Posted in: Movies | Tagged: bradley cooper, chris pratt, dave bautista, entertainment, film, guardians of the galaxy, IMAX, james gunn, vin diesel, zoe saldana

Why Guardians of the Galaxy In IMAX May Be The Most (Blockbuster) Fun You'll Have This Year

By Abdulkareem Baba Aminu

When a friend called to say he's got me a ticket to an IMAX screening of Guardians of the Galaxy, of course I dropped everything and boy, am I glad I did! We all know the plot of the movie by now, but: Chris Pratt (from TV's Parks and Recreation) is Sony Walkman-carrying intergalactic freebooter Peter Quill, who has found an orb that is wanted by many a villain. Along the way, he meets and eventually befriends Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper). And so on…

[*Spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy below!]

For starters, the world(s) where Guardians takes place on are well-realised. The first action scene which involves a mini-heist, a fight and a daring getaway, all took place on a planet that is entirely in ruins and the action is framed beautifully. Next up is the giant space prison Knowhere, appropriately grimy, aiding and abetting the colourful characters within do justice to the misadventures that unfold within. Even the severed head of a Celestial shows up in the most ingenious utilisation one could imagine. And then there are the spaceship dogfights, as well as the attack by Ronan the Accuser on the entire Nova Corps where a viewer would almost get vertigo.

Truth is, for me, countless scenes translated impressively into the IMAX format. Granted, the space setting of the film and the super-powered, mostly alien characters help in that regard. But director James Gunn is very much in charge here, aided by drama, action, one-liners, quips and witty banter.

Yes, the film is a stunning visual feast, but it's got heart, as it's also an emotional journey for most of the main characters. From the opening sobs of young, bereaved Peter Quill in the beginning to Rocket's tears after a compadre seemingly bites the bullet, the film proves to be quite the tear-jerker.

Also noteworthy is how the movie distributes face-time to various characters evenly, without over-focusing on, say, Rocket Raccoon for loads of time as promo buzz would have you believe. Everyone's a star here and it's truly an ensemble cast. With the exception of Thanos, no other pre-established Marvel movie character shows up. No, The Collector doesn't count, as he's only been in a post-credits scene. This only goes to show how much of its own animal Guardians is. Speaking of animals, the Howard the Duck end-credits scene is the only part of the movie that didn't work for me, coming across as pointless even. Only die-hard fans need be bothered.

I overheard one movie-goer next to me telling his friend that he would still watch the movie again in regular format, saying IMAX was "way too much fun" and he needed to watch it in regular format. I must say I agreed with him, and have so far done so twice so I'm going to declare that both formats meant two different, enjoyable experiences.

The movie itself – while being a little too self-aware in some places and perhaps missing a few character beats – was still solid entertainment with a tone that's unique from other Marvel fare. It's certainly the most fun I've had watching a movie from the studio since The Avengers, as well as the most fun I've had watching one this year so far. There, I said it.

Abdulkareem Baba Aminu is a Bleeding Cool contributor, newspaper editor, award-winning journalist, cartoonist, comic book creator and painter. The Nigeria-based writer has reviewed comics, novels, movies and music for a variety of platforms. He is currently the Editor of the Saturday edition of the Daily Trust, one of the most influential newspapers in his country. You can follow him on Twitter @KareemReal

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