I cannot help but feel like Marvel/Disney is making a huge mistake in the way that they’re marketing Guardians of the Universe. I saw the movie 3 times. I loved it. While stories or ragtag crews in space are nothing new when it comes to Sci-Fi, I liked every single one of those characters. Man, woman, raccoon. It didn’t matter how strange the idea was, and I can only imagine that someone pitching an idea about a sentient raccoon probably got a few looks.
But while the movie might be awesome, the merchandising isn’t. Here’es why.
1. No Gamora
This movie featured interesting female characters who were treated slightly less like meat than I expected. But while you might see the familiar green sheen of Gamora’s skin in packaging and displays, you’re not going to find any dolls or items dedicated specifically for her. There’s nothing saying girls can’t view the other male/animal characters at role models, but why isn’t one of the most important characters in the film getting the same treatment as those with far less expansive scripts?
2. Geared Toward Children
Guardians of the Galaxy is PG-13, so marketing to little kids makes no sense! Comic books are enjoyed by people of all ages. There’s no need to infantalize characters or fans. And GotG is exactly the type of comic book movie that’s going to be enjoyed by people like me who have never read the comic or those who don’t enjoy comics in the least.
3. Rocket Isn’t Fuzzy
Seriously. How card can it be to create a furry rocket stuffed animals? This is all I want from life! Pro tip: it has to look like rocket and not just a generic racoon. Mmkay?
4. No Groot from the End of the Movie
I do not want to spoil this, but if you’ve seen the movie you’ll understand what I am talking about when I say that Groot’s form at the end of the movie is perfect for merchandising. Why wasn’t Marvel on this to begin with? Oh.em.gee!
Not all is lost, however. Here are my favorite GotG swag, collectibles and merchandise.
- The entire POP vinyl collection, which does include Gamora.
- This Rocket raccoon sticker.
- The soundtrack, which is ah-may-zing.
- This tiny Rocket by Funko. Good start. BIGGER EARS.
- This gorgeous Starlord tank top.
- A sexy replica of Peter Quill’s red leather jacket.
I found a few action figures. Only one was of Gamora. It was such low quality that her face was indistinguishable. No one’s making that mistake with Starlord toys. In this case, it seems like fanart is a better representation.
Red Bubble, for example, has some awesome fan art, especially of Rocket and Groot in fuzzy/chibi/cute style.
RedBubble artists get GotG Swag Right!
From top left, clockwise:
- Rocket t-shirt by KlassyZack
- Rocket sticker by XZiL
- We Are Cute sticker by LovelyKouga
- The Groot, the Rad and the Cuddly t-shirt by coldbludd
- Guardians of the Galaxy sticker by KlassyZack
- I do not dance print by helenasia
Right now, you can also get free shipping from Red Bubble right now through August 21st with code BACKTOSCHOOLFS.
So, do you agree with me about official merch? Have you seen the movie? Bought all the things? Let me know in the comments!
The post Marvel/Disney Drops the Ball with Guardians of the Galaxy Merch appeared first on Reviews by Cole.