Marvel’s Fantastic Space Gamble

Marvels Studio's visually-intense Guardians of The Galaxy offers viewers an interesting new take on sci-fi 

ON CONTINUITY

ARTH VADER (AV): I'm hooked on a feeling! And while no part of this film shares any connective tissue with the books, at this point, we should acknowledge that all Marvel (Studios) films are kissing cousins. The eco-system of Marvel is brilliantly manifested as all films that reference and wink at other Marvel flicks. While non-fantasy film critics tend to get all fussy over Marvel’s “formula” I, sir, am all about it. And after only 10 films, Marvel Studios is now THE definitive, undisputed most successful movie franchise of all time. By the numbers, that means it bests James Bond, Star Trek, Borne franchise—even Star —as the definitive collection of the most influential box office success in the history of film making. 

THE PONTIFICATOR (TP): Wow Vader…just, wow. Well, in terms of continuity with the books for this film.… there is none. In the books they banded together to oppose the Phalanx, not Ronan. Yondu in the books is also as far from his film iteration as a character could be. That said, continuity with the books isn’t an issue when you aren’t trying to stick to it and are bringing something entirely new and fresh to the big screen, in the Marvel cinematic universe. This film fits the events in previous Marvel films, and thus preserves the continuity of the Marvel cinematic universe. 

CASTING, DIRECTING & ACTING

AV: Once again, the mighty Marvel movie machine strikes gold with a cast of characters that are just downright perfect. We all know the headliners but the support cast comes in off the bench and hits another one out the park. John C. Riley and Glen Close come in as reps to the infamous Nova Corps, we get a Nathan Fillion cameo early on, Lee Pace whupping backsides and taking names as Ronin(!), and lest we forget, Josh Brolin’s Thanos which was solid. James Gunn’s vision was stellar. While the direction was good, the visuals were a sensory overload. But the direction was detail-laden and rich. Thoughts, Pontificator?  

TP: Casting for this film was superb! Marvel has a magic to picking the right people for the right roles and this film is no exception. The full cast is an extensive list of talent lead by a great performance by Chris Pratt. The characterization of Rocket Raccoon by Bradley Cooper was just as stellar making it hard for anyone else to break out, but not impossible. I was particularly invested in the performance of both Lee Pace and Michael Rooker in their specific contributions. Dave Bautista certainly deserves credit for bringing Drax to life, a reflection of the hard work he put into upgrading is acting skills. For a film introducing largely unknown characters to the general public, the direction was spot on and delivered an energized and steady pace that kept me constantly engaged. 

SPECIAL EFFECTS

AV: Ok, I have not seen a movie that has looked this good in a long time. That says a lot, even for a Marvel movie. The sets and environments were–naturally–out-of this-world. The colors were beyond gorgeous and the environments and landscapes were terrific. The animated characters of Groot (Vin “Fast 6” Diesel) and Rocket (Bradley “Hangover” Cooper) were especially well done and characters like Ronin, The Collector (Benicio “Wolfman” Del Toro) simply brought Guardians off the screen and into your mind. The space scenes were just good and the quirkiness of Peter Quill’s Starlord was endearing and funny. 

TP: Unbelievably real. The CGI goes to another level as Marvel is making millions from a talking raccoon. There is no part of the film where my mind wandered and thought about the realness of the effects…it just accepted that everything I was seeing, was real. In a film completely loaded with effects in literally every frame, this is a serious testament to how well they were done. The 3D effects were not overdone or later forgotten (as happens in many films) and to see this movie in anything less than IMAX 3D is a travesty. This film is an excellent example of all the lessons learned in earlier films coming to a head and delivering a superior product. 

TAKING A CLOSER LOOK

AV: As Marvel Studio’s 10th film, it represents some really special concepts. First, it shows that as formulaic as the Marvel masterminds are a accused of being, this film is a real gamble. It is NOT a super hero movie, but exists squarely in the hero universe. So many concepts were reintroduced in this film, the Kree (who created the Inhumans), the Celestials (ancient God-Like galactic beings) and even the hint at Adam Warlock’s cocoon. I am sorry if you don’t understand these references, dear reader but I have been waiting for these films to hit the big budget screen my whole life. I am in heaven. A year ago, I predicted that this film would be a billion dollar film. After three weeks in theaters, the films has grossed $421,9 million. It has NOT yet opened in several major overseas markets. What this film–and it’s success–ultimately mean, is Marvel can mine it’s near-endless well of properties and tap the skills of fan favorite or A-List talent for their films and make magic happen. This film is a delight on so many levels, it boggles the Earth-bound mind. 

TP: There are a lot of places to look here as Marvel begins phase two of their cinematic universe, but the real story is not all the nods and eggs placed throughout the film. The story isn’t the awesome effects used to bring epic awesomeness to the silver screen. The story isn’t how a taking raccoon can rake in millions of dollars seemingly cementing the fact that Marvel can do no wrong. The real story is the dedication of the cast to make this film one of the best so far. Chris Pratt said he would lose fifty pounds for the role…and lost sixty instead! Dave Bautista teared up upon getting the role of Drax and committed himself to further acting lessons to enhance his performance. Djimon Hounsou took the role of Korath the Pursuer to be an example to his son. There are probably more such stories scattered throughout the rest of the cast and crew, and I wouldn’t be surprised if so…but it’s these personal stories of motivation and dedication that truly bring the greatness of this film as reflected in the finished product. 

ON SEQUELS

AV: Are you kidding me? With the pseudo cliff-hanger we were left with? Who is Quill’s father? Is there a new Groot? Will Rocket find love? Will we see the Nova Corps and will Drax come face-to-face with Thanos? James Gunn has already official gone on record to discuss the next Guardians flick. Guardians of the Galaxy 2, so… yeah. P-Man?

TP: This movie wraps up Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and there will certainly be another (and probably more) as Marvel expands their onscreen universe in their quest to bring one of the most pivotal story lines to the silver screen (Infinity Gauntlet). Salivate on that Vader!

RATE IT!

ARTH VADER rates Guardians of the Galaxy: Salivate? Oh man, I need a full-body bib, Ponty! Ever since the announcement off this film at ComiCon San Diego, I predicted this film was going to be huge. With the perfect meld of sci-fi, comedy, terrific appearances and characterizations (Groot, Rocket) and super-hero awesomeness, Guardians is fun. And the winning result of Marvel’s ‘grand gamble’ and if at all possible, see this bad boy in IMAX 3D. So I dance the dance of the Baby Groot around 10 Busted Blocks. 

THE PONTIFICATOR rates Guardians of the Galaxy: This film is easily one of the best Marvel has made and that says a lot when you consider the subject matter and characters presented. With a perfect mix of action, comedy, and drama this film takes the audience on a magnificent ride, steadily destroying nine (9) busted blocks along the way.

Guardians of the Galaxy: 9.5 / 10 Busted Blocks 

14 for 2014: Our Year-Ahead Preview

Geek Peek 2014: Our Next Favorite Movies Are Just Around The Corner

In these final hours, we bid farewell to the 2013 movie year. However, we also look ahead to the amazing cinematic treats Hollywood has in store for the fan boy in all of us. We here at the Boxed Office take our annual peak under the hood at the geek–fest that are our most anticipated films of 2014. We look ahead at some of the biggest sci-fi, super hero and fantasy and CGI films coming soon to a theater near you: 

I, Frankenstein (1/24) - TP: I’m used to seeing Frankenstein’s monster as some lumbering misshapen creature that moves like he has lead in his legs (I don’t know that he didn’t) and is about as intelligible as someone speaking Latin with marbles in their mouth. So I’m more than a little intrigued by Kevin Grevioux’s, (co-creator of the Underworld franchise) and Patrick Tatopoulos’s (director of Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) vision of this classic character. Aaron Eckhart will be bringing the monster to life, and from what I’ve seen so far, he is bringing a whole lot of bad-assery to the silver screen. With Bill Nighy playing opposite him, I’m definitely feeling that “Underworld” vibe in this one… and that won’t be such a bad thing come January.

Robocop (2/12) – AV: Yeah, I must confess, I was pretty reluctant to even consider this film worthy when I first heard of this remake more than a year ago. The original was so rich in camp, classic one-liners and Paul Verhoeven’s humor was a cool balance to the hot violence of this 1986 sci-fi classic. But this remake looks bomb-diggity, with first-rate effects and super-badasses like Samuel L. “Jules” Jackson and Michael “I’m Batman” Keaton leading the way, this films will be one to watch. Dead or alive, the Robocop reboot is coming for you in February 2014. 

300: Rise of an Empire (3/7) – AV: Leonidas is dead–long live the resistance! In a beautiful–if not empty-headed–and possibly unnecessary follow-up to 2006’s magnificent screen adaptation of Frank Miller’s acclaimed graphic novel, ‘300’, 300:Rise Of An Empire looks to be bigger and more badass than it’s predecessor. With stunning scenes of ancient ‘total–war’ and a premise that could hold some merit (maybe?), Rise of An Empire chronicles the Greek resistance to the invasion by the Persian empire. This fictional account real events will have audiences ‘dining in hell’ this coming March. 

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (4/4) - TP:  I’m positively salivating in anticipation of this film. The trailer was more than enough to hook me, but after being treated to the full elevator scene, this became one of the most anticipated films of 2014 for me. I loved the first film and it seems as though they are bringing that same magic to this one, but with some extra “bang” and a whole lot of extra character treats. Let’s take a tally… Black Widow, Nick Fury, The Falcon, Crossbones, Batroc the Leaper, and of course, the Winter Soldier himself. Chris Evans is owning his role as the First Avenger,  and now Anthony Mackie gets an opportunity to write his ticket onscreen in the Marvel Universe… and attach it to some sure money. This movie has all the signs of being the next big thing in super hero films, and will probably set the bar very, very high in April 2014.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (5/2) - TP: I’m already worried. I get worried when I see a trailer and it looks like the film has too many villains. Jamie Foxx playing Electro has already caused enough buzz to build this film up, whether you think he’s great for the role or feel they should not have departed from the source material. Paul Giamatti as the Rhino is just more icing on the cake. However, going beyond that (and they are) I get worried. Something always gets lost, and a film suffers when it’s overcrowded without being designed to be via the source material (ala X-Men). I’m hoping to be wrong about this, and that it lives up to all the hype in April.

Godzilla (5/16) – AV: With one the coolest teaser trailers I’ve seen in a long, long time, There's some real excitement building about this classic sci-fi reboot for the ‘King of all Monsters’. In fact you can view that trailer here. If the trailer hints at anything it’s could be titled; ‘US Special Forces vs Godzilla” and this is just fine by me! With an impressive cast, consisting of current acting greats like Bryan "Walter White" Cranston, Tokyo’s big green terror machine comes stomping through America–and a theater near you–this May.  

X-Men: Days of Future Past (5/23) - TP: Exit director Matthew Vaughn and re-enter Bryan Singer. I’m not overly enthusiastic about this, especially in light of how good First Class was, but I’m intrigued by the sheer size of the cast… and scope of the story. James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Patrick Stewart, Iam Mckellen, Hugh Jackman, and Peter Dinklage for starters. Taking, arguably, the best X-Men story (certainly a classic) and translating it to film with all the gravity and effect of the original is no small task, so I’ve got to give the effort the benefit of the doubt (despite the change in director) and hope for the best. If they pull this off, this could very well be one of the greatest movies ever - hunting you down in May.

Edge of Tomorrow (6/6) – AV: Tommy Cruise is at it again, Ponty. This time, he dawns a really bad-ass hi-tech combat exoskeleton to battle other-worldly invaders. Little does he know, his plight is not in the technology but in his own, innate ability to harness the precognitive power of the enemy while pursuing a hauntingly beautiful woman (played by Emily Blunt)–literally in his dreams–that could hold the key to mankind's Salvation. Watch the awesome action unfold this June.  

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (7/11) - TP: Presenting the story of how the apes came to have dominance over humanity, and I haven’t been this excited to see the end of humanity in a long time. Andy Serkis is back as Caesar and I expect, is still as menacing and interesting as he was in the first film. I’m excited also about Gary Oldman being in this. Opening in the summer puts this film in the crosshairs for success as a summer blockbuster and will only have itself to blame if it falls short. I’m optimistic about this film, considering the fact that audiences are enamored with the idea of a planet ruled by apes. Prepare to be dominated this July.

Jupiter Ascending (7/25) – AV: The Wachowski Brothers (of The Matrix trilogy fame) are bringing us a whole new world in the forthcoming space epic Jupiter Rising. Here, human beings are at the bottom of the evolutionary ladder. A young Earth woman (played by Mila Kunis) is targeted for assassination by the 'Queen of the Universe' because her very existence somehow is a threat that could end the Queen's reign. Not if super hunky Channing "White House Down" Tatum has anything to say about it, elf ears and all! He'll be getting help from our old pal Boromir (Sean "Headless–and not related to Tony–Stark" Bean) to help save humanity and the universe right in time for this film's end of July release date. 

Guardians of the Galaxy (8/1) – AV: Old friend, this is truly the movie event I've been waiting for! Ever since Marvel announced at the 2012 Comicon that this movie was in production, well it was all I could do to contain myself. This one is going to take everyone by surprise. With Chris Pratt as Starlord, the gorgeous Zoe Saldana as Gomora and big, bad Dave Bautista as Drax The Destroyer this movie is going to kick but and take names! Not enough for you? Try Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot and Bradley Cooper voicing Rocket Racoon (hang on, I'm about to plotz!) and a veritable host of Hollywood stars will help bring a legion of Marvel space heroes–and villains–to life. I've pre-ordered my Rocket Racoon T-Shirt, underwear and cereal bowl caddy. No official trailer yet but I'm hooked on the feeling that this one is gonna rock! August 2014 can't get here soon enough, partner! 

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (8/22) – AV: While I am excited about this one, Ponty, when a movie keeps get it's release date pulled and reinstated, it is usually not a good sign. If directors Frank "The Original Dark Knight Creator" MIller and Robert "Dusk till Dawn Mastermind" Rodriguez can give us an equally potent follow-up to the original Sin City, we should all leave the theater with a smug smile. Sin City: A Dame To Kill For will be Black, White and Red all over this coming August.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 (11/21) - TP: The action seems to be heating up as the story is nearing its conclusion. Although the last film advanced the story, it didn’t have the same emotional impact on me that the first film did. With Jennifer Lawrence reprising her role as Katniss Everdeen, freed, angry and leading a people on the brink of civil war, this film will probably have more shock value that the last one. Everything seems to ramping up to an epic conclusion, and I’m very optimistic that this movie will continue build the story, while also delivering some big time entertainment come November.

The Hobbit: There and Back Again (12/17) - TP: The fact this movie comes so late in the year aptly underscores the old saying “saving the best for last.” Everybody returns, for what should be, an epic film with IMAX 3D being the preferred medium. After the Lord of the Rings trilogy and two Hobbit films, we all should know exactly what to expect. I’m hoping Peter Jackson knows all this as well, and delivers the unexpected and makes the Battle of Five Armies something well beyond anything we have seen before, and makes us talk about it for years to come. I’ve been waiting for this ending since they first announced the possibility of doing a Hobbit film. All I’m asking is for the delivery to be equal to the anticipated wait. They say to be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it. This is me… asking for it in December!

Thank you all for reading–come back for more in 2014!