Dave Bautista shouldn't be a good actor: in many respects he's already proven that he isn't one in general terms, and his addition to the Guardians Of The Galaxy cast looked like a round peg being put in a round hole based only on physicality. In his hands Drax would no doubt be a growling lunatic with limited lines and most of the action, and while there certainly was an element of that, Bautista's comic performance was one of the key reasons the film worked as well as it did. The wonderful conceit that Drax didn't understand metaphors and took everything literally was a brilliant thing to push forward (though he conveniently forgot it when Peter Quill told him to "give a sh*t" late in the film, thankfully) and the straightness of Bautista's performance sold it perfectly. He was well beyond a one-note, one-dimensional character, and he even sold the emotional wounds that drive Drax (though not as touchingly as the revelation of Rocket's past). The entire framing of the character was nailed on: instead of having Rocket and Groot as silly sidekicks and comic relief, Drax played that part, clashing with almost everyone but forming a focal point, rather than just being a perfect looking support. Quite whether it will work for Spectre remains to be seen, but on the back of Drax there should be a lot more confidence in his suitability to that role. Which were the most surprisingly brilliant movie moments of 2014 for you? Share your revelations in the comments thread below.
