably considered their biggest risk film since Thor.
Now, we look ahead to May 2015 as the Avengers reunite against the wrath of a self-aware A.I. named Ultron.
Frame by Frame 