Continuing with the theme of fixing less than stellar Superhero films, this time I take a trip overseas. Inspired by my recent trip to Russia, I’m going to be fixing the 2017 Russian Superhero film, Guardians. For those that don’t know, Guardians is a film about a former Soviet special ops group turned superheroes trying to stop a mad man from blowing up the world, standard superhero fare really. It features some good ideas but they’re never really explored, and those that are, are done sloppily. What I did like about the film was the idea of soviet superhero team after the fall of the Soviet Union. There are moments that hinted at something greater but it was never capitalized on. And I can fix it.

As usual, to fix the film I need to identify the problems with the film, and Guardians was a bit of a mess, so problems there are lots of. Pacing was the most glaring issue for me. The film moves at breakneck speed, something is always happening and there is never time to take anything in and it really hurts the tension because of it. At no point do you feel the heroes are truly in danger because as soon as something bad happens, something else happens to distract you. I can understanding wanting to get everything in but when you are on a budget maybe cut some stuff out and focus on the bigger things.

Secondly, this film has no character development. It feels like the writer wanted it; there is the occasional line suggesting change in some characters, but nothing really comes of it and it comes across pretty poorly. Speaking of Character development, character motivation also seems non-existent, save for one of our heroes. Everybody else, including the villain, seem to just go through the motions and we don’t really know why they are doing what they are doing.

Finally, for a superhero film including a Russian man that can turn into a bear with a machine gun on it’s back, this film takes it self far too seriously. There is no problem with wanting to be serious, it’s something Marvel might want to consider as Infinity War approaches but in Guardians there is no brevity or acceptance of the ridiculousness of the situation and it all feels a little bit sad. There is one moment in the film in which this tension is broken and it was great. One of the heroes is in a lift (elevator for my American friends) when he arrives at a floor to pick up the others, including the aforementioned bear. He casually greets them as the girl steps in while the bear, from out of frame, climbs in squeezing everyone to the back. It might not sound that funny but the way it was done was great. I was sad there wasn’t just a little bit more fun like that.

So, with the problems addressed it’s time to fix them and add in some other plot elements to improve the film. When that’s done I’ll write a new summary as I always do. Maybe I’ll throw some pictures in as these posts tend to get quite long.

Pacing:

The biggest and most glaring issue is the easiest to fix. To slow the film down you just need to cut out some needless action scenes and exposition. Holding tension shouldn’t be difficult after this. Removing aspects of the film that prove to be pointless such as the heroes being captured and then escaping with little to no consequences will give a lot of time to expand on other scenes like the set up for one. With certain action scenes and the capture in the middle removed that creates about 10-15 minutes more of screen time that can be used to introduced everyone more effectively.

Character Development:

This isn’t exactly the biggest issue as many films lack full character development but to be fixed it will requires the most changes so BEAR with me. I need to introduce you to the cast and then provide them with motivation and show how they would develop. Before I do this though a little housekeeping. In the actual film the heroes are all at least 70 years old but they don’t age, I’m scrapping this so we have some ranged ages and room for conflict in the cast.

Ler: The protagonist of the original version of Guardians. At the start of the film Ler is hidden in a monastery and seems all too happy to be found, despite being in hiding and straight away gets ready to go to war. If he’s a monk, why is he so ready to go to war? In my version, Ler is going to be reluctant to fight but wants to assist as he was heavily invested in Patriot in his youth. He says he will help, though refuses to fight.

Various struggles see Ler break his vow of pacifism in order to rescue the team. He’ll go from refusing to fight, to fighting as a last resort option. After joining the fight again he struggles to come to terms with his age and how the world has changed he also struggles to balance his religious beliefs with his military situation.

Khan: In the original film khan is little more than an assassin and this is fine, the problem is that they tried to humanise him in the wrong ways. A tragic story about him killing his brother after gaining his powers felt forced and meant several characters struggling with the “my powers do more harm than good” angle. In my version Khan is still just a killer but with a little personality. He is good friends with Ler and eager to re-join Patriot. His issue is not knowing his place in the world outside of being a killer. He knows he is getting old and cannot continue his profession forever and is coming to terms with that.

Ursus: Ursus in the original is basically the hulk, a scientist struggling with losing control of his powers. So to avoid Hulk parables, Ursus will be changing the most. Instead of a scientist he’s a soldier from Patriot who helps recruit the others. He gained his powers as a result of his father being a test subject in the original Patriot program. He believes he should be leading, but his headstrong nature often gets in the way.

He’s the subject of a romance in the original however with the fact that they are all younger in my version this romance will change. He’ll find himself attracted to the female member of the team and a rapport will build. This eventually leads to the two growing closer and eventually they get romantic.

Xenia: Xenia remains relatively unchanged in this version of the film. She is a Circus performer that uses her abilities to become famous, as such she is the easiest to track down for the program. She’s a former soldier that left the army due to wanting a better life for herself. She’s initially reluctant to join, however when it’s revealed that she had been a part of Patriot since her birth she’s persuaded to join by the promise of information about how she developed her abilities. She will eventually fall in love Ursus as the film continues.

The Villain. August Kuratov, a mad scientist in the original with the ability to control machines. He wants to be seen as a genius and wants to blow stuff up, that’s about it. In my version he will still have the same motive but go about it different means. In this version he is an elderly man, not a body builder. He’s a soviet scientist that stayed with Patriot after the collapse of the Soviet Union however his work had been restricted for being too extreme. He had been working on the ability to bring people back from the dead by absorbing life energy, with his eventual goal being to resurrect Rasputin. This is discovered and before he can be stopped he uses his experiment to rejuvenate himself and imbue himself with strength he escapes and heads off in search of ways to help revive Rasputin.

His purpose for wanting to revive Rasputin is that he considers him to be one of the greatest minds Russia had ever produced. He believes that reviving him will grant Russia access to Magic and intelligence otherwise thought lost.

So that’s character development and motivations sorted. Some of it’s a little far-fetched but this is a superhero movie so you can be a little out there as long as you can justify it which I feel I have. Just one more fix then I can get on with the new plot.

It takes it self too serious: Just add the odd funny or tension breaking moment. Done. On to the new plot.

The Plot Summary:

Dr August Kuratov is working in secret when Patriot agents surround him. Ursus reveals they have information on his experiments and have discovered his plans to revive Rasputin. Kuratov reaches for a gun on his desk before being shot down. When the agents head over to inspect him, he gasps back to life and clicks a button hidden in his hand. The agents then all drop dead and Kuratov rises to his feet, a young man with shining green eyes. He exclaims to Ursus (stood at a distance) “This is just a fraction of Rasputin’s powers, imagine what else we could do” Ursus responds by saying that they cannot play god. Kuratov leaps at Ursus and strikes him. Kuratov has absorbed the strength of all the men he had killed, imbuing him with super strength. This leads to the first fight of the film, between Ursus and Kuratov. Ursus transforms partly into a bear in response to the hit and the two briefly fight. Kuratov quickly gains the upper hand but feels his strength wavering and flees

From here we’re taken to a monastery high in the Armenian mountains where we meet Ler, a Monk. He finishes his morning prayers and sets about feeding the older monks before cleaning the grounds. He sees some thugs outside the ground mugging somebody but simply heads back inside ignoring the violence.

Returning to Russia, the military are discussing how to stop Kuratov and his plans. Ursus asks for another chance but is denied. A military director then mentions how Kuratov worked with other members of Patriot who left the program after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Somebody asks why they would want to help and the director responds that Kuratov was the reason they left Patriot. They found out that he had been experimenting on children but the leaders refused to act. The question is the raised of the men being too old before the director responds that they aren’t ordinary soldiers, they possess incredible abilities few could only dream of…

From here we get our recruitment scenes. We are taken to meet Ler. Ler is approached when finishing prayer by the Director and Ursus, Ursus remains at the back of the hall while the director talks with Ler. He asks for help in stopping Kuratov however he responds that they didn’t heed his warnings when he first brought them to the leaders of Patriot. The Director explains that Patriot is a different being now and Kuratov is planning to resurrect the dead. Ler then agrees to join the group but only offering what he knows about Kuratov, as he is now a monk he has sworn against violence.

The next recruit is Khan who is found in a warehouse surrounded by dead bodies. He is approached by Ursus who explains that Patriot want him back. Khan gets ready to fight when Ler calls out from behind him saying “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, I hear he fights like an animal” Ler and Khan then share a smile and without so much as a word between them Khan rejoins Patriot.

Finally, we are introduced to Xenia. An acrobat at the Moscow State Circus. Ler, Khan and Ursus sit in the audience watching. Ursus seems infatuated with her has he watches her perform and in this performance, Xenia’s abilities of invisibility are revealed. After the show the Director is stood in her dressing room. Following an explanation of what Kuratov is doing, she exclaims that she left the army. Ler, stepping into the room then explains that they don’t want her because she was a soldier. It is revealed here that Ler and Khan rescued Xania as a child from Kuratov’s experiments but they need her to help stop him. She’s unsure of how she can help but then The Director explains that she could provide vital knowledge on Kuratov. She asks why she should go and Ler promises her all the information on Kuratov’s experiments on her and how. Xenia then joins the team.

On the way back to the Patriot headquarters Ursus asks if 4 of them will be enough and Khan remarks that if they can’t stop Kuratov, nobody will be able to.

Upon arriving at the base, Ler, Khan and Xenia are shocked to see the futuristic technology before being taken into a briefing. It’s explained that they need to stop Kuratov before he can revive Rasputin. Ler asks why he wants to bring him back and Ursus responds saying that it doesn’t matter. Ler and Ursus share a glance before The Director explains that Kuratov believes that reviving Rasputin can provide access to magic not thought possible. Khan asks where Rasputin’s grave is and the Director responds saying that they have a site set up on the Grave ready for if Kuratov makes a move. Ursus is not convinced and wants to check out the site himself. Ler questions what is going on, prompting Ursus to tell him that he has faced Kuratov already. He then demands to be taken to Rasputin’s grave and Khan agrees. The director agrees but says they will need some equipment before leaving.

At this point we get the classic suiting up moment with Khan getting a new uniform fully equipped with two swords and throwing knives. Ursus asks what Khan’s power even is before getting a demonstration of his super speed by demolishing all of the wooden targets around. Xania gets a uniform that can turn invisible along with her, a small hand gun and a knife for close quarters combat. Ursus receives a Gatling gun that straps itself to his back and finally Ler receives an armoured suit that is said to amplify his abilities. He says he is not going to fight but is advised to put the suit on at the very least for protection. The team are then carried out to Rasputin’s grave via helicopter.

The team step down and find the grave untouched and the Patriot agents waiting for instruction. The gravesite has become heavily fortified. This puts Ler and other others at ease but knowing what Kuratov is like, Ursus is still concerned. Ler heads inside a tent acting as the base with the Director to talk about tactics while the others wait outside. At this point Ursus and Xania start to talk with one another and despite Ursus fears, he lightens up in her company. It is at this point that they begin to hear footsteps in the distance growing louder.

Suddenly an army of corpses appear on the horizon with Kuratov stood atop a tank. The tank blows through several members of Patriot before the corpse army start sprinting toward the gravesite. Ursus transforms and uses his Gatling gun to mow down rows of the corpse army. Khan rips through them with his swords and Xania takes out the stragglers that make it through the defences. Ler watches on in shock as the bodies seem to flood through the defences forcing the group to double back. Ursus sees a group of corpses closing in on Xania and heads to help her leaving several men without defence. Khan does his best to pick up the slack but is floored by a wave of corpses. Xania and Ursus manage to fight them off when Kuratov steps down from the tank to face Ursus once more. Ursus swipes Xania out of the way in an effort to get her to safety and the two men go at it again. The fight is ferocious and more evenly matched this time. Ler and the director watch on as the corpses overwhelm the agents outside, Xania helps Khan to his feet and the two of them try to help the remaining agents. Ler can do nothing but watch on in horror. Suddenly Ursus is thrown through the tent into Ler and the Director. Ursus is unconscious and Kuratov starts heading towards the grave of Rasputin. Feeling the pressure mounting and the mission failing Ler confronts Kuratov, shouting at him.

Ler steps away from the demolished tent while The director tends to Ursus wounds. Kuratov remarks that Ler has gotten old. Ler says he will not fight Kuratov but will do what he can to stop him. Kuratov starts attacking Ler but he defends himself with his powers of Stone manipulation, attempting to restrain Kuratov. Ler ultimately loses the fight and is thrown to the ground by Kuratov who manages to get Rasputin’s coffin from the ground. He calls his army away and his mounts the coffin on his tank and drives away. In the wreckage of the fight, Khan struggles back to his feet and lifts Ler back to his while the director and Ursus join them. The group lament about their situation before realizing Xenia is missing and panic before Ler realises where she is.

Aboard the tank, hidden in a small compartment, Xenia is invisible, tagging along to find Kuratov’s hideout. The others are all panicking about this as they were completely unprepared for Kuratov and now he has one of their team with him. Ursus declares that they need to go and get her before Ler ultimately speaks up against him. The two butt heads over what to do when the General ultimately accepts that Ler is correct, leaving Xenia to fend for herself is the right thing for the mission as it will help them find Rasputin and Kuratov and will allow them to go in better prepared. Ursus storms off in anger leaving Ler with the gravity of the decision he has made unsure of if he truly made the right decision. At this point the group head back to headquarters to plan.

Meanwhile, Kuratov has arrived back at his base and placed the body of Rasputin upon his workstation while his army stands motionless. Kuratov talks to himself about how after so long his life’s work will be complete and that the military will recognize his efforts. Xenia, still invisible is watching from a distance. She runs off to find a secluded area of the hideout in order to stay safe however she runs into Corpse soldiers and is forced to flee running through Kuratov’s hideout. Kuratov demands that his soldiers find Xania while he continues to work on the resurrection.

At Patriot headquarters, Ler is contemplating his decisions and whether or not he made the right call. Khan tries to convince him that he made the right call but Ler is stuck in his own thoughts. He heads outside to see Ursus packing to head off in search of Xenia on his own. Khan asks why Ursus feels the need to protect her but he does not answer. He only responds by asking why Khan returned to Patriot. Khan explains that Patriot agents don’t work well in the real world, Ler secluded himself as a monk but Khan is too violent for that a killer is all he is. But with his age catching up to him being a killer doesn’t look like a viable option anymore. He explains Patriot was the only place for him and returning gave him some hope that there was something else for him even though it was the root of all his problems. Ursus responds saying he hopes Khan isn’t done killing yet as he will need help to rescue Xenia. Khan then says that the plan was to wait for orders when Ler steps out of the shadows. He admits he was wrong and made a poor call. Xenia is a person not an asset. He decides to follow Ursus and the group take a helicopter heading off in search of Xenia following the tracker in her suit.

In Kuratov’s base, Xenia has been captured and strung up in front of Rasputin. Kuratov explains that she’ll get to see what the experiments were leading to. He thanks her for her help as a child but she spits at him. Laughing off the insult he returns to his machine and switches it on. Rasputin is resurrected, sucking the life from dozens of surrounding corpse soldiers. The bodies all drop to the floor as life returns to Rasputin. He climbs to his feet looking weak and frail, confused by his surroundings. He asks Kuratov where he is. Kuratov explains that Rasputin has been resurrected in 2017. Rasputin asks what happened to Alexandra. Kuratov explains that the Russian Empire fell and gave rise to the Soviet Union, which also eventually fell. Rasputin decides that with his loved ones dead and the Russia he knew long gone, he would need to create a new Russian empire. He plans to raze Moscow to the ground and rebuild it in his image, explaining that he was murdered by foolish military men that feared the power of god. Kuratov watches on in amazement when he is suddenly grasped by Rasputin who sucks the life from his body. Kuratov returns to the frail old man he was at the start of the film aging even further. Rasputin releases his grip and is a strong young man with his powers restored. He looks at the feeble Kuratov on the ground and leaves him to die. He greets Xenia with a smile before heading off with the remaining corpse soldiers. Xenia calls out saying the guardians will stop him. Rasputin responds by saying death couldn’t stop him, before leaving the hideout.

Rasputin begins his assault on Moscow by making a direct run for the Kremlin, Demolishing everything on his way. As this assault starts The Guardians find their way to Xenia, who is still tied up, Ursus rushes over to untie her while Khan spots Kuratov’s body. Ler is struck by grief stating they failed. Had he decided to go after Xenia sooner they could have stopped Rasputin. Xenia explains that there is no time to waste as Rasputin plans to destroy Moscow. Kuratov gasping for breath asks Ler to stop Rasputin. He realizes now how misguided he was Ler promises before Kuratov dies. The group head back to their copter struggling to figure out where he is. They take off and head towards Moscow in the hopes they can find something. On the way they are contacted by Patriot headquarters. Angered with the team they ask where they as Kuratov’s army has just descended upon the Kremlin. Xenia takes the radio and explains that Kuratov is dead and his plan to resurrect Rasputin worked before Ler interrupts saying that they will stop him.

At Red square. Rasputin’s soldiers begin attacking tourists and civilians while he eyes up the grand building. He uses his powers to create a giant structure around red square enclosing it both protecting himself and stopping anyone from escaping. He then looks up at the kremlin and says says “the only way to make sure you kill something, is to cut off it’s head” At this point Khan appears slicing off several Corpse solider heads. He states that he cannot allow Rasputin to continue. Rasputin says that is the only way to ensure the revival of the Russian Empire. The two then fight but Khan cannot keep up with Rasputin and his powers and he is quickly dispatched as Rasputin begins making his way towards the kremlin. The other three guardians land nearby and start helping evacuate the area. Ler creates a hole in the ground so civilians can escape using an underground tunnel. Ursus and Xenia begin taking out the corpse soldiers, working together and dispatching them with ease.

Ler spots from across the square, Khan being beaten and filled with guilt at what happened last time he refused to act he launches a boulder at Rasputin. He catches Rasputin off guard and shouts over to Khan. Khan is nursing his wounds from the fight which leads to Ler and Rasputin having a confrontation. Ler speaks about how he thought refraining from violence was the answer however seeing the results of his standing by has made him realize he needs to act to save what he loves. At this point he and Rasputin start fighting. It is evident that Ler is out of practice, his moves are sloppy and without grace however he is still extremely powerful. Things start well for Ler, but Rasputin starts to get the upper hand. This is when Khan rejoins the fight, he shouts the phrase “Hammer and Sickle” Prompting Ler to smile. Ler and Khan begin working together with Ler launching boulders and Khan hiding amongst them, and choosing his strikes. They eventually start to get the upper hand on Rasputin. He is knocked back and realises that he is in trouble. The remaining corpses suddenly drop dead and Rasputin seems to grow more powerful. A sickly green energy starts to emit from him and he launches a wave of energy and at Ler and Khan knocking them back. this prompts Ursus to transform and attack Rasputin. Rasputin grows angry and in the midst of the fight stabs Ursus through the stomach. He collapses to the ground and Xenia rushes over to him and starts to nurse his wounds. Rasputin ignores Xenia and returns his focus to the Kremlin, he starts using his powers to sink the building into the ground.

Parts start to crumble as Ler watches on seeing Khan beaten and unable to move, Ursus bleeding and Xenia in tears. Ler forces himself back to his feet and silently gathers his strength. He prays for forgiveness before using his powers to evacuate Ursus Xenia and Khan. He then forms two giant stone fists and launches an attack at Rasputin once more.

Xenia cries out to Khan that Ler can’t beat Rasputin alone. Ursus remarks that he doesn’t need to win, he just needs to kill time until the military intervenes. Xeia asks what he means and he responds saying that the plan was to close Rasputin in so they could carpet bomb the area. Khan remarks that would destroy the Kremlin to which Ursus responds that it is better than destroying all of Russia. The three then falls silent, seemingly resigning to their fate. Xenia then declares that she isn’t willing to let the man that saved her go out like that. Ursus responds that there is no way to stop it. Xenia explains Ler can stop the bombs if they work together to stop Rasputin. Khan and Ler had him on the back foot earlier, so all four of them surely should be babel to do something. Ursus remarks that He has been stabbed and can’t fight to which Kahn remarks that he doesn’t need to fight up close when he has a giant gun strapped to his back. Ursus then asks how khan will be able to fight. Khan then responds saying this will be his last fight and he will give whatever he has left to save his friend.

Rasputin and Ler continue to fight however Ler is visibly fatigued. Ad struggling to keep up. When the fight looks over suddenly a hail of bullets comes down on Rasputin with Ursus standing back firing his gun. Xenia sneaks over and makes Ler invisible so that they can sneak away. Xenia explains to Ler that they can beat Rasputin together and stop the bombs using Ler’s powers, he just needs to have faith. Khan rejoins the fight but is moving with difficulty and not moving as fast as before. The gunfire from Ursus is helping keep Rasputin at bay. Ler and xenia then rejoin the fight. Ursus’s gunfire slows as he begins to shoot in bursts so that the other Guardians can attack. Ler and Rasputing trade blows while Khan Speeds around striking quickly and Xenia fights while turning invisible and back. Ursus receives a radio message that the bombs are on their way. He cries out that they need to stop Rasputin now or they are all dead.

Ursus cries out in pain as he transforms one final time and tackles Rasputin to the ground. Ler, Khan and Xenia step back to avoid getting hit, As Urus and rasputin scrap Ursus is the picked up by the throat and Rasputin says “When will you learn, you cannot stop the power of god?” At this point he gasps and chokes with Xenia revealing her self from her invisibility. She has a knife plunged into Rasputin’s heart. she kicks him back and Ursus drops to the ground. Green energy starts to seep from the wound as Rasputin starts rapidly aging the way Kuratov had earlier. He curses the Guardians as Ler launches a final attack firing a huge boulder at Rasputin killing him.

At this point Ursus cries into his radio that Rasputin has been stopped and the bombs need to be stopped. The military calls them off and the jets fly away leaving the Guardians hugging one another as the film comes to a close.

And that’s it, that’s how i would re write Guardians. I’m very sorry at how long this was but there was a lot wrong with Guardians. i understand that the ending is similar to Avengers with the Military bombing but hey, this was marketed as the Russian Avengers. If you managed to get through this, thank you very much. Next time i fix a film i’ll try and make it shorter (i already cut over a thousand words from this) If you liked what i did let me know. If you have any ideas for films i can fix let me know. And if you have any comments about anything else let me know, i’d love to hear from you.

Peg Out.