With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 marking the end of an era for the director, it’s a good time to remember some of the best James Gunn movies, shows, and projects in general. Let’s explore some of Gunn’s diverse, exciting, and unique productions from over the years.
slither
Gunn’s directorial debut was the horror comedy Slither, which certainly set the stage for the kind of unorthodox concepts and comedy he would go on to create. The idea of alien slugs overrunning a town is full of potential for disturbing imagery and dark comedy, which Gunn gets down in spades.
The practical effects go a long way in making the alien-owned residents look downright evil, selling the threat of invasion while also being straight-up comedic at times. The entire cast goes all in on the shlocky tone, adding a delightful sincerity to this comic foray. Gunn expertly mixes laughs with grimaces in Slither, which stands as an impressive feature directorial debut.
It’s especially interesting to watch Slither now, because you can see many of Gunn’s frequent collaborators playing these wildly over-the-top characters. Nathan Fillion, Michael Rooker, and Gregg Henry all star in the movie and are great at making their characters either wholeheartedly likable or hilariously unlikeable – both are excellent in storytelling.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Series
In retrospect, it’s crazy to think that many people doubted the first Guardians of the Galaxy. Here we are almost 10 years later – the trilogy (plus the Holiday Special and the team’s appearances in other movies) remain some of the Marvel Cinematic Universebest. A lot of that comes down to Gunn.
The ragtag spacefaring team has starred in some of Marvel Studios’ best movies – each filled with James Gunn’s unique taste. Star-Lord’s excellent taste in music, his incomparable humor, and the way the film series wholeheartedly embraces the weirdest aspects of Marvel’s cosmic side make it stand out among the rest. superhero movie.
That said, it’s the earnest, beating heart at the heart of the Guardians of the Galaxy series that makes it so special. Each member of the team is fleshed-out and unique, making them easy to root for. If Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 sticks in the landing, it could be the most consistent subseries in the MCU, as well as a great trilogy of films in general. They are definitely James Gunn’s most popular movies, which is something he’s proud of.
Scooby-Doo
Gunn just wrote Scooby-Doo, as it was directed by Raja Gosnell. That being said, the two together make a very entertaining Scooby-Doo movie. You can see glimmers of the more PG-13 movie the two wanted to make, but despite the water in this PG form, the film is full of charm.
Gosnell and Gunn understood the appeal behind Scooby-Doo, portraying Mystery Inc. crew that are more modern and almost meta versions of themselves without feeling overly cheesy or snarky. Making Scrappy-Doo the villain after years of teasing the character by fans is an inspired choice that almost feels ahead of its time, and a lot of the humor throughout the movie has aged especially well in this one. time for surreal meme-fueled comedy.
The CGI is definitely atrocious today – understandably so, since the movie came out 21 years ago – and I’d love to see Gosnell and Gunn’s unfiltered take on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon, but regardless, the version of Scooby-Doo we got. it’s still fun to go back.
Peacemaker
You can also Gunn’s 2021 movie The Suicide Squad in this slot, but since Peacemaker is an excellent spin-off movie series that follows the best movie character, it’s more appropriate. John Cena is perfect as a hilarious and jingoistic homicidal maniac, imbuing the character with a kind of goofy appeal that keeps him from being unlikeable.
The duo of Peacemaker and Vigilante – played with incredible psychotic enthusiasm by Freddie Stroma – is unbeatable. The entire supporting cast is excellent, making for an ensemble-driven series that stands as the best production of the past. DC Universe. Not a single episode went by that I didn’t laugh at, but at the same time, the more serious side didn’t fail either. Whether Peacemaker is battling his white supremacist father or seriously flirting with someone, you always want to see him succeed.
Of all those on this list, Peacemaker may have the most unfiltered amount of Gunn in its DNA. It’s unique, hilarious, and at times, very heartfelt. I mean, Peacemaker even features an alien lifeform that controls people from the inside — like Slither and like Starro in The Suicide Squad. Looking back on all this, it seems like Gunn is a fan of alien mind control.
Lollipop Chainsaw
For those who don’t play video games much, Lollipop Chainsaw is a joint effort between James Gunn and visionary video game designer Goichi Suda — better known as Suda51. It’s a truly unique game that has players running around killing zombies as a chainsaw-wielding cheerleader accompanied by the living severed head of her boyfriend. It sounds crazy, but like all of Suda51 and Gunn’s projects, it’s so different and catchy that it sticks the landing.
Lollipop Chainsaw played at least a part in the making of The Suicide Squad, apparently Gunn will draw the gameThe contrast between the cutesy and gory depiction of the “Harley-vision” movie scene. The game is getting a remake in the futurealthough neither Gunn nor Suda were involved.