First things first. Why would an old (very old) codger like me go to a movie like this one, designed exclusively for millennials and younger? The answer is simple: grandchildren, three of them in their teens. It doesnât end there; the oldest is employed by the theatre and there were free passes for all of us! Combine that with a stop at the Dollar Store for the candy, and it turned out to be a very affordable and worthwhile afternoon.
Make no mistake, this is a movie by, for, and about special effects. They are, to say the least, spectacular and colorful, turning an otherwise mediocre film into a box office blockbuster. To give you some idea, there were over 900 people involved in creating them, only 69 actors, some of them âvoice oversâ for the handful of animated characters.
Marvel Comics has a propensity for creating characters that appeal to large chunks of the movie-going population, placing them in impossible situations, and somehow they survive to live another day. Of course they have to survive for there to be another sequel, which was clearly set up as the credits rolled. This film, by the way, is a sequel to the original, which came out in 2014 and which I did not see.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Entertainment Rating: pick your poison
Rating: PG-13: Scattered profanity throughout, intense action and lots of dead bodies
Possible Oscar Nominations: Special Effects, Visual Effects
Our heroes are five in number, three of them people, one a very foxy Raccoon, and the other I canât really explain, but its name is Groot. He is by far the most loveable of the bunch as they zip around the Universe saving us from one thing and another. In this episode there are several big names in supporting roles, including Kurt Russell, who thinks he has immortality figured out. You might be able to guess how that ends. Also, Sylvester Stallone makes an appearance and graces us with the worst piece of acting yet this year, which should come as no real surprise.
If you ever saw the movie or stage version of Momma Mia, you will recall that the plot of the story revolved around the already best-selling music from the incredible group ABBA. To some degree, the concept is the same with this film. The story line is woven around the special effects. That may be a little hard to imagine, but itâs not far from the truth. Special effects create a catastrophe of one kind or another, and the Guardians react, spectacularly to be sure.
There is a storyline in case youâre wondering. Star Lord, played by Chris Pratt, has never met his father. Lo and behold, by pure coincidence, 100 billion miles from anywhere, they âbumpâ into each other. Iâll leave the rest of that part of the story to your imagination. And of course, there are bad guys disrupting just about everything, angering everybody, especially the Guardians. I will add that when you leave the theatre, you will know that the best way to make a living in outer space is to be a dentist.
If you like this kind of stuff, I highly recommend it. If you donât, even with a free pass you might prefer to stay home.
