Guardians of the Galaxy: Indiana Jones + Star Wars + Comic Books = Awesome!

While I knew very little of the current Guardians of the Galaxy team before seeing the trailer, I have had very high hopes for this film and it somehow managed to exceed them.  In a way, that is to be expected; it is a team of comic book heroes that combines Star Wars with Raiders of the Lost Ark. There is no better recipe for a film that Scott will love! On the other hand, many lesser films have tried and failed in the past  to create this formula and the results are usually a dismal failure(Ice Pirates, anyone?). Fortunately, James Gunn is just the mad genius to pull this off.

Chris Pratt's Star-Lord manages to successfully merge Luke Skywalker and Han Solo into one character (which would actually make his most direct cinematic predecessor Bill Pullman's Lone Star from Mel Brooks' Spaceballs). Pratt is the perfect mix of comic charm and wide-eyed enthusiasm to make this character work.  Rocket could very easily have fallen into being mere comic-relief (unintentionally if not done well) but Gunn goes deeper with the character.  He doesn't even waste time doing this; all the depth Rocket needs is established by allowing us to linger for a few seconds on the character's bare-back to see the remnants of the experiments that made him what he is.  Sure, the character makes you laugh but you're always laughing with him or because of him, never at him. Zoe Saldana's Gamora successfully passes the Sexy Lamp Test ... even if only barely (maybe she'll get a bit more development in the sequel).  At first, Dave Bautista's performance as Drax the Destroyer may seem bit wooden  but, as we soon learn that his species is one that sees the world only in the most literal sense, it actually makes sense in a way.  And Groot, well, Groot is probably the most lovable sidekick to grace a space opera since R2-D2.

What more can I say other than the film manages to work on every level: it moves at a lightning pace but still manages to give us enough character development for us to be emotionally invested.  It's fun and funny and never takes itself too seriously.  It might be the best movie yet from the Marvel Cinematic Universe but, it doesn't even need to exist in that world; it's great on its own merits.

Also: Best. Soundtrack. Ever! (well, maybe not EVER but... still... pretty damned good).  American Hustle drew songs from roughly the same era but Guardians' soundtrack crushes them like a grape: David Bowie's "Moonage Daydream" played over the team touching down in KNOWHERE (the decapitated head of an ancient 'Celestial' giant)?  Yes, please! The Runaways' "Cherry Bomb" as the team suits up for the climactic battle?  I'll take two!  And just wait until you see how "Ooh, Child" is used!

Sure, Guardians of the Galaxy may have been conceived as a way to introduce the cosmic elements of the Marvel universe to movie-goers, but the film manages to do so much more.  In fact, this might be the finest Space Opera to hit since a little story that took place a "A Long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...."  I've said it before, I'll say it again, JJ Abrams had best be taking notes; THIS is your competition.

MAJOR SPOILER: So, does the post-credit scene mean we finally might get a good Howard the Duck movie?

Thor: The Dark World

This movie should have been a mess. It draws inspiration from Walt Simonson's seminal 1980's run on the Thor comic which was an odd blend of sci-fi, superheroes, and sword and sorcery.  Pulling off a concept such as this in a big-budget blockbuster is a challenge to say the least but, somehow, it works.

The film clocks in at just under 2 hours but it certainly feels longer.  It doesn't exactly drag but there is a lot of plot packed into that time. Some might even say the plot is overly complicated or convoluted. Fortunately, Thor: the Dark World has one overwhelmingly positive trait that allows you to look past its flaws: it's fun! In fact, while it is not the best Marvel movie by a long shot, it might be the most fun outside of Avengers. Not to mention the fact that, despite having neither Robert Downey Jr. or Joss Whedon, it still manages to have the sharpest wit of any of the films (with the possible exception of Avengers).

After the in-depth character study that was Iron Man 3, Thor: the Dark World comes as a refreshing surprise.  After all, you can look under the armor and explore who Tony Stark really is but, with Thor, there is no need; Thor, simply, is Thor.  These characters are gods and, therefore, archetypes.  They aren't meant to be multifaceted.  That doesn't mean that they aren't without complexity and the familial relationship between Thor, his brother, Loki, and the Asgardian royal family is mined to give the story some emotional depth but, at the end of the day, Thor is still the noble warrior and protector and Loki is still the treacherous villain. No in-depth psychological profiles are needed. 

It surpasses its predecessor in every way.  Mostly, it does this by taking the parts of that movie that worked best (Asgard and Thor smashing things with his hammer) and gives us a lot more of those.  In the case of Asgard, while the first film was about 30% Asgard, 70% Earth, Thor: The Dark World doesn't just reverse that dynamic but does it one better with a ratio of about 80% Asgard versus 20% earth.  Most of the earthbound sequences involve a lighthearted sub-plot featuring Darcy, her intern (yes, the intern gets her own intern), and Eric Selvigg trying to re-establish a link with Asgard.  It's welcome comic relief and helps keep the film grounded whenever it verges on becoming a bit heavy handed.

 The cast is excellent; I found Kat Dennings delightful as Darcy (which only serves as a testament to how truly bad Two Broke Girls must really be as I can't make it through 5 minutes of that show without wanting to claw my eyes out) and, of course, Tom Hiddleston steals every scene he's in as Loki.  Stellan Skaarsgard also provides a lot of the film's laughs, reprising his role as Erik Selvigg from the first Thor and Avengers and showing that not every mortal who finds himself caught up in superheroics manages to come out of things with all of their faculties in place.

The film looks awesome as well.  A lot of big budget blockbusters have been skimping when it comes to cinematography but not Thor: The Dark World; it is probably the most visually striking of any of the Marvel movies.

At the end of the day, Thor: The Dark World is by no means a work of art but it certainly is a lot of fun.

After Credit Thoughts: The after-credit scenes, which have now become ubiquitous in the Marvel movies, have now taken on a new role.  There is now a 'mid-credits' scene (the one that takes place right after the main credit sequence).  This started with the Thanos tease in Avengers and usually serves to tease a future film.  This allows the audience to leave the theater without feeling that they are missing something (with Thor: TDW it is a tease for next summer's Guardians of the Galaxy).  There is then another 'post-credits' sequence that is mostly a little something extra for the fans; the schwarma  scene from Avengers, Tony Stark's 'therapy' scene from Iron Man 3, and, for Thor: TDW, I'll just say stick around for the super-happy ending of the movie.