Guardians of the Galaxy was initially seen as a huge gamble for Marvel Studios, but the project has since surpassed all expectations, breaking records left, right and center to become the biggest movie of the year so far. Critics and fans alike have raved about Guardians of the Galaxy ever since it first opened at the beginning of August, but how did a relatively unknown director like James Gunn achieve such a feat?
Gunn openly admits that he sought to emulate the fun-loving tone of his favorite movies from the 1980’s, including franchises like Indiana Jones and Star Wars. In fact, Gunn’s admiration for Star Wars may have affected the development of Guardians of the Galaxy even more than the director realized, to the point where many critics are now labelling the film as the Star Wars of this generation.
It’s easy to see why, too. A group of outlaw rebels banded together to save the universe? Check. A fascist threat led by a dark overlord in his spaceship? Double check. A pit stop at a shady bar filled with undesirables from across the galaxy? Check, check and mate.
Guardians of the Galaxy is not only inspired by Star Wars, but actually feels like a spiritual sequel which has simply expanded into the Marvel Universe. Some may argue that this is unoriginal filmmaking at best and outright theft at worst, but there’s one key issue that negates this viewpoint…
And that is Guardians of the Galaxy actually does some things better than Star Wars.
We’re not saying that Star Wars is bad, or even that Guardians of the Galaxy is better, but what James Gunn has done with this movie is adopt a similar formula and actually improve upon certain key elements. In case you’re wondering, we’re not just talking about the Star Wars prequels either…
Join us as we take a look at five things that Guardians of the Galaxy does better than the entire Star Wars franchise, including the classic originals.