I'm Hooked on a Feeling

Back on July 7^th, my sister and I were able to attend a sneak peek of Guardians of the Galaxy that would show 17 minutes from the movie. We decided to go with the IMAX theater at Navy Pier and make a partial day of it since it had been quite a while since either of us had been down there.

We left about mid-afternoon and took the El and bus. Neither of us had used the new Ventra fare system before, but it was really easy for us to get our day passes from the vending machine. Transferring to the bus was also really easy since the stop was just above the El stop where we got off. I've also never really taken the buses before, and the one we were on was clearly one of the newer ones. It was really nice; there was a digital sign up front telling you what stop was next, as well as a voice saying the same, and there were pull cords along the side so that you could request a stop. At the bus stop, there was even a sign saying how long until the next bus was due.

When we finally got to Navy Pier, the weather was perfect. It had been fairly hot all day, but having the breeze off of the lake made it just wonderful. We walked the length of the pier, just enjoying the day, the sun, and the sights. On the way back, we stopped at one of the restaurants for an early dinner. It was really good, but wow was it kind of expensive. I know, haha, it's a tourist place so of course it's going to be expensive, but it was a really good meal and it is certainly okay to treat yourself every once in a while. After we ate, we figured that we should get in line since it was going to start in less than an hour. There was already a substantial line, going up to the second floor and into the garden area. We were given our wristbands while we waited, and a little while later they let us into the theater, giving us our 3D glasses as we went in.

There was a short intro video by James Gunn, the director. I had not previously seen a photo of him, so I was a little surprised how much he looks like his brother Sean (who I know from Gilmore Girls, and also has a part in the film).

The scenes they showed were really good. It started off with the booking scene which had previously been seen in clips in the trailers. Apparently Peter Quill (Starlord) flipping the officers off was only censored for the trailers because it was not censored here. There is also more exposition on Gamora's character. They are then assigned and taken to a prison, known as “The Kyln”. Drax was not in the booking scene, so it appears that they do no meet him until the prison. Also, from the dialogue I gathered that the only ones who knew each other prior to being arrested were Rocket and Groot; they just all happened to be in the same place when they were arrested.

Going into the prison we get more of the scene when Peter is upset about the guard having his cassette player and subsequently getting beaten up. There is also more “Hooked on a Feeling” in this scene. Everyone is then put through processing and given their prison clothes and bedroll. During this Peter is shirtless at one point, and I have to say that Chris Pratt's abs are a thing of wonder – particularly in 3D.

The next scene is the four of them in the common area of the cell block with Rocket outlining how they are going to escape. While he is doing this Groot decides to go for the piece that they need to get last, sending everything into chaos and causing them to have to improvise and get everything else that they need right at that moment. At this point in time Drax is now with them. Apparently a prison scene was shown during the Comic Con panel, during which was Nathan Fillion's cameo and no one noticed, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled.

That was the last scene shown, and they then showed a new trailer (which was released the day after we saw it). There was some different music, more action, and extended parts of the last trailer, but you all likely know that since you've probably seen it. On the way out the theater, we were given our special posters.

Some final thoughts on what we saw – Since Drax's race cannot understand metaphors, it has the potential to create some funny moments. Groot only ever says one line (“I am Groot.”), but Rocket seems to be able to interpret the different inflections of how he says this line. The 3D was very good, but the action scenes seemed blurry, so for this reason I likely will not see the full movie in 3D. I was a little surprised by how many people seemed to think that we would be shown the full movie. A few friends who went to other screenings remarked on this, as did people who were at the Navy Pier location. Everything about the event that I saw clearly said “Sneak Peek” with “17 minutes of footage”, and nothing about the full movie or the word “screening”.

If the rest of the movie is anything like the little bit that we saw, Guardians of the Galaxy is sure to be a big success and a lot of fun. Be sure to go and see it starting this Friday, August 1^st!

And if you have a chance, check out this article on the film's writer, who just happens to be a female rocket scientist.