2023 marked the end of Guardians of the Galaxy as the ragtag group finalized their story in Vol.3. When the original concept of the Marvel property was announced, there was initial uncertainty over the premise. Guardians of the Galaxy was simply weird. It has a talking tree and a gun-blazing raccoon! Still, James Gunn managed to shock the fans by crafting the best origin story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date.
The misadventure follows Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), who finds himself in trouble with fellow bounty hunters after he steals an orb coveted by Ronan. To evade the powerful villain, Quill sides with four misfits: gun-toting Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper), treelike-humanoid Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), enigmatic Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and vengeance-driven Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista). Though the Guardians of the Galaxy is finished, the series has left an unforgettable mark on the entire MCU.
The Story Is Similar Yet Different In Many Different Areas
The story of Ronan is nothing new in the MCU canon: an evil bad guy who wants to destroy the world. There’s simply not much depth behind the layers of his character and though he’s a huge threat, Ronan doesn’t make much of a splash overall. Still, despite the villain being generic, the Guardians of the Galaxy is the first Marvel story to focus on anti-heroes.
Peter, Drax, Gamora, Rocket, and Groot are all criminals. It’s genuinely fun to follow the misadventures of this group because their personalities pop. The first act sees Peter, Rocket, Gamora, and Groot fighting it out for the orb is wildly entertaining. It helps showcase the unique technology set in Guardians of the Galaxy and allows audiences to see the diverse world within the film.
The prison sequence pitting these bands of heroes together is equally fun. The best moment out of this sequence is Rocket and Groot blasting away as everyone else scrambles to complete their objective. Guardians of the Galaxy has an interesting mix of Star Wars and The Magnificent Seven that works greatly under the Marvel banner.
The Characters Are Incredible
Guardians of the Galaxy makes sure the characters are fleshed out like real human beings. Quill’s love for classic pop tunes is an endearing element, especially after witnessing the death of his mother in the beginning. His venture into being a bounty hunter makes sense: he feels lost and finds a family with Yondu Udonta, even though everyone else in the tribe wants to eat him.
The partnership of Groot and Rocket helps both characters get over. The former may say the same three words over and over again throughout a good portion of the film, but his final three words before dying in the climax were gut-wrenching because of the bond they shared throughout. Every character in the Guardians of the Galaxy has a strong purpose. Gamora wanted to finally get away from her father. Drax was seeking revenge for the loss of his wife and daughter.
That’s hard to pull off in a team-up film. The downside is that EVERYONE has a tragic past, which isn’t necessary to make a compelling character. That segment of exposition also felt forced and unnatural. However, it helped fully develop these characters and you genuinely like everyone on the Guardians team.
Why Guardians of the Galaxy Is The Best Origin Film To Date
The film follows a path that was unlike any other Marvel property before it. A talking tree and a gun-toting raccoon shouldn’t work. But it does. James Gunn doesn’t necessarily revel in the strangeness of the world. He wisely focuses on the humanity behind it. Every character has a relatable quirk that audiences can connect with. Gunn does an excellent job of immersing audiences in the Guardians universe. Other origin stories have a typical superhero formula that feels copied and pasted in the genre at this point. Guardians tosses that aside to deliver a special film with a cast of engaging characters and fun, stylish action. It’s by no means perfect, but The Guardians of the Galaxy remains the best Marvel origin film so far.
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