Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 (2014)
- Jul 30, 2014
- 2 min read
Directed by: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Steve Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan
Premièred in 2014 in Los Angeles, CA, released in the UK on July 31st 2014.
The numerous trailers betrayed nothing of the story, focusing on selling the titular characters instead. Creating intrigue and curiosity about one of Marvel's lesser known comics was a bold idea, especially given the volatility of comic book movies. Unsurprisingly though, it worked, drawing in a hefty crowd of hungry viewers desperate for something new in an oversaturated superhero market.
From style, to soundtrack, to story, the film is a success. Nothing is wasted on unnecessary subplots, everything you might mistake for that ultimately feeding into the wider narrative. The other-worldly style doesn't clash with the solid 1980s soundtrack and every new extra-terrestrial element is introduced unapologetically with no time wasted justifying it.
The four lead characters are a refreshing change of pace, primarily lead by self-serving wants and desires such as monetary reward or revenge, but even as their goals shift there's no betrayal to their character. There's no sudden shift to absolve their flaws and frame them as perfect people who are completely turned around. They remain true to who they are and their 'change' only deepens our understanding of them as a whole.
The film may have it's flaws but for something that was based on a essentially unknown property there are many ways that could have ruined Marvel's steak of enjoyable superhero movies, it's knocked it out of the park. It looks good, it sounds good, and after making £6.36 million in its opening weekend, it's beaten out previous release Captain America: The Winter Soldier for best opening weekend.
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