GUARDIANS of the GALAXY - Grading & Discussion

[Captaindemotion]

Bautista had a wonderfully droll deadpan delivery and expressive face, yet without ever seeming to do very much. Maybe he just appealed perfectly to my funny bone but he was one of the highlights for me. Best performance by an ex-wrestler in a film ever for me (sorry Mr Johnson).

 

[mos6507]

Bautista had a wonderfully droll deadpan delivery and expressive face, yet without ever seeming to do very much. Maybe he just appealed perfectly to my funny bone but he was one of the highlights for me. Best performance by an ex-wrestler in a film ever for me (sorry Mr Johnson).

It helped that Drax's character seemed to go through the most change. They also wrote against type by giving him sort of an AD&D villain speech-pattern (aka Thesaurus speak) rather than going for the cliche' rogue slang and trash-talk (like Rocket or Star Lord).

 

[Cyke101]

Bautista had a wonderfully droll deadpan delivery and expressive face, yet without ever seeming to do very much. Maybe he just appealed perfectly to my funny bone but he was one of the highlights for me. Best performance by an ex-wrestler in a film ever for me (sorry Mr Johnson).

It helped that Drax's character seemed to go through the most change. They also wrote against type by giving him sort of an AD&D villain speech-pattern (aka Thesaurus speak) rather than going for the cliche' rogue slang and trash-talk (like Rocket or Star Lord).

The idea that his people were incapable of understanding metaphor (PERFECT foil for everyone else, by the way, and it makes you rethink language, too) made me wonder how he would fare if he was trapped with Dathon on El-Adrel

 

[nightwind1]

I even kind of enjoyed the truly horrible selection of music on the 'mixtape' !

Horrible?!?!?!



The music was an AWESOME part of the film.

 

[Agent Richard07]

It's largely what made the film what it was. It set the tone.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

While the soundtrack was good, I thought they could have tried a little harder with the song selection. Most of the choices were standard soundtrack fare. It seemed a little off the mark for the scope of the film, like breaking out breaking out the fine china and setting it on plastic placemats of Rockwell prints.

I'm failing to see the problem. It's a plot point that Peter's mother shared 70s pop hits with him. What's wrong with the songs being 70s pop hits?

 

[CorporalClegg]

I myself liked the fact that there was a mix between rock, soul, and R&B, rather than depending on just one (primarily rock) genre.

You misunderstand. I thought the style of music they was perfect. The individual song selection could have been better. Gaye is great. The thing is, whenever I hear a Marvin Gaye song in a movie, it's always "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." "I Want You Back" is basically in every movie ever made. "Escape" "Hooked on a Feeling" and "Spirit in the Sky" are also commonly used to set a 70s vibe. "Moonage Daydream" was really the only original selection--and maybe "Cherrybomb."

My point was, for a film that was so precise and meticulous in all other aspects, it seems like the music director (Dunno if the songs were selected by Bates, Gunn or someone else.) just picked up a copy of 70s Soundtrack Mix that seems to be floating around Hollywood, put it in the player, and moved on.

I'm failing to see the problem. It's a plot point that Peter's mother shared 70s pop hits with him. What's wrong with the songs being 70s pop hits?

There were a lot of pop songs in the 70s and early 80s.

 

[Captaindemotion]

The soundtrack was great, but I can kinda see CorporalClegg's point. For me, Hooked on a Feeling is already irrecovocably associated with Reservoir Dogs, for example.

 

[Agent Richard07]

Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 is ranked #1 on amazon.com.

And here's an article on how James Gunn chose the music. There's also a brief comment on what he plans to do for the sequel. I was concerned about that because it'll be difficult to just rehash what was done in this movie.

 

[CaptainCanada]

Bautista had a wonderfully droll deadpan delivery and expressive face, yet without ever seeming to do very much. Maybe he just appealed perfectly to my funny bone but he was one of the highlights for me. Best performance by an ex-wrestler in a film ever for me (sorry Mr Johnson).

It helped that Drax's character seemed to go through the most change. They also wrote against type by giving him sort of an AD&D villain speech-pattern (aka Thesaurus speak) rather than going for the cliche' rogue slang and trash-talk (like Rocket or Star Lord).

The idea that his people were incapable of understanding metaphor (PERFECT foil for everyone else, by the way, and it makes you rethink language, too) made me wonder how he would fare if he was trapped with Dathon on El-Adrel

Though there's at least one point in the movie where somebody uses that type of speech and he appears to understand it fine ("give a shit").

 

[shivkala]

^
It's been bothering me since I saw it last week (and something I'll look for when I see it again), but when someone brought up the Sakaarans in Ronan's ship, I thought Drax said that he refers to them as, "Paper People," because of how easy it is to go through them. Isn't that a metaphor?

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Probably. But it's an awesome line so shut it

 

[DWF]

^
It's been bothering me since I saw it last week (and something I'll look for when I see it again), but when someone brought up the Sakaarans in Ronan's ship, I thought Drax said that he refers to them as, "Paper People," because of how easy it is to go through them. Isn't that a metaphor?

The fact that it's a metaphor probably went over his head.

 

[Cyke101]

I myself liked the fact that there was a mix between rock, soul, and R&B, rather than depending on just one (primarily rock) genre.

You misunderstand. I thought the style of music they was perfect. The individual song selection could have been better. Gaye is great. The thing is, whenever I hear a Marvin Gaye song in a movie, it's always "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." "I Want You Back" is basically in every movie ever made. "Escape" "Hooked on a Feeling" and "Spirit in the Sky" are also commonly used to set a 70s vibe. "Moonage Daydream" was really the only original selection--and maybe "Cherrybomb."

My point was, for a film that was so precise and meticulous in all other aspects, it seems like the music director (Dunno if the songs were selected by Bates, Gunn or someone else.) just picked up a copy of 70s Soundtrack Mix that seems to be floating around Hollywood, put it in the player, and moved on.

Oh, I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just saying that, speaking for my tastes, I'm glad that there was a variety of genres, that's all. If the soundtrack, or at least Awesome Mix Vol. 2 had to have lesser used songs, I hope they still keep the spirit of variety in there.

-----

Elsewhere, due to inevitable comparisons to other hero movies, one thing I appreciate about this movie is that even though the center is Peter Quill, it's not Quill guest-starring the Guardians. The primary reason being that the other Guardians have their own arcs and stories (even Groot!), so that we see them grow and develop throughout the movie. Drax perhaps goes through the most drastic change, followed by Rocket.

Compare that to most X-Men movies, where Wolverine is the central character and the others don't really have their own substantial additions other than to support and revolve around Logan.

^
It's been bothering me since I saw it last week (and something I'll look for when I see it again), but when someone brought up the Sakaarans in Ronan's ship, I thought Drax said that he refers to them as, "Paper People," because of how easy it is to go through them. Isn't that a metaphor?

The fact that it's a metaphor probably went over his head.

Nothing goes over his head. His reflexes are too fast.

Maybe he starts understanding metaphors once his friendship with the others starts to deepen, and the metaphors themselves become a meta-metaphor about his own evolution. Of course, that's just a thought -- I would need to see the movie again.

 

[Shaka Zulu]

I've got tickets to the 2-D showing at my local Regal...

I wish I could see it in 2D. 3D bothers my eyes.

Watch it in IMAX 3D (and in the high middle of the auditorium)-less of a strain on the eyes.

 

[shivkala]

Probably. But it's an awesome line so shut it

I'm just going to imagine you threatening me with the "finger across the throat" gesture as you type that.

 

[Mike Farley]

Just a though, perhaps Kang the Conqueror, the time traveling Avengers enemy, could be the way to bring in the Time Stone.

 

[FreezeC77]

Apologies since this may have been brought up, but I just watched the movie. My Dad recently got out of the hospital and I finally had a day to myself and someone else to look after him so I checked this out.

So if Peter was 8 years old when taken (if he was born in 1980 and taken in 1988). Isn't he a little 'too Earth-quippy' for an 8 year old kid?

I don't think there are many 8 year old kids who would have the knowledge to throw out something like paraphrasing "Good thing she didn't turn on a black light or it'd look like Jackson Pollock painting in here."

If he grew up on Earth? Sure.... but he grew up with intergalatic bounty hunters. It's a hilarious line, but doesn't really seem like something an 8 year old kid would have since his Earth knowledge froze as an 8 year old.

This is probably my new favorite Marvel movie. Hit on a lot of the notes I like. I was a fan of the characters going in and don't really have any problems with how anyone was presented. I also like that the script didn't go crazy with over-explanations and just went with it.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Gamora's origin is that some space bastards destroyed her planet, murdered everyone except her. Thanos finds her, takes her back in time 20 years, raises her to be the worlds finest killer, waits till after her world is butchered again and then sets her lose.

Kang does not need the Time Gem.

Although that being said, do we know who the villain might be in Avengers three if not Thanos?

Meanwhile Ultron practically founded the Guardians of the Glaxy like Loki founded the Avengers.

It's like swinging, isn't it?

 

[shivkala]

Founded? I disagree with using the term "founded." Loki (comics and movie) and Ultron (comics) served as motivating forces for the teams to come together. Ultron himself (itself) had nothing to do with the Guardians forming, other than Rocket, Peter, and Groot (as well as Mantis and Bug, the latter of which only joined later in the team's existence. He was passed over when it came time to form the group) wound up in a Kree prison which forced them to work together against the Phalanx, which Ultron controlled.

Meanwhile, Gamora and Drax wound up infected by the Phalanx virus (along with Nova Richard Rider). At the same time, Phyla-Vell/Quasar and Moondragon wound up finding and awakening Adam Warlock before he was ready to emerge from his cocoon.

Granted, they all ended up fighting against Ultron. However, Peter, along with Nova, Drax, Gamora, Moondragon, and Phyla-Vell had previously worked together to stop Annihilus.

So, if you're going to give Ultron credit for founding the Guardians, I think you have to at least give an assist to Annihilus.

As far as the movies are concerned, seeing as how Nick Fury had plans in place for the Avengers way before Loki touched town on Earth, I think it's a bit disingenuous to give him credit for founding the team. Aside from the overall gist of their origin, I'm not familiar with their comic book origin.