The Cranky Purple Sourface Grump

“You could not live with your own failure, and where did that bring you? Back to me.”  ~ Thanos

“Who hasn’t been to space? You’d better not throw up on my ship.” ~ Rocket

“If I tell you what happens, it won’t happen.” ~ Doctor Strange

“What I’m saying is… time works differently in the quantum realm. I can’t stop thinking about what if we could control the chaos and navigate it.” ~ Scott Lang\

“If we do this, how do we know it’s going to end any differently than it did before?” ~ Bruce Banner

“Because before, you didn’t have me.” ~ Carol Danvers

“Natasha, you know what I’ve done. You know what I’ve become.” ~ Clint Barton 

“Well, I don’t judge people on their worst mistakes.” ~ Natasha Romanoff 

“Maybe you should.” ~ Clint Barton 

“You didn’t.” ~ Natasha Romanoff

“I can put a pin in it right now. And stop.” ~ Tony Stark

“Let’s kill him properly this time.” ~ Thor

“We lost. All of us. We lost friends. We lost family. We lost a part of ourselves. This is the fight of our lives.” ~ Steve Rogers

Avengers Infinity War ended on a stunner, with the villain triumphant and wiping out half of everything in existence with the snap of his Infinity Gauntlet toting fingers. Just like that, endless beings were turned into dust before the eyes of friends and loved ones, the heroes were shocked, and the villain was satisfied with what he deemed a job well done. And of course, unless you want to torture the fan base forever by leaving it right there (imagine the psychological damage of Marvel Studios saying that’s the end of the line with this nihilistic ending), of course there had to be a follow up. And so we have Avengers: Endgame.

The film opens in a tranquil way, with the former Avenger Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner, making a welcome return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Hawkeye) at home with his wife and family, still under house arrest but living peacefully. All of that is shattered when he finds himself completely alone. He might not understand what happened, but the audience does- their existence has been wiped out. And so the surviving heroes of the last film hunt down their adversary Thanos (Josh Brolin), but find themselves unable to set things right.

Five years pass by, and the world’s a darker place. The loss of loved ones have left their mark on people the world over. Things are becoming overgrown and neglected. Heroes have found themselves struggling with despair in different ways. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has retreated to a life in the countryside with his wife Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) and their daughter Morgan. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has settled a number of Asgardian refugees in Scandinavia, but has taken to drinking himself into oblivion and getting out of shape- all while looking like The Dude in The Big Lebowski. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) has found a way to make the Hulk less of a problem and more part of the solution by merging his intellect with the Hulk’s brawn. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) are managing their surviving teammates in dealing with various issues, but both are strained at the edges. And into the mix comes the Ant-Man, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), who spent five years in the Quantum Realm as seen at the ending of Ant-Man & The Wasp, though for him it’s been much less time… and he might have a solution that can set things right.

The screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely picks up where their last screenplay left off. The pair are more than familiar with the Marvel Cinematic Universe by now, having had done the same for Thor: The Dark World, all three Captain America films, and Avengers: Infinity War. This time they weave in elements like time travel, heists for Infinity Stones in the past, despair and renewal, sacrifice, loyalty, emotional closure, and empathy, using them in different ways among the protagonists. Their story ultimately brings together a huge cast of heroes and villains- more than the last film, with the return of Hawkeye and the addition of Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), as well as a few surprise faces in cameos here and there, but for a good part of the film their focus is on the surviving heroes as they try to set back the clock and save the universe.

The dynamics that come out during that are interesting ones- the common bond between Rhodey (Don Cheadle) and Nebula (Karen Gillan), who both live with broken bodies. Thor and Rocket (Bradley Cooper) bantering and bickering while covertly making their way around Asgard during the events of The Dark World, and Thor finding his way in the most unexpected of ways. Scott coming back to a world where he knows something has gone horribly wrong and knowing that it has to be set right. Bruce as Hulk trying to reason his way with someone whose worldview is entirely different from his scientific rationalism. The deep friendship between Natasha and the emotionally wounded Clint, and their inherent trust in each other. And Steve and Tony finding their way past their falling out to trust each other again.

The Russo brothers, Anthony and Joe, return to helm the film as directors, following up the last one, and they too are familiar with how the Marvel Cinematic Universe works, having had also worked on the second and third parts of the Captain America films. Their work on this one follows that pattern of excellent work, with CGI never overwhelming the film but serving the story. They can mount epic action sequences and yet keep the audience from getting overwhelmed and lost in it all. Mostly they keep the story grounded in their characters and in the actors. A couple of moments show that- Thor getting closure with one character (and thus finding his way out of his own torment), or Scott’s interlude with a passing boy- whose silent expression is all the answer to his question. A different director wouldn’t dwell on such moments, but the Russos let the characterization govern the film.

Much of what we see in the film have been places we’ve already seen in previous films, but the fantastic settings of distant worlds and deep space are well rendered, as well as Asgard in its glory. The same applies to the Quantum Realm, already seen in the two Ant-Man films but providing a vital element to the story this time out. This being a story about time travel, we see aspects of previous films from different angles, and nods to the plotlines of earlier films, and yet the attention to detail is such that things don’t appear out of place when we see our heroes in the past. Set construction and costuming allows for that, but so does CGI as needed- a scene with a young Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) comes to mind.

The cast of course is epic in scale, with many of the actors reprising their roles from earlier films before it’s all said and done, but the focus of the film is on one antagonist and several survivors. Josh Brolin was well chosen as the nihilistic Thanos, who sought to wipe out half of existence to balance the scales, as it were. Having had succeeded in his quest, there’s not a lot for him to do, or so it seems, as time travel plays into the film and we’re not quite done with him. Thanos acts because he believes he’s right, but it’s not personal… at least until late in the game when he decides it should be. It’s a good take on the character, a ruthless force of nature that Brolin brings out the best in. I can’t imagine anyone else playing him.

 Karen Gillan, playing his adopted daughter Nebula once again, gets a lot to do. First introduced as a villain in Guardians Of The Galaxy (and in fact we see some of her at that stage of her life as we get Nebula at two stages of her life), the character evokes sympathy, especially now that we know that she has been tortured and abused by the man she only wanted approval of. Her allegiances have shifted, and the actress plays to that, taking the role and making the most of it. Bradley Cooper returns to voice Rocket, the talking raccoon (just don’t call him that) with an attitude and an engineering savvy to match. This time the character finds himself in an unlikely spot, having to be tough with a god of thunder whose mind isn’t quite on the ball, all while keep check on his own grief for the Guardians, the only family he had.

Brie Larson, having had made her debut in Captain Marvel, turns up here as a force to be reckoned with. Carol Danvers has become a hero, but her area of responsibility spans far beyond the Earth. She’s direct and forceful as she needs to be, calm in the face of adversity when she wants to be, and continues to invest the character with the right kind of spirit. I like Thor’s reaction to her- as well as a moment late in the film between her and Peter Parker (Tom Holland). She’s all confidence, and that’s how Larson plays her. Don Cheadle has been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for quite some time as James Rhodes, aka War Machine, Tony Stark’s best friend and a military officer. He’s always given the character the steady hand that you’d expect out of an officer, as well as the temperament that one would have to have to deal with Tony Stark on a regular basis. The character pushes back against what might be the instinct to despair because duty requires him to do so.

Gwyneth Paltrow has said this will be her last turn as Pepper Potts, once Tony’s assistant, now his wife. The film gives the two characters a good deal of time, as well as a personal stake- their daughter Morgan, entirely too cute. She knows her husband well, knows that once he has an idea in his head he won’t let it go, and so instead gives her blessing. The film gives her more to do, including a suit of armor, a nice touch as the film gets into epic mode, but it also respects the character and lets the actress bring out the sympathy, resolve, and strength that she’s shown before in the part. The character has drastically changed since the beginning of the film. Paul Rudd, having had played Scott Lang in three previous MCU films, is familiar with the role and his place in things. The standard humour of the character is underplayed given how dark things have become, but it’s there, and Rudd also brings a sense of direction to the others as he provides the one ray of hope for making things right. I like how Rudd works with the other actors, even if their characters haven’t been in the mix before, and the film gives him a lot to do before it’s all said and done.

Mark Ruffalo actually spends a good part of the film as the Hulk, in a version we haven’t seen before in the movies. This Hulk combines the intelligence of Banner and the power of the Hulk, and it’s Banner’s voice talking- and in fact this version of the Hulk has a closer look to Banner’s face. Part CGI or motion capture by Ruffalo, the effect is seamless. It’s odd, but funny, to see a Hulk sized Banner cheerfully interact with fans, and we get a bit more humour in seeing an earlier version of the Hulk unappreciative of what’s a standard part of highrise infrastructure. For the most part, however, Ruffalo’s take on the character has new touches. Banner is initially resigned to how things are, has changed his approach to viewing the Hulk not as a problem, but as a constructive solution, and experiences grief as the story develops. It’s a sympathetic take on the character building on what has come before.

Jeremy Renner’s return as Clint Barton was overdue, and quite welcome. Opening the film with him and his family turned out to be a wise way to do so, and what happens informs everything he does from that point on. Five years pass and the character is a shadow, exacting a personal war on crime across the world, taking no prisoners, channeling his grief into his mission. His look has changed, evoking his Ronin look from the comics. Clint is a broken man, refusing to allow himself to hope, and his journey involves his grief, guilt, and finding his way back to trusting others again. Renner plays to that throughout.

The other half of that equation is the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff. She and Clint have long been partners, have had each other’s backs, inherently understand each other. She seeks him out because she still deems him her friend, because he’s saved her and she knows she must do the same for him, lost in his own pain. Scarlett Johansson plays off that in her interactions with Renner, and it’s good to see that partnership and trust come back. Her Natasha finds herself at a difficult time early on, keeping herself working more to keep herself from dwelling on what’s been lost, but also investing the character with a strong sense of responsibility. And yet with all the gravitas around her, there are moments of levity- I particularly enjoyed a threat of a tossed sandwich at a colleague.

Chris Hemsworth returns as Thor, aka the God of Thunder, aka the King of the Asgardians, aka The Dude, aka The Big Lebowski. In the wake of the events of the last film, Thor has given up on everything, spending his days drinking himself into oblivion, getting himself quite out of shape, and looking like Jeff Bridges in that aforementioned cult classic film. Hemsworth actually gets to bring out a lot of the humour of the film in his drunkenness, but the character’s binges and I could care less attitude conceals his own wounds and despair. It’s a good touch for the character, who finally finds his way back to himself through the intervention of the one character it makes the most sense to have doing so. In finding his purpose again, the character’s journey is one that brings him back to resolve.

Robert Downey Jr. started the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe in the first Iron Man film, in which his Tony Stark found his life changing because of the sacrifice of one unlikely fellow prisoner who told him to make something better of himself and the world. That has informed the character throughout his travels in the franchise ever since, as even under the snark and sharp wit of the actor there’s been the underlying theme of a man seeking to make things better. Tony has given up in a different way from Thor’s way, but the result is the same. He’s hidden himself away from the world, seeking solace in the quiet countryside with his wife and his child. He feels deep guilt about the teenaged Peter Parker he mentored and then saw turn to ash. But the Stark mind is still the same, and when presented with a challenge rises to the occasion. Downey’s take on the character remains emotionally invested in his family, while understanding that he must make things better. Along the way he gets some closure in a surprising way, and gets to restore the rift that’s existed between him and Steve since the events of Captain America: Civil War. The performance turns out to be a cathartic one for the actor and the audience- a brilliant but stubborn man standing up to a nihilistic monster.

Chris Evans also gets closure playing Captain America. The character has from the start been one of courage, resolve, optimism, and strength, qualities that Evans has always played to as an actor. Steve Rogers is a leader, and that shows itself early on as he leads self-help groups trying to cope with the sudden losses of their lives, or the Avengers coping with various issues on Earth and beyond. A man dedicated to duty, Steve has seen the darkest humanity- and beyond- has offered, but it hasn’t broken him. The optimism is there, shaken as it is, seen in conversations with some of his colleagues. And yet when a potential solution is presented, he knows it must be acted on. It’s refreshing to see the fractured friendship between he and Tony restored, which both actors play to. It’s also good to see that steel will and raw courage present itself again when face to face with the being who wiped out half the cosmos. Just as it’s also good to see him get to do something for himself… even if that puts all sorts of theoretical questions into the mix.

Avengers Endgame has the emotional payoff that’s been building for years through the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it provides emotional closure and endings for some characters on the one hand, it also tugs at the heartstrings for others. The stakes have never been higher, but the film chooses to find its foundation in its characters instead of letting special effects overwhelm the characters. An epic adventure and a personal tale, the film brings to a satisfying and thrilling conclusion for one era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, all while allowing for what is yet to come. 

Bickering Out In The Cosmos

Today I have a movie review. And for another take on this one, check out Norma and Collin's reviews and Mark's review.

“Just who do you think you are?” ~ Ayesha

“All you do is yell at each other.  You’re not friends.” ~ Nebula

“You need to find a woman who’s pathetic. Like you.” ~ Drax

“The fate of the universe lies on your shoulders. Now whatever you do,  don’t press this button, ‘cause that will set off the bomb immediately and we will all be dead. Now repeat back what I just said.” ~ Rocket 

“I am Groot.” ~ Groot

“Can we put the bickering on hold until after we survive the massive space battle?” ~ Gamora

“Sometimes the thing you’ve been looking for your whole life is right there beside you all along.” ~ Peter Quill

After the success of 2014’s Guardians Of The Galaxy, of course a sequel would be in order. The comic book adaptation of cosmic Marvel characters bickering with each other and dealing with galactic level threats proved to be popular with audiences, opening up new parts of the Marvel cinematic universe. Now the cast and crew have returned for the second film in the series, helmed once again by director James Gunn, in a story that maintains the banter, humour, and cosmic scope of the previous film, while opening up new horizons.

In the wake of the previous film, in which the rag tag band of misfits called the Guardians of the Galaxy brought down the Kree accuser Ronan and his schemes to destroy Xandar, the team find themselves dealing with Ayesha (Elizabeth Debickie), the somewhat cranky leader of the Sovereign, after a job doesn’t go quite according to plan. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), and the sapling version of Groot (Vin Diesel) encounter a mystery man called Ego (Kurt Russell), who promptly reveals himself to be Quill’s biological father. Meanwhile, Ayesha hires Yondu (Michael Rooker, returning from the first film) and his rogue crew of Ravagers to track down the Guardians. It doesn’t take long before things get complicated.

Gunn wrote the story, having had co-written the original screenplay. The tale is largely based on the status quo of the team as brought together in the comics by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, who assembled a motley assortment of cosmic characters together to face dire threats in the universe. There’s an older version of the Guardians in the comics, from a thousand years in the future, and some of those characters show up here as well as the story goes along, albeit in a different context. Gunn’s story continues the funny, space meets swashbuckling tone of the original, blending in the personal- the search for answers about a person’s heritage and just what family really means- with the large scale in the form of a dire threat to galactic peace.

Along the way there are some character developments woven into the narrative- Nebula’s change of allegiances is a welcome one, while Yondu’s motivations for taking the young Quill from Earth in the first film become clear, and having Groot remain pint sized through the bulk of the film is a creative contrast from the first film, where the three word speaking walking tree was the biggest member of the ungainly team. In fact, the little Groot's status quo provides quite a laugh early on while he dances during the main titles- with a massive battle taking place in the background behind him, establishing the irreverent tone of the film.

The story also presents a new character, Ego, in pretty much the only way he’d work in a live action movie. In the comics, Ego is a living planet- when one approaches him, you see a planet, and facial features on that planet. Trying to transfer that over to live action, you’d wind up with something out of the original Star Trek television series- if all we saw was a floating head in space, it would end up coming across as very cheesy. Instead we have a Celestial being who can present himself as a human being, but is deeply connected to the planet he calls home, and it’s a good work around of where the character came from.

Gunn takes all of these elements and weaves them into the film, which his directing style is well suited for. As previously shown, Gunn has a good touch for the comic book adaptation, particularly the cosmic level of it all. He can give us a scene set in the midst of chaotic battle and ferocious fighting, and keep track of what’s going on. We see fantastic worlds, distant stars, and strange looking alien beings, and while a lot of that comes down to CGI, it all blends well in with what the actors do. This is probably best manifested in Ego’s planetary form, which winds up being perhaps the biggest visual effect in movie history, but it also shows earlier on, giving Russell a younger look in the opening sequences set in 1980.

The cast are all well chosen in their roles. There are a multitude of cameos- Stan Lee gives one of his funniest yet, and actually kind of feels like a connection to all of his other cameos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Michelle Yeoh, best known to American audiences for her Chinese spy protagonist in the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies turns up as Aleta, one of Yondu’s old crew, while Sylvester Stallone joins the MCU as another former friend of Yondu, Stakar, suitably grumpy but principled in the role. There’s a moment between his character and Rooker’s Yondu that’s a good reversal of roles the two actors played in terms of an estranged friendship in Cliffhanger.

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen Elizabeth Debicki in a film- she appeared briefly in the 2015 Everest, but this time she makes more of an impression as Ayesha, a long time presence of the comics. The character is a high priestess and leader of her people, and the actress plays her as someone devoid of humour, pompous, and not to be trifled with. Pom Klementieff appears as Mantis, a character well established in the comics with ties to the Guardians, the Avengers, and others. She’s an empath, with connections to Ego, and her encounters with the Guardians brings out a new aspect to the character. Lacking social interaction throughout her life, she’s something of an oddball, curious about what she encounters, and the way she plays off of Drax, who’s an oddball himself, is particularly fun to watch. Karen Gillan returns from the original film as Nebula, where she was an antagonist. She’s a sister to Gamora, and the film touches on the darkness in their backgrounds. Gillan takes what was an unsympathetic character and makes her someone the audience can empathize with- we see the emotional cracks in her armour as the story goes along.

Kurt Russell turned out to be an inspired choice for Ego. In the comics, Peter Quill’s father is a ruthless bastard and ruler of an alien race called the Spartax. It was clear that the cinematic version would not be that character, but it was hinted in the first film (courtesy of Yondu) that Quill’s father had that same quality. Ego is welcoming and friendly at first, but he’s hiding a whole lot of secrets from everyone, and Russell plays the character in a way that’s close to the vest- we’re not really getting inside his head. He might seem friendly, but there’s more beneath the surface, which is fitting, considering he’s a planetary being.

Michael Rooker returns as Yondu, the hardass alien with a rather handy fighting style from the first film. He was less sympathetic last time out- after all, he came to Earth, kidnapped a child and took that child out into the stars for an unclear reason, and was generally hesitant to get involved and do the right thing at first. The reason he didn’t bring Quill to his father plays out here in this film, and Rooker retains the hardass aspect of the character while becoming the third element of a story of a son and the two father figures in his life. His character rises to the occasion as things go along, and the actor makes it the best performance of the film.

Bradley Cooper does voice duty as Rocket, the genetically engineered cranky alien mercenary who happens to look a lot like a raccoon. He complains, he wonders what his place is among the Guardians, and he takes care of Groot (whose same three words over and over again he understands perfectly well). Rocket’s a formidable character, largely CGI, but Cooper, whose work in live action I generally avoid, gives the voice of the character the right amount of grumpiness (and even poignancy) it requires.

And speaking of vocal roles, the same applies to Vin Diesel, who returns to voice Groot, the walking tree who’s more of a sapling this time out. All we ever hear him say is “I am Groot”, even though in each instance, the meaning of the words are vastly different. The CGI of the sapling Groot (or Baby Groot if you will) renders the character as oddly cute, where the full sized version of the first film was formidable. For Diesel, the challenge would have been in the nuances of a line recorded in post production- what context are those three words used in at any given moment- and in giving Groot a vocal sound that’s quite different from what the actor actually sounds like.

Dave Bautista returns as Drax, and again, proves to be hilarious to watch as he goes along. The character is a warrior sworn to revenge against Thanos (who will eventually turn up big time in the cinematic universe). He’s a formidable looking wall of alien muscle, the sort you wouldn’t want to pick a fight with, which works well for the actor, who comes from that kind of background as a wrestler. Bautista adds into it a certain obliviousness, socially speaking, to personality interaction (Drax can make the whole room feel awkward), and a hint of innocence and heartbreak- there’s a moment when he’s speaking of his late wife that plays to that. He’s also become more invested in the idea of the Guardians as a family.

Zoe Saldana returns as Gamora, the fierce warrior without much of a sense of humour, drawn out of a dark background. She’s resourceful and cunning in a fight, but keeps her guard up, particularly with Nebula (until the walls come down for both of them), but also in a different way with Quill. The actress gives the character a sense of tough fortitude, and a yearning for redemption from her own past. As much of a force of nature as she is in combat, she’s also the voice of reason in this motley team of misfits at times, which is a refreshing touch, and she and Pratt give their characters just the right touch of chemistry.

Chris Pratt reprises the role of Peter Quill, the human who’s spent most of his life out in the stars, abducted in the wake of his mother’s death from cancer, not knowing who his father was, and growing up among inter stellar mercenaries. It’s made him something of a swashbuckler, a dashing charmer who’s trying to be more responsible now. Finding his father- with the mixture of emotions that has to bring- doesn’t quite lead to what he might have expected, which Pratt plays off of. Learning that his half-Celestial side gives him access to great power might seem ideal at first, but ultimately the character’s humanity serves to be his anchor.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 2 serves up more of the irreverent, adventurous tone of the first film, while addressing the idea of what family really means. While its protagonists might bicker endlessly, we can see the informal family they have become, and the story, cosmic in scope but quite personal too, plays to that. It opens new horizons in the Marvel cinematic universe, presents a threat of a formidable scale, and proves to be a thrill ride that mixes together humour and poignancy- sometimes in the same conversation. 

Never Call The Raccoon A Raccoon

Some links before I get started today on this film review, which Norma has reviewed as well. Shelly has a new grandson to celebrate. Check out this museum at Krisztina's page. Yesterday was a Square Dog Friday at Parsnip's blog. And The Whisk asked a pressing question of the gravest importance. 

"The fate of twelve billion people is in your hands." ~ Nova Prime Rael

"So here we are. A thief, two thugs, an assassin, and a maniac. But we're not going to stand by as evil wipes out the galaxy." ~ Star Lord

Guardians Of The Galaxy is the latest in the series of films from Marvel Studios, a space faring romp through the cosmos with a gleefully anarchic sense of fun. Director James Gunn helms the film, working with fellow screenwriter Nicole Perlman in telling a story of a group of misfits out among the stars confronting threats and learning to work together. The roots in comics reach back decades, when a team by that name was first formed in the pages of Marvel comics, having adventures a thousand years in the future. The configuration of these characters, however, goes to the writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, who several years ago were heavily involved in writing the cosmic side of things at Marvel. Abnett and Lanning took a group of star faring characters who had been around at Marvel for years, joining forces and taking the name of the previous team. The core of that group helm this movie, and the film's story owes much to Abnett and Lanning's work. There is an ongoing series being published at the moment with the team, though I advise you to avoid it entirely- it is being written by the worst writer in the industry, a man who just happens to be the best friend of Marvel's head honcho.

The film opens up in the past, when we meet Peter Quill, a boy whose mother has just died. He is abducted by space pirates, led by the alien Yondu (Michael Rooker), and taken into the stars. Years later as an adult, Quill (Chris Pratt) has taken to calling himself Star-Lord and is in the midst of stealing a mysterious orb when he is intercepted by another alien, Korath (Djimon Hounsou). The orb itself, it turns out, happens to contain an Infinity Stone, something that can tend to be very dangerous in the wrong hands. His theft attracts other attention beyond Korath: Gamora the assassin (Zoe Saldana) is dispatched after him.

Two bounty hunter partners, a genetically altered raccoon called Rocket and a walking tree called Groot get mixed up into the mess. The interstellar peacekeeping Nova Corps arrest the lot and throw them into a cosmic prison, the Kyln, where they encounter another entity, Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista). Drax has a grudge or two against Gamora, because of her association with a big bad named Ronan (Lee Pace). Ronan is a particularly nasty fellow (at least in this movie; the comics version has tread the line from acting as an antagonist to an ally). Gamora, however, isn't loyal to Ronan, and the group find themselves banding together, first to escape, and then to deal with the grave threat Ronan and his allies pose against the galaxy as a whole.

Gunn and Perlman's story leans heavily on the influences of Abnett and Lanning, and yet tells a story that stands on its own quite well. It stands apart from the previous Marvel films in that it sets its story out among the stars, and it infuses a sense of humour into the proceedings. This reflects itself in the makeup of the team, who are brought together not particularly in a voluntary way, and bicker with each other all along. It reflects itself in small ways- the incredibly bad taste of music on Quill's Walkman (his mother's musical inclinations, was, in a word, awful), or the way no one takes Quill's personal nickname seriously. Quill himself is written as a rogue, a fish out of water with an influence of Han Solo about him, a snarky and sarcastic character. The snarkiness certainly extends to another member of the team, the cranky Rocket, a motormouth voiced by Bradley Cooper. The story, over all, builds on the classic cinematic notion of a Maguffin (the heretofore mentioned mysterious orb) that everyone wants, and while it has all of the sci-fi action you would expect out of a comic book adaptation, the story has fun with itself, in the way that a good sci-fi film ought to be.

The special effects serve the story well. Having a story set out in the stars offers a variety of realms, and special effects and CGI render these realms in different ways. The world of Xandar, home of the Nova Corps, is an orderly- somewhat too orderly- world, clean and sterile somewhat. Other places are murky, particularly the Kyln or Knowhere, a refuge the team take to. That gloom extends to the lairs of Ronan, or his patron Thanos, who we've seen before. By contrast, the archives of the Collector is a place of the bizarre, and that comes across in the special effects. At times, of course, and that's to be expected in a comic book adaptation, the action can overwhelm the story, with the explosive pyrotechnics you'd expect, but it didn't become tedious at all to me.

Where the CGI and special effects particularly come out so well are in the renderings of two main characters. Groot and Rocket certainly come across as inhabiting the same space as the actors. Part of this might involve motion capture, the techniques being used in The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit films to such good effect. The snarky raccoon very much feels like he's scurrying about on gangways and in starships, just as much as his lumbering partner Groot comes across as a cohesive, real presence in the shots. Best of all- neither of the pair come across in the same obnoxious way as an infamous certain Star Wars character (Jar-Jar Binks, I'm looking at you). 

The cast make the most of their parts. For some it's taking things more seriously (villains tend to be quite serious, after all). For others, they're having something of a romp playing their roles, even if they can't quite show it. Glenn Close turns up as the head of the Nova Corps, and she plays the role with authority, albeit little tolerance and patience for nonsense and backtalk. She certainly comes across as a believable leader, and it's a pleasure to see her playing a very different part from what you might expect. John C. Reilly is one of her lieutenants in the Corps, and he gives his character something of a more sardonic quality. Michael Rooker, a character actor who's been in movies and television for years, plays Yondu with a slightly shifty moral worldview and a gruffness that you'd expect out of the actor from previous roles- but I liked him regardless. Benicio Del Toro returns as the Collector, after an appearance in Thor The Dark World. He's an eccentric sort of character, an elder being of the universe who seems to have a bit of a Liberace flamboyance about him, and a fondness for odd items. He plays the part as the weirdo a comics fan would imagine the Collector to be.

Djimon Hounsou has been around for years as an actor too, playing in historical dramas, action films, and more, often in memorable character roles. He plays the Kree Korath as the capable subordinate to Ronan, and gives him a rather impatient quality. There's an appearance by Josh Brolin as well, doing the voice of Thanos (a villain we'll see again). The character is as menacing as he'll continue to be down the line, and it was a good touch to give him the role. Karen Gillan plays a particularly unhinged character named Nebula. She and Gamora have connections, but are at each other's throats. I haven't seen her in anything before, but she gives Nebula a formidable, manic quality that I liked. Lee Pace has been appearing in The Hobbit films as the elven king Thranduil, and here he plays Ronan with conviction and weight. Ronan as a character has often been a villain, but sometimes not, and Pace gives him a serious, determined, and ruthless quality that you'd expect in an antagonist. His Ronan feels dangerous indeed.

Vin Diesel voices Groot- which is actually an easy job. Probably because Groot actually only speaks three words (though Rocket understands the differing meaning of those three words). I found myself wondering if Diesel got into a recording booth, did a few takes, and was done with his part for the film, or if there was motion capture involved. Bradley Cooper does the voice for Rocket, who tends to chatter a lot. This is a mixed factor for me. I didn't mind Cooper back when he was a cast member of Alias, but at some point after that, when he became famous, I began feeling a profound dislike of the actor. Fame seemed to get to his head, and frankly, the guy comes across as a complete sleazebag. That said, however, I didn't find myself distracted by that dislike. Perhaps just having the voice was a factor in that; I was listening to the character instead of the actor. Had he actively been appearing on screen, I might have felt different, but he does capture the snarkiness and crankiness of Rocket as I would expect.

Dave Bautista comes from a background in professional wrestling, so we're not talking about a formal actor here, but he actually does well as Drax. The character is a blunt force of nature, a wall of muscle driven by the idea of avenging the death of his family. Bautista really does look the part, and gives the character a  threatening, physical presence. Yet there's also in his role a degree of sympathy that we can relate to. There is much tragedy in the man, and Bautista conveys that. It's actually a surprise, because I wouldn't have expected that of a wrestler.

Zoe Saldana has been doing quite a bit of sci-fi in the last few years. She was in that miserable wretched excuse for a blockbuster otherwise known as Avatar (what can I say? I hate Avatar), and she's been a key player in the two Star Trek reboots under director J.J. Abrams. She plays Gamora as I would expect. The character is a thoroughly dangerous woman, and yet with multiple layers. She keeps much to herself, and yet is driven by a conscience and awareness of the right thing to do. She guards herself closely, but acts with courage and without hesitation when the stakes are high. Gamora finds herself puzzled by her comrades at times, impatient at others, and Saldana conveys these qualities in her performance, grounding the role in the character's need for redemption. She also brings good chemistry to her role with the last of the major players.

This is actually the first time I've seen Chris Pratt in any role. He's been on the series Parks And Recreation for years, and a look at his filmography reveals that he was in the tense Zero Dark Thirty film, but I have never seen his work. He plays the part with sarcastic glee, starting off as a man out of his element, out for himself. Placed into a crisis, however, he seems to come into his own, finding a sense of meaning for himself. He certainly exercises some of the disdain for authority that you would expect in Han Solo, for example, and I liked that, but when push comes to shove, he gives Quill a sense of leadership that feels natural for the progression of the story. Pratt's performance becomes part of the fun of the film, and a nice revelation to the viewer who's first being introduced to him as an actor.

Guardians Of The Galaxy especially cranks up the sense of fun at the box office. It features a motley group of misfits thrown into cosmic stakes danger, moves the story along at a brisk pace, and brings a good sense of humour to the proceedings. I had fun with this film; I think you will too. Even if the post-credits sequence features an extremely unwelcome character that should be cast into a black hole with all possible speed.