It’s hard to believe it’s been more than ten years since the Guardians of the Galaxy joined the MCU. Once considered heroes too obscure for the big screen, the lovable team of troublemakers have become some of the most treasured characters in this galaxy or any other. The success of this space adventure gamble paid off by grossing over $333 million domestically.
The popularity of these space adventurers hasn’t waned since their release, spawning two sequels, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and team-ups in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Even after their swan song under the direction of James Gunn, fans still have hope that some form of the team may reassemble for future volumes of chaotic fun. Here’s a look at some of the top reasons Guardians of the Galaxy still resonates with fans.
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
Guardians of the Galaxy
PG-13
Action Science Fiction Adventure9.3/10
- Release Date
- August 1, 2014
- Runtime
- 121 minutes
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
A group of intergalactic criminals must pull together to stop a fanatical warrior with plans to purge the universe.
- Cast
- Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio Del Toro, Laura Haddock, Sean Gunn, Peter Serafinowicz, Christopher Fairbank, Krystian Godlewski, Wyatt Oleff, Gregg Henry, Janis Ahern, Solomon Mousley, Lindsay Morton, Robert Firth, Melia Kreiling, Tom Proctor
- Director
- James Gunn
- Writers
- Nicole Perlman, James Gunn
- Producers
- Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Nik Korda, Stan Lee, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham
- Main Genre
- Action
- Character(s)
- Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Groot (voice), Rocket (voice), Ronan, Yondu Udonta, Nebula, Korath, Corpsman Dey, Nova Prime, The Collector, Meredith Quill, Kraglin / On Set Rocket, Denarian Saal, The Broker, On Set Groot, Young Quill, Grandpa, Meredith's Mother, Meredith's Brother, Meredith's Best Friend, Dr. Fitzgibbon, Bereet, Horuz
10 A True Underdog Story
Expectations were low for the talking raccoon movie.
In 2014, characters like Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) were far from household names and the last comic book heroes film executives would want to take a gamble on. The announcement of a Guardians of the Galaxy film was met with skepticism, which wasn’t out of line considering how little Marvel fans were familiar with the intellectual property. The news that indie film director James Gunn would be behind the camera didn’t assuage concerns that Marvel was making a big mistake with their next movie.
They were their own unique team of oddballs, and that’s what made them special.
Much like the heroes themselves, the movie was written off as a weird experiment before waiting to see the end result. It was an underdog story behind the scenes and on the screen, but like the Guardians of the Galaxy themselves, they were ready to defy expectations. In the end, fans were right; these unfamiliar space heroes were not like The Avengers. They were their own unique team of oddballs, and that’s what made them special.
9 The Soundtrack
Every track spoke to a moment in time.
Licensed music can be a trap that ages a movie years later, but by making the soundtrack a collection of 70’s era hits, the space adventure immediately has a retro feel that, set against the space backdrop, creates a moment out of time. Whether it was “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone blasting joyously against Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) dancing in the ruins of a destroyed civilization or a new family enjoying a warm moment with “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell playing to mark the occasion, the song selections are perfection.
...The audience has a closer connection without a line of exposition needed to explain Peter's mood.
By incorporating the music Peter is listening to as the soundtrack, the audience has a closer connection without a line of exposition needed to explain his mood. When we learn why the tape is so important to Peter and the memory of his mother, every song hits differently the second time the movie is watched. It’s one of the most brilliant ways of incorporating music into a film.
8 Satisfying Character Development
Being an outlaw didn't stunt emotional growth.
A hero’s journey is usually expedited in a superhero film, with the protagonist quickly accepting their role as a protector, but the Guardians' path to noble heroics is a longer journey that feels earned by the end. Peter is a criminal, Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) is a deadly warrior, Rocket and Groot (Vin Diesel) are cynical bounty hunters, and Drax is a ball of rage and pain who finds comfort in causing the same in others. None were going to be first in line for Avengers’ memberships.
...Over the course of their adventure, these misfits find something larger than their own self-interests to fight for...
The Guardians don’t like one another in the beginning, and they don’t particularly like themselves either. Each member of the Guardians has more or less resigned themselves to their fates and doesn’t expect much from themselves or those they interact with. However, over the course of their adventure, these misfits find something larger than their own self-interests to fight for and begin to care about one another in a way that feels authentic.
7 The High Stakes
With friends like cannibals, who needs enemies?
Yondu (Michael Rooker) repeatedly tells Peter he should be thankful the Ravagers didn’t eat him, and even though it’s a joke, it does inform the world in which they live. People die, and it’s usually painful. There’s always the implied threat of death in any superhero film, but violence is used in Guardians to properly set the stakes and create a dangerous environment for our heroes to navigate.
...Violence is used in Guardians to properly set the stakes and create a dangerous environment for our heroes to navigate.
The first time the audience sees Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), he cuts the typical villainous monologue short to viciously execute a Xandarian by flattening their head with a large hammer. Ronin doesn’t want money or prizes of vanity; he wants to wipe a race of aliens from existence. By the time the Guardians agree to make a last stand against Ronan, the proper groundwork has been laid to establish that they assume their attempt is a guaranteed suicide mission. A mission in which they don’t all survive. (RIP OG Groot!)
6 A Fully-Realized World
Marvel successfully went to space.
There was heavy lifting to be done in Guardians of the Galaxy, because up to this point in the MCU, audiences hadn’t been taken into space and seen the lesser-known characters in Marvel Comics. The Avengers gave Marvel fans a glimpse of what existed outside of Earth’s atmosphere, but Guardians of the Galaxy kicked the door wide open to show the colorful possibilities beyond. Gunn wasn’t introducing a new team; he was debuting a new world.
...Guardians of the Galaxy kicked the door wide open to show the colorful possibilities beyond.
From the different races of aliens to their political struggles with each other, Guardians of the Galaxy existed in a new, living, breathing galaxy home to multiple planets and exotic customs. The film was an ambitious undertaking of creativity that took the time to craft the small details– from how the spaceships served different functions to the alien technologies that influenced the characters' day-to-day lives.
5 Incredible Action Scenes
The action of the movie told a story.
A comic book movie wouldn’t be doing its job unless it included memorable action, and Guardians of the Galaxy doesn’t disappoint. Whether it was aerial dogfights or an introductory fight between the Guardians meeting for the first time, there was never a shortage of action. But rather than simply settle for gratuitous action scenes, each conflict continued the story and built on the characters.
...Elaborate choreography that takes into account the importance of demonstrating each character's individual strengths.
Pick any action scene in Guardians, and it will likely put its peers to shame in terms of elaborate choreography that takes into account the importance of demonstrating each character's individual strengths. The prison breakout scene is a mini-movie unto itself that combines action and humor while also giving the characters moments to interact with one another in ways that influence their relationship going forward.
4 The Humor
'Guardians' brought real authentic laughs.
Future volumes of Guardians of the Galaxy would explore darker themes and put the characters in more personally painful situations, but the first film in the trilogy carries a loose spirit of fun and discovery. It’s a movie that re-creates the excitement of flipping through a 70s-era space comic book with colorful art and imaginative creatures, but with an added touch of modern comedy to create something entirely new.
...The majority of the humor in the film comes from strong characters interacting with one another to cause friction in a lighthearted way.
Humor in Marvel movies can sometimes be sprayed on like cologne on a prom date; the idea is nice, but the execution makes anyone within proximity grimace. There are jokes in Guardians of the Galaxy, but the majority of the humor in the film comes from strong characters interacting with one another to cause friction in a lighthearted way. The humor in Guardians doesn’t take away from the action; it helps to build the characters in a meaningful way.
3 The Ensemble of 'Guardians of the Galaxy'
They are Groot.
The comic book version of Guardians of the Galaxy featured various heroes stepping in as members of the team. Gunn cherry-picked and developed a perfect group to represent the Guardians in their first feature film, making sure each had their own dynamic personality. From the cocky swagger of Peter Quill to the stoic, stern gaze of Drax, each member compliments the team in a unique way to create a one-of-a-kind chemistry.
...The film makes sure to spotlight each of the characters' values in a meaningful way.
The Guardians of the Galaxy are so evenly represented that each moviegoer can have a different character as their favorite, and they all have equally valid reasons for believing so. There’s not a weak link in the group, and the film makes sure to spotlight each of the characters' values in a meaningful way. They all have unique abilities that serve them well as individuals, but when they come together as a team, they are unstoppable.
2 James Gunn
A talented voice got their biggest break.
While Gunn may have seemed an unlikely choice to helm a big-budget space opera, he turned out to be the perfect man for the job. Previously known for his work directing the dark superhero comedy Super and the creature feature horror flick Slither, Guardians would be the biggest film in his career. Gunn used his ability to take characters that would otherwise be passed over and develop them into three-dimensional characters with wants and desires that made them identifiable fan favorites.
Gunn used his ability to take characters that would otherwise be passed over and develop them into three-dimensional characters...
Gunn has a great ear for dialogue and is able to place comedy organically within a scene to great effect, creating a trademark style that has influenced multiple superhero films, especially ones involving unlikely teams of heroes. As his body of work has grown, Gunn’s voice continues to develop and mature into one of Hollywood’s most original creators. It’s no surprise that his abilities as a storyteller and his knowledge of pop culture have put him in a position to shape the future of DC movies.
1 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Has a Ton of Heart
These guys frickin' love each other!
A year before Guardians of the Galaxy came out, there were likely people in comic book stores saying, “Oh, is that the movie with a tree guy?” Fast-forward to a year later, and that same person would be sniffling in the theater because the tree guy gave his life to save the team. Because the movie prioritizes character over spectacle, a real emotional attachment is developed between the moviegoer and the aliens who make up the guardians.
Likewise, Peter’s relationship with his mother and his regret over not saying goodbye leads to emotionally powerful scenes. Pratt’s hesitation and tearful reaction to opening his mother’s last gift is a touching moment that succeeds in being a quiet and personal acceptance of loss. Guardians of the Galaxy avoids schmaltzy emotional manipulation, focusing instead on telling the best possible story with relatable characters viewers care about.
NEXT: The 10 Most Rewatchable Movie Trilogies, Ranked
