Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Ask anyone exiting a screening of this film what their favourite part of Marvel’s most recent comic adventure is, and I guarantee most people will start bopping on the spot, ranting to you about how great the music is. Marvel has a history of giving their superhuman prodigies some mean anthems to kick butt to (Iron Man, in particular, is a big fan of AC/DC) but Chris Pratt’s roguish Star Lord (a.k.a Peter Quill) takes that to a whole other level with his ‘Awesome Mix’. His compilation of retro tunes from the 70’s and 80’s, not only offers a fun and sometimes reflective backdrop to this futuristic tale, but also brilliantly captures the hugely entertaining quirkiness of his fellow guardians (who in case you didn’t know, include a gun-wielding raccoon and a tree) and their ultimately triumphant effort to work together and save the universe.
In a soundtrack that includes the classic ‘I Want You Back’ by The Jackson 5, Bowie’s ‘Moonage Daydream’ and ‘The Pina Colada Song’, it’s hard to pick favourites. However, Redbone’s 1974 track ‘Come and Get Your Love’ is arguably the most memorable song from the film. Without Pratt’s infectious dance-miming to this feel-good tune in his opening sequence, the character of Star Lord might not have turned out to be the endearingly funny hero that we know and love today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLKeZukedZo
Words by Annie Honeyball