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davidahallnum5
Apr 28, 20239 min read

Guardians of the Galaxy 3D Blu-ray Review

MOVIE REVIEW

Guardians of the Galaxy is a 2014 Marvel film centered around five unusual individuals from different corners of space who meet in the most unlikely of circumstances. The story's main character is Peter Quill, an intergalactic outlaw who was carried into space as a boy and has since then been running from the law. But when he gets his hands on an orb that is being looked for by the powerful and violent Ronan, he soon encounters a green alien woman named Gamora who is on the run from her father Thanos, a talking racoon named Rocket who has a knack for inventing things and getting out of tough situations, his sidekick, a humanoid tree named Groot, and a vengeful but dimwitted prisoner named Drax who has a score to settle with Ronan. After learning about the malicious reason Ronan intends to get the orb, they must learn to set aside their differences and work together to defeat a threat that could potentially mean the end of entire galactic civilizations.

It's honestly a bit of a surreal experience going back and watching many of the pre-Endgame Marvel movies years after the Infinity Saga came to a close. Watching them doesn't necessarily bring a feeling of nostalgia, but a remembrance that throughout the years of Marvel has been around, the main draw of these films was the overarching story they were telling and the anticipation that each movie built up for the next movie. However, now that the Endgame has come and gone, any re-watch value we have for these films has to do with how well they work as individual standalone adventures. Theoretically, movies like these should have "expiration dates" on them. But surprisingly, not only do most Marvel films of this sort hold up very well, but the best of them make for some of the greatest action/superhero movies of all time. Case in point, Guardians of the Galaxy.

I'd probably be a bit stretching it to say that Guardians is a five out of five cinematic masterpiece. But it comes pretty darn near close. Not only does it bring together several different characters together in one of the most entertaining superhero movie fashions out there, but unlike the Avengers, it pulls them from one of Marvel's more obscure comic books. Typically, something of that sort would make for a modest critical and box-office success in the best of situations. But the slick direction of James Gunn combined with the well-written and enjoyable characters make it feel like a movie that the MCU couldn't live without.

This movie is considered the film that widened the scope of the MCU to a galaxy-wide adventure. However, it still feels a part of the exact same universe because it uses everything that has made Marvel films work in the past from the expensive set-pieces, the drama, the balance between the comedic moments and serious moments, the memorable interactions between the characters, and of course, the epic action-packed third act. But even better, Guardians manages to ramp all of those aspects up to 11 while along the way, still establishing its own unique style. The film delivers an ample amount of comedy, and it does so by playing off the strengths and weaknesses of the surrounding main characters. There aren't any particular one-liners or much in the way of funny "parts." But the things these unconventional people say and do and the way they react to their environment gives the film a light-heartedness that works extremely well with the film. At the same time, though, Gunn knows when to pull the comedy back and let the dramatic and emotional moments sink in. The dynamic between comedy and seriousness of the film makes Guardians an entertaining and sometimes impactful experience. That, and so do the action and visual effects that are up to date for 2014.

But like I said before, what makes the movie the most memorable is the cast of characters, which all bounce off of each other in fun ways. What surprises me the most, though, is just how three-dimensional the people are, especially for their first movie. Whenever Yondu and Quill interact with each other, you feel as if they've known each other for years, even though we've never seen any of those years. When Gamora talks about her father, you can tell there's an entire story behind the person she has become. Even Drax and Rocket are a bit understandable in their selfish actions, even as the movie points out the ridiculousness of them. However, the characters are not islands in the wide void of space. Everyone's story arcs comes together in a satisfying way as they work to defeat a common threat and learn that if they hope to do so, they'll have to respect one another and move past their individual faults.

All of the things I mentioned above probably sound like a standard superhero assembly movie like the Avengers. But while that movie took several films to build up and is an overall bigger story in general to get across, Guardians manages to work in its own way, combining the grand scale and stakes of the story with its own style, characters, humor, and drama. Aside from the Infinity films, this is my personal favorite film in the MCU. In terms of Marvel movies, Guardians of the Galaxy is what you call "the whole package," giving you everything you want and need from a superhero movie like this and even going a bit beyond. What more can I say? If you haven't seen this superhero classic, do yourself a favor and check it out. And if you have seen it before but haven't watched it in a long time, once again, I highly recommend you do so. You'll be surprised at just how well this flick holds up as its own story even after much of the MCU hype has worn down.


OVERALL FILM RATING: 4.5/5


3D REVIEW

The no-so-good news: after re-watch, I've noticed that the 3D on Guardians of the Galaxy is a couple notches below its successor. The good news: Guardians still not only holds up to be a fantastic 3D presentation, but also one of the best 3D movies I've seen come out of the MCU. I know that's probably not saying as much now as it used to when films like Thor: Ragnarok were still in development that would later use the 3D to better advantage. But my point still stands: Guardians of the Galaxy is a stunner in the third dimension.

Where do I begin on this one? For starters, yes, the 3D is strong throughout, save for a couple flat shots when the camera goes into wide view. But what elevates Guardians above the rest of the MCU movies in terms of 3D is just how well its setting works with the format. You have surreal alien worlds, alien technologies, shots of deep space, and fluid chase sequences. And its switch from 2.39.1 to the IMAX ratios during the bigger scenes only helps make the film even more immersive. Even in its more modest scenes, though, the strong 3D doesn't back down, allowing for clear space between the characters and their environment. In shots down corridors, in public spaces, small rooms, and anywhere characters interact with one another, you feel the weight of the the environment around them. While I wouldn't say the 3D composition in many of the modest scenes is anything to brag about, there are some noteworthy moments where the strong depth is well-taken advantage of. In the large prison, the size and scale of the prison room is made much more apparent in three-dimensions. There are some neat moments that involves gates and fences. However, a few shots that really stood out to me involved a long distance shot of a story character who appears in the film for the first time, scenes that feature holograms, and shots that take place inside of Ronan's spaceship.

However, you don't come to Guardians of the Galaxy in 3D because of how well it works in the smaller scenes, but because of how well it works during the bigger parts. And to that, Guardians brings us some of the best 3D money can buy. Some of the greatest scenes in the film occur whenever the camera captures views of outer space or anything gigantic. And this isn't like Avatar where the shots will just go flat. Here, Guardians pushes the depth as far as it'll go, and the results are mesmerizing. This is the kind of 3D where you can tell the distance between planets in the background, or between giant celestial objects and other objects in the background. Giant structures like the space prison, the nova corp, cities, and Yondu's ship all look enormous in the grand third-dimension. But one of my favorite examples of just how effective the 3D is at creating a sense of endless space is during a scene on Knowhere when Peter is standing out on a balcony having a moment with Gamora. Not only does the composition in some shots allow the foreground to shine, but it also emphasizes the deep void of space they're in.

Even in the more close up moments, the alien world of Guardians works well with the added 3D. Spaceships carry great three-dimensional shape, structures indoors and outdoors have similar looks, and planet surfaces can allow for some fun 3D composition. And the movie is never afraid to have fun with it. We get everything from flight sequences involving numerous spaceships, debris flying in, out and around the screen, fight scenes with lasers and guns, zero-gravity shots with floating objects, and even a nice moment where Groot lets out a bunch of floating glowing seeds to light up a dark area (in kinda almost reminds me of a similar scene from Avatar). The action takes on a whole new form in 3D. As far as pop outs go, a lot of them overlap with the things I had just mentioned above. But still, we get everything from holograms to weapons to guns to characters to characters' faces to debris to dirt to lasers to water to surrounding structures to even a troll doll at one moment. Do they come quite as frequently or as fun as they do in the second movie? Probably not. But that doesn't prevent Guardians from delivering plenty of good pop outs thrills. And sometimes, you'll even get an occasional moment where some liquid or a creature will even break the aspect.

If I had anything to complain about with the film's 3D, it would probably be that there are a handful of scenes, particularly near the beginning, that were pretty dimly lit. It never caused any sort of health issues and I personally wasn't bothered all that much by it. But whereas the second film opened up with bright and vibrant colors, this film keeps you waiting a bit for the brightness to get at levels your eyes could stand to look at for the film's two-hour runtime.

Besides that minor gripe, Guardians of the Galaxy is a must-see 3D presentation. Just like the film itself, it delivers all you want from a superhero action adventure movie set in space. And just like the movie itself, it delivers much more depth and overall fun than it has any right to. Sure, Marvel has created better 3D movies since 2014. But even then, Guardians still holds up extremely well in today's picture-perfect 3D landscape. Does the film need 3D to be fully appreciated as a story the same way Avatar and Gravity do? No. But for a film that's as much about being a fun ride as it is about delivering a good story, 3D is definitely the definitive way to experience the movie. If you enjoy 3D movies, this one deserves a spot in your collection.


3D RATING: EXCELLENT


OTHER SOURCES THAT REVIEW THIS MOVIE'S 3D:






FINAL THOUGHTS


Guardians of the Galaxy is just a plumb good Marvel movie. It delivers great characters, action, and a high-stakes story that all come together in a plenty satisfying way. And for a movie that introduces Marvel heroes that we've never seen on the big screen before, the fact that Guardians does it so effortlessly and fun makes it feel almost like a cinematic miracle. It's a simple but highly effective good time for Marvel fans and casual moviegoers alike. And the only thing that helps it reach its true potential is, you guessed it, 3D. With James Gunn being part of the 3D post-conversion process, he makes sure the 3D doesn't distract from the story but still excellently delivers the goods. And I'll say he did a fantastic job. This is one of those films I wish I caught on the IMAX 3D screen when it was released. The universe of this film is much too big for your 3D TV at home. Still, if you don't own the 3D Blu-ray for this film, 3D fanatic, Marvel fanatic, casual 3D moviegoer or what, do yourself a favor and pick this up. It's that good a movie and that good a 3D presentation to not check out. And it'll demand repeated viewings.


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