Movie Review: ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3’

Review by James Lindorf

The Fantastic Four have long been known as Marvel’s first family since their creation in 1961. This is not a distinction they will carry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe because the Guardians of the Galaxy have supplanted them. As always, the film stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, and Pom Klementieff, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot and Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Sean Gunn, with newcomers Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter and Maria Bakalova. In his MCU swan song, James Gunn returns as writer and director of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” in theaters everywhere on May 5th.

Their story began as a rag-tag group of thieves, bounty hunters, murderers, and a crusader united in the face of great evil. They continued to travel together as friends but bonded as a family through the betrayal of Star-Lord and Gamora’s fathers. Even with the loss of their Gamora, they remain a tight-knit unit. The remaining Guardians have taken over Knowhere as their new headquarters turning it into the floating head of misfit characters, including Howard the Duck, Kraglin (Sean Gunn) and the rest of Yondue’s Ravagers, and Cosmo the Spacedog (Maria Bakalova). Everything is going well, except a broken-hearted Star-Lord has become undependable. He is just as likely to go on a bender as he is to lead a mission. When Knowhere is attacked by the Sovereign’s newly unleashed Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), Rocket is gravely injured, setting off the two main storylines in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.”

While one story takes place in the present and the other years in the past, they are centered around the same two figures, Rocket and The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). With standard treatments out of the question thanks to Rocket’s electronic enhancements, the Guardians race across the galaxy and headlong into a confrontation with The High Evolutionary. A victory will be no easy task when he controls the most sophisticated company in the universe and multiple societies revere him as a god. While the Guardians fight to save his life, Rocket lies unconscious in the medical bay, reliving his traumatic past and how he became the “not a raccoon” they all love.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is sloppy and uneven at times but still manages to be an excellent conclusion to the trilogy. Visually the effects look great, and some of the costuming is fantastic, but at other times it looks intentionally cheap. The most significant imbalance comes from James Gunn’s infamous sense of humor. Gunn’s beautiful story about discovering what makes you special and how to appreciate the differences in the people you love that is pop marked by juvenile humor. It ranges from people constantly falling down to a character being interrupted mid-bathroom trip. The trademark music is lackluster and barely warrants mentioning hours after viewing. Bad jokes and ho-hum music aside when Gunn is on a roll, the writing and performances are among the best in MCU history. When they aren’t asked to do something silly, the entire cast is fantastic; Klementieff and Gillan excel in expanded roles, while the original members stretch their characters in new directions.

From the large-eyed baby Rocket and his trials to discovering Drax’s hidden strength, the story can warm your heart and bring you to tears. 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” is a better-crafted film from beginning to end. The editing, the pacing, the music, and the humor are all on point compared to the ups and downs of Vol. 3. However, there are enough moments in the most recent film that are among the best in the MCU that make it the best film since “Endgame” with a score of 4.5 out of 5.

Rating: PG-13
Genre: Sci-fi, Adventure, Action, Fantasy, Comedy
Original Language: English
Director: James Gunn
Producer: Kevin Feige
Writer: James Gunn
Release Date (Theaters): May 5, 2023 Wide
Runtime: 2h 30m
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Production Co: Marvel Studios