Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) also known as Star Lord and inhabitant of Earth, leads a criminal life through the entire galaxy. His life become seriously threatened after he finds an orb. Indeed, the Machiavellian Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) sent his men to chase Quill in order to get the powerful orb. On his path to save his own life, Peter meets his future companions: Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Groot (Vin Diesel) and Rocket (Bradley Cooper). After some struggle to get together, the five acolytes have to collaborate together when Ronan gets the orb to destroy the whole universe. They become intergalactic heroes, known as the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Guardians of the Galaxy, directed by James Gunn, is a delightful film which perfectly completes its entertaining mission. Although, the film revolves around the comedy tied to the characters and situations, it also conveys an important message about those defined as socially deviant. The film promotes the idea that people who commit minor crimes deserve, in some cases, a second chance. This is the case of Quill who, despite his criminal actions, is portrayed as a man who is ready to die to save the life of someone he only met some days ago. Guardians of the Galaxy humanises outlaws which often get demonised and considered as serious threats in our society. This message echoes real-life issues and gives the film its superior and astonishing quality. For once, the heroes featuring in the film are not completely heroes. They are far from being the good guys to begin with. On the contrary, they rather appear selfish and ruthless. They are seen by the entire galaxy as losers or threats which need to be excluded and isolated from society. And yet, they turn out to be the great saviours of the whole universe. These outlaws are in fact good people, ready to sacrifice their own lives to save a galaxy which does everything to eliminate them. By positively depicting those usually rejected in society, not only does Guardians of the Galaxy avoid simplistic representations of criminals as being incapable of changing, it also challenges dominant myths and beliefs.
Furthermore, the excellent sense of humour displayed in the film, through perfectly measured jokes, clearly contributes to the popular success of Guardians of the Galaxy. On this aspect, two characters stand out from the rest: Groot and Rocket. Whilst the former provokes laugh by his only line (“I am Groot”), reminding of a certain Hodor, the latter brings some comical force to the film with his sarcasm. No need to add that the friendship between these two protagonists manages to touch viewers. Also, the film is greatly enjoyable to watch for the popular culture references.
In brief, Guardians of the Galaxy is an entertaining and funny film celebrating the bravery and friendship of five outlaws seen as losers by others.
Not just a film 