China Totally Screwed Up Translating GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY


Apparently Marvel’s Chinese Marketing division (or one of their business partners) didn’t like the original title of James Gunn’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. I guess it doesn’t properly convey its “Super cool outer-space movie!” shtick. Well, as often happens, our friends across the Pacific tweaked the title, and it translates into an absolute mess.

“Interplanetary Unusual Attacking Team.” Yep. Star-Lord, Rocket, Drax, Gamora, and Groot are no longer the Guardians of the Galaxy. That name totally sucked. Instead, they’re… whatever the hell this name means.

guardians

I suppose the Chinese revisionists weren’t exactly ‘wrong’. The Guardians are an odd assortment of characters, and some might say they’re indeed “unusual”. They also happen to attack people, fly between planets, and form a particularly badass team. Our Mandarin brethren have chosen a suitably literal name for the Guardians, but it just doesn’t have the panache that the English title bears.

Although, it’s a more honest marketing effort than Marvel’s previous endeavors. If you remember the first Captain America, Kevin Feige attempted to obfuscate the flick’s domestic title, releasing it internationally as THE FIRST AVENGER. While China’s effort to rename the Guardians is certainly goofy, it’s not as cowardly (shrewd, but cowardly) as Marvel’s decision to remove the name of their titular character from his own marquis. Hell, if I was in charge, I would’ve called it what it was. “Captain America and The Incredible Liberating Power of Jingoism”. I mean… America totally did save the day. In both the film and real life. See 1930’s isolationists!!! Jingoism isn’t always a bad thing!!!