Chris Pratt’s Best Movie Is One He Almost Refused To Make
It's Chris pratt's best movie and he almost wasn't in it!
This article is more than 2 years old
At 42 years old, Chris Pratt does not share the same long-running critical acclaim as some of his Hollywood counterparts. Rising to prominence for his portrayal of the beloved man-child Andy Dwyer in NBC’s hit sitcom Parks and Recreation, Pratt has spent the last decade catching the attention of notable studios and directors, as his momentum continues to build. Now with over 40 films under his belt, there is one film in particular that unequivocally opened the door to mega-stardom for the Minnesota native. Chris Pratt’s best movie came with his introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
Originally auditioning for the role of Captain America, Chris Pratt would find a home in his best movie as Star-Lord amongst the rag-tag Guardians of the Galaxy. From the very beginning, director James Gunn was harshly criticized for casting what was then considered a B-list celebrity in such a desired role. However, Pratt landed the role of Peter Quill/Star-Lord. Shocking many audiences, Pratt proved to be the perfect fit for the widely unknown superhero. Delivering on his already famed comedic lines, Pratt easily shifted from the oblivious dumbfounded boy to a slyer, more emotional character that performed perfectly alongside each costar.
While the Guardians of the Galaxy first show up on comic stands in 1969’s Marvel Super-Heroes #18, the heroes never fully took off with its larger fan base. The idea for the movie was thrown around by Marvel president Kevin Fiege first in 2010. When news officially broke that director James Gunn (Slither) would helm the project in 2012, the film’s outlook was sketchy with fans of the MCU. To many’s surprise, Chris Pratt’s best movie fetched an enormous following, and to this day remains a favorite franchise to fans of Marvel films.
With Chris Pratt being featured as the center of the story, Guardians of the Galaxy fashioned an iconic ensemble with Zoe Saldaña as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, and Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper lending their voices for Groot and Rocket, respectively. After being abducted from Earth as a child and subsequently becoming a mercenary, Star-Lord lands himself in prison after stealing an orb (unbeknownst to Quill, the Orb contains one of the Infinity Stones). After being stuck with his newfound crewmates in prison, the oddball group is forced to work together and eventually save a planet from destruction.
Following the film’s theatrical release, Chris Pratt’s best movie proved a shocking hit at the box office for Marvel Studios. Altogether, the film earned an estimated $773.3 million globally, landing it at the time as the third-highest-grossing film in the MCU behind The Avengers and Iron Man 3. Similarly, Guardians of the Galaxy was the third highest-grossing film in 2014.
Similar to its release, the film proved moreso to be Chris Pratt’s best movie with its reception amongst both critics and audiences. The film holds an impressive 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with both fans and critics. The site’s critical consensus reads, “Guardians of the Galaxy is just as irreverent as fans of the frequently zany Marvel comic would expect — as well as funny, thrilling, full of heart, and packed with visual splendor.”
Chris Pratt has come a long way from his early daying portraying dim-witted characters on TV. However, his popular character from Parks and Rec was not the start of his Hollywood career. Pratt first appeared on television as Harold Brighton on the drama series, Everwood. As for film, Pratt landed his first major film gig in 2011’s Moneyball.
After making it big with Guardians of the Galaxy, Pratt went on to star in what is likely Chris Pratt’s second-best movie franchise, Jurassic World. While his portrayal of the franchise protagonist, Owen Brady, deserves plenty of recognition, it didn’t have the same impact that Peter Quill did with Guardians of the Galaxy. Continuing his superhero momentum, Chris Pratt went on to star in the Guardians sequel, released in 2017. Pratt and the rest of the Benatar’s crewmembers will be back again, in what will likely be their last adventure together in the upcoming third installment slated for release in 2023.
While Chris Pratt’s best movie was largely due to his shocking portrayal of never before tapped tropes, the larger picture points to hinging on his ability to perfectly mold together with the fairly odd coupling of the members of the Guardians. It’s hard to imagine the film without Pratt at the center. However, the 42-year-old actor did open up about nearly turning the role down. Initially, he passed on the role, fearing he would get the same reaction from the studio that he did years ago when he was turned down for a G.I Joe role for being “too heavy”. In hindsight, Chris Pratt was the obvious choice for the role, and eight years later, it’s hard to see the series being anywhere near as successful as it was with anyone else playing the iconic role.
