It’s a little hard to believe that it has been nearly a decade since the first Guardians of the Galaxy made its debut on the big screen. I fell in love with the motley crew of heroes after that first screening, and they have been my favorite thing to come out of the MCU after all these years. Now with the third film releasing and with James Gunn bidding his farewell to the MCU and heading over to the DC universe to helm their cinematic universe, that means it is sadly time to see the Guardians, at least how we’ve come to know them, set out on their final adventure. It has been a bumpy road to get to this point; after all, there was the point where James Gunn had been fired from the project and he dipped his toes into the DC universe by writing and directing The Suicide Squad (2021), a film that just didn’t deliver at the box office but I felt was a heck of a lot of fun. Then it seemed the powers that be saw the error of their ways, also fearing that the cast would not return to the film if James Gunn was not brought back on as director, and the announcement was made that Gunn would be brought back and that production would begin on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. So after six years since the previous Guardians of the Galaxy film was released, was it worth the wait?
As a side note before I delve into this review, while it isn’t required viewing to enjoy this film, I highly recommend checking out The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on Disney Plus. This isn’t an endorsement, but the holiday special does offer some more fun from the Guardians team and sets up some things for the third film.
The start of this film is a somber one, with Radiohead’s “Creep” playing as we are reacquainted with the Guardians team on Knowhere. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is still heartbroken over Gamora (Zoe Saldana) since her passing and then re-emergence from another timeline, but she is definitely not the woman he fell in love with. Then there is Rocket (Bradley Cooper as the voice), our loveable, mischievous raccoon, who seems to be in a rut. Seemingly out of nowhere, Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) crashes into the space station and into Rocket, which results in a skirmish between Warlock and the Guardians. Unfortunately, while Warlock narrowly escapes, Rocket has been critically injured, and the Guardians have about 48 hours to save his life. Here is where the film takes on two separate storylines, one about the Guardians trying to get information about the tech used to modify Rocket and find the people responsible for engineering him, and then there is Rocket’s back-story from when he was just a kit and the experiments he endured and basically what caused him to become who he is. This is definitely the darkest adventure we’ve seen the Guardians experience, but this is still one heck of a ride that has many laughs along the way, but there will be a few tears shed as well.
Though Adam Warlock may at first seem like the film’s villain, if anything he’s somewhat underutilized as a simple errand boy to fetch Rocket. Warlock has been teased for some time, way back in a post-credit scene. He’s a bit different from his comic book origins. He’s still powerful and has near godlike powers, but he’s still a bit dimwitted and goofy, so he fits in nicely into this Guardians universe. The film’s real villain is the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). He’s a scientist who is obsessed with genetic and bioengineering and aspires to eventually create the perfect utopian society. While the MCU has churned out some decent villains over the years, this is the first time I have genuinely despised a character. Thanos may have been “the mad titan” for wanting to wipe out half the population of the universe, but when it comes to the High Evolutionary and the experiments he performs and just how easily he’ll destroy an experiment he feels is flawed … let’s just say there were a few times I wish I could have flat-out attacked the character on the screen. The character is very much a hybrid between Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Moreau, a character driven by the “success” of his creations rather than just accepting them for what they are. Kudos to the performance Iwuji gives; this is a loathsome character, and he gives it his all with this. If there is one flaw I’ve seen with the villains in Gunn’s previous work, it is that they are still a bit too likeable, but this time around he’s taken a villain from the comics and just embraced everything despicable about him.
As for the journey we see the Guardians take this time around, this film seems to be more about the characters finally coming to terms and accepting who they are. Quill has a bit of a bumpy road considering he’s trying to mourn the loss of the woman he loved while another version of her is on his ship helping them on their mission. Then there is the dynamic of Nebula (Karen Gillan) who has made the biggest transition since we first met her. The relationship that has developed between Quill and Nebula is something I wasn’t expecting, but I absolutely enjoyed. While Gunn doesn’t quite let these characters get together, I can’t be the only one wanting to see this happen. Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but I swear this is something being teased for the future (if there is one for these characters).
Another great duo is Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista). The chemistry between these two is great. Every time these characters are together it kind of reminds me of the dynamic of C-3PO and R2-D2, but less boops and beeps and more charming banter. Then we have Groot. This might be the only character we don’t see much in the way of growth; after all he’s a tree, and only says “I am Groot”, but while he’s certainly a part of the adventure and does have some cool moments, he’s just kind of there. The character I was glad we got to see more of was Kraglin (Sean Gunn) whom seems to be struggling to find his place since Mary Poppins I mean Yondu was killed off in Volume 2. Then there is Cosmo (voiced by Maria Bakalova), the Russian space dog who has definitely stepped up from our first introduction where they were just an Easter egg in the first film. Yeah, there are a lot of characters, and there are many I haven’t mentioned; many of them are as funny and as charming as we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in this world Gunn has brought to life, and I’m sure everyone will have new favorite characters after watching this film.
As expected the film takes us to some unique locations, and it is no surprise that the visuals in this film are beautiful and bonkers. From an organic HQ in space, to a Counter Earth populated by genetically altered creatures, there is a lot to feast your eyes on here. Then there are the over-the-top fight scenes filled with tentacles, goop, and cameras zipping through bullet holes, all choreographed to yet another great soundtrack. Two moments in particular pop out to me with this film where it is a perfect blend of music and visuals. The first is seeing the Guardians in their space suits as “In the Meantime” by Spacehog plays; the other is a fantastic sequence with the Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” is playing. I’ve been a fan of the soundtracks from the previous films, but this one just might be my favorite … Seriously, I dare you not to smile during the sequence where “Dog Days Are Over” by Florence in the Machine is on.
With this most likely being the final outing with James Gunn helming a Guardians of the Galaxy, I feel this was a perfect way to close out his trilogy of films. I’m sure many will disagree, but for me this is the best sci-fi trilogy since the original Star Wars films. I love these characters, and I’ve had a blast with them every time they’ve appeared in the other Marvel films. There is a reason why these films work. This was a bit of an underdog franchise from the start, but it was the love James Gunn put into each one of these characters from the script to the screen that allowed this to succeed. Sure, Spider-Man No Way Home was successful and entertaining, but I chalk that more up to it just being filled to the brim with characters we just wanted to see together from other franchises and was more about spectacle than story. People are claiming there is superhero fatigue, but I feel the problem is more that they are hiring the wrong people to make these films. Instead of being a corporate machine just churning out the same story with big FX, we want movies that can evoke an emotional response along with those grand FX. I’m curious to see where these next phases with the MCU are heading and what will happen as Gunn takes creative control over the DCU. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 may be a farewell film, but it has also opened the door to some wonderful possibilities that may be coming our way.
