Main takeaways from 'Guardians of the Galaxy' 17-min extended preview
GuThe need for this type of extended first-look of Marvel's tent pole summer release is simple: virtually no one in the general public knows anything the "Guardians of the Galaxy."
While the general public might not have been familiar with Thor or Iron Man prior to their big-screen debuts - but even casual movie goers were probably at least sorta aware of Captain America or the Hulk.
But even most hardcore comic nerds would be hard-pressed to say much about who or what the "Guardians of the Galaxy" are.
The extended preview succeeds in establishing the five main members of the "Guardians," reveals a major set piece from early in the movie and cranks up the excitement for this incredible looking new Marvel franchise.
Without spoiling anything, it's safe to say there's five main takeaways from this extended sneak peek.
1) Tony Stark is no longer the smoothest, coolest Marvel Films character. That mantle will easily pass to either Peter 'Star-Lord' Quill (Chris Pratt) or Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper). Quill is a lighter, more comedic hybrid of Han Solo and Capt. Malcolm Reynolds. Rocket, meanwhile, is a pint-sized mercenary with a Napoleon complex and an affinity for heavy artillery. These two drive the preview's action sequence and their charisma make it very, very easy to root for the "Guardians."
2) "Guardians" will absolutely be a hybrid of action/comedy/comics - something that will appeal to audiences across every demographic. The action is intense, the comedic elements are razor sharp and it's all set against the Marvel Comic backdrop, which includes the Nova Corp (deep space police) and Thanos (an intergalactic Marvel super villain).
3) Vin Diesel gets a lot of mileage out of three simple words. The unlikeliest VO actor of all-time voices Groot - a living tree and the Chewbacca of the "Guardians." He's all muscle and speaks only three words ever: "I am Groot." But Diesel absolutely nails the delivery of this simple phrase, bending inflection to warp these three words from a passing comment to a terrifying battle cry.
4) The "Guardians" are a legit team, whose combined strength may actually rival that of the Avengers. This alone should make "Guardians of the Galaxy" one of the most exciting summer films of 2014.
5) See this film in 3D. I might not be worth the full IMAX 3D premium - but this extended sneak peek offered some up incredible visuals for the movie's flight sequences.
By the end of this all-too-brief preview, the audience get some background into each of the Guardians, gets a real feel for their conflicting/clashing characters and has a real sense of this action-comedy.
But most importantly - it absolutely establishes "Guardians of the Galaxy" as one of the must-see films of 2014.
