Guardians of the Galaxy - Vol. 3 [Review]
By: Mithrandiel
It’s an interesting time for comic book movies and media. Marvel has had some decent showings, but there is growing concern that the excitement has died down. After a stellar trio of phases that kicked off the MCU and launched it into the stratosphere in its first decade, audiences have been returning to theaters off the high of Endgame, and while there has still been plenty of fun to have at the movies, the comparison of each new entry to the bombastic climax of 10 years of comic book films have often left fans disappointed.
Even though we’ve been introduced to some awesome new heroes, including Shang-Chi, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, The Eternals and others, inconsistent CGI and hit-or-miss writing have further soured the general consensus on the entertainment giant in the past few years.
Meanwhile, after years of playing second fiddle to MCU by a mile, the DCU was recently reinvigorated with new leadership, putting Peter Safran and James Gunn at the helm of the cinematic strategy in an attempt to go toe-to-toe with their 15-year-old Marvel competitor.
I have to say, if Gunn’s vision and execution is half as good at DC as it was with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, we have a lot of amazing stories to look forward to.
It’s been a little while since we’ve caught up with the Guardians, spotting them briefly in the opening of Thor: Love and Thunder, as well as a brief Christmas special that provided further context on the crew in the 6 years since their last proper movie.
While the Guardians have made a new home for themselves in the floating head of a long-dead celestial, there’s still a somber tone as the film opens. Rocket is obviously contemplative, quietly mumbling along to an acoustic rendition of “Creep” as we are re-acclimated to the crew in a long-panning shot. Peter Quill, the Legendary Star-Lord, is belligerently drunk once again, struggling with the loss of his former love. Nebula, Drax, Mantis and Groot, along with Rocket, put Quill to bed as they discuss what to do next. Uncertain of what’s to come, the team separates, and before we know it an unknown assailant attempts to kill Rocket, and badly wounds the remaining Guardians before he’s fended off.
It doesn’t take long for the team to realize that Rocket is being targeted by The High Evolutionary - a God-like scientist who has brought entire species and races into being through genetic experimentation. With Rocket gravely wounded, and no way to properly treat him without raiding The High Evolutionary’s facilities, the Guardians have their mission.
At 2 hours and 29 minutes, GOTG Vol 3 is one of the longest movies in the MCU, tied with Infinity War, and falling behind only Endgame, Wakanda Forever and Eternals. Despite this, the narrative progresses at a natural pace - never really dragging too much. This is helped by the concurrent narratives of the Guardians and Rocket’s backstory. Piece by troubling piece, we learn about Rocket’s past, and when the narratives merge once again near the climax of the movie, it’s not much longer before it wraps up.
We are also introduced to a major cosmic player in the Marvel comics universe: Adam Warlock. Now, as a huge Silver Surfer fan, and aware of just how big of a deal Warlock should be, I would say his initial characterization and arc was my main pain-point in this movie. That being said, I see his appearance more as a “cameo”, and it leaves me hopeful for the evolution that could come in future properties as we watch him grow and mature into the supremely-powerful entity on the cosmic scale that he typically is.
As a note for parents out there: between Rocket’s backstory and some of the more intense action sequences in this movie, GOTG Vol 3 is certainly one of the least kid-friendly movies we’ve seen from the MCU so far. It also has the crowning achievement of having its first F-bomb, which is superbly delivered. While you may not have “screened” previous movies for your kids, this might be one to take an extra precaution with before bringing them to the theater.
Marvel movies often get criticized for an overuse of humor. I was impressed with Wakanda Forever previously when it came to balancing this aspect, as I felt the jokes made sense and were a bit more natural than say, Love and Thunder. However, GOTG Vol 3 takes this refinement to a whole new level. Gunn deftly dual-wields humor and heartache, doling them out in equal parts and, in some cases, quick succession. Just as you are chuckling from a joke, you feel your gut twist with a powerfully dramatic line. It’s a masterful display throughout the film.
Also impressive is Gunn’s ability to balance the development and fulfillment of each of the Guardians. Rather than defaulting to focusing on one hero, or pair of heroes, Gunn juggles each of their character arcs brilliantly, bringing them each to a soft landing by the end of the film.
Outside of No Way Home, I think this movie also had the most emotional affect on me. Wakanda Forever certainly had its moments, especially with Angela Bassett’s stellar performance, but the raw emotion at the core of each of our Guardians comes out at least once, and if nothing else, the finale of Rocket’s flashbacks is sure to bring a lump to your throat and some moisture to your eyes.
If the stellar pacing, excellent writing and spectacular music wasn’t enough, the visual effects and cinematography are also a slam-dunk. From space-walking onto a vault of biological/organic material to crashing two massive ships together and more, there are some amazing visuals that help you appreciate the scale of the world the Guardians operate in.
Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 is one of my favorite in the MCU. Ever. It accomplishes the extremely difficult task of sticking the landing when it comes to trilogies, and satisfactorily brings to conclusion (?) 6 different hero arcs. Delivering a film superb writing, an iconic soundtrack, and amazing heart, Gunn says goodbye to the MCU in the best way possible - and has this nerd eager to see what magic he creates for DC next.
