Guardians of the galaxy is fun, but dare I say overrated?

by chrisschick39

So full disclosure I have mixed feelings about marvel films. For every good choice they have made I have found an equally awful one. I love Robert Downey Jr and the Iron man films. The 3^rd one in particular was a fantastic, and for all of Gwenth Paltrows public flaws I dare anyone not to admit that she owns the roll of Pepper Potts. The best marvel film for me by a landslide has been this year’s Captain America the Winter Soldier. The first was a solid but rather random origin story, the second however was a game changer. It focused less on action and more on character. I’ve have had major issues with Scarlett Johanson for years, if I was to make a list of the most overrated actresses she would lead my list. I have never seen her in anything that I have liked her in and I am including lost in translation as the reason for that movie working was Bill Murrey and Sofia Coppola. However in Captain America they let back widow become a fully formed character and she became charming and charismatic it’s the reason I’m so excited to see her play another spy in the upcoming Lucy. The Russo brothers made a film that felt more like a Bourne movie than a marvel film.  As for the Avengers although fun to me all I saw was the Robert Downey Jr show and though I have no problems with that to me the new characters they brought didn’t match up to the ones that were already in there solo films and don’t even get me started on Thor, by far the weak link in the marvel franchise, as much as I like the character as a film I was bored.

So with this mixed view of marvel films I have to say going into Guardians of the Galaxy I had very high hopes. The reviews have been extraordinary. 92 percent on rotten tomatoes indicating universal acclaim is rare for a film of this type. Chris Pratt, who I am a huge fan of due to his work on Parks and Recreation one of the smartest underrated comedies on TV for the past 7 years that no one knows of and that I recommend to my readers you check out is finally getting his due in leading man status and just as importantly a new world for marvel. This film is set in space and features none of the previous characters and events of previous movies. I thought I was going into a movie event. Something that critics and audiences alike were claiming. So I was excited.

What I got was in simplest form a very well done marvel film but that was it. The characters were charming, Chris Pratt proves he can carry a film which I’m sure makes the producers of the new Jurassic park film breathe a sigh of relief as he is the lead in that reboot. Zoe Saldana basically replays her Avatar character in green and a American accent. There is the typical token funny characters, stunning special effects and a big climatic end sequence in which you see some of the years best effects work and the world will be saved but here lies my problem. For all of that I left feeling underwhelmed. You see the greatest thing about Captain America 2 was the change of pace,  the development not just in how they handled the characters but in the way the film changed the entire universe it was set in. The agency that all the characters work for Shield was dissolved setting the way for avenger 2. Its wasn’t the happy ending that we have come to expect, the film felt like it had more story to tell which is why I’m so excited for the next instalment. This felt like it was back to being safe which for a film so individual with its new characters, new settings and stories to tell was a disappointment. I’m sure that the fans will love it and I didn’t hate it at all but it’s definitely for me going to be on my year end lists of most overrated movies.

chris pratt and co ..

 

Grade B