“We’ll all fly away together. Me and my friends. One last time. Into the forever and beautiful sky.” - Rocket
It feels like yesterday that movie goers were introduced to that band of misfits known as Guardians of the Galaxy. But it was actually nine years ago. Time flies, doesn’t it?
Written and directed by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy followed the cosmic adventures of Peter Quill, aka the legendary outlaw “Star Lord”, played by Chris Pratt. He along with Gammorra (Zoe Saldana), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Beautista), a cyborg Raccoon named “Rocket” (voiced by Bradley Cooper, played by Sean Gunn), and a talking sentient tree named Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) joined together to protect their galaxy from villains such as Ronan the Destroyer. It was the 10th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At the time, it was the most risky. It featured D-list comic book characters that no one outside of the hard core comic book readers knew about. Almost everybody thought it was gonna be Marvel’s first real flop. Just like the Guardians themselves, people underestimated Marvel yet again. Guardians of the Galaxy became a surprise hit, grossing over $700 million worldwide, and received great reviews from the critics. Its sequels Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, was released in 2017, and made even more money. In my opinion, I thought it was even better than the first, and might even be my favorite MCU movie.
While I was excited for Vol. 3, I have to admit I was also skeptical. Because in 2018, James Gunn was initially fired from the project due to offensive old tweets from years earlier. Thankfully, he was rehired months later. And in the meantime, he was hired by Warner Bros. to write and direct a proper Suicide Squad reboot, and even take over DC’s whole division. He is currently set to write and direct the Superman reboot, Superman Legacy, to be released in 2025. I was honestly worried he would be to distracted when making this third chapter.
Another reason I was worried was because of Marvel’s track record lately. I love the MCU as much as anyone. But I’m not the only one who feels like Phase 4 has been underwhelming lately. While it had its gems like Wandavision, Spider-Man No Way Home, Ms. Marvel, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Phase 4 just hasn’t really had the same level of consistency that Phases 1-3 had. But maybe that’s just me.
But I held out hope against hope that James Gunn would deliver. And deliver, he did.
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 is not only the best Marvel movie since Avengers: Endgame, it might be one of my Top 5 favorite MCU movies! Maybe even Top 3! While Vol. 2 is still my favorite Guardians movie, this one comes pretty damn close.
Following the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 finds the Guardians in a rough spot. Peter Quill is still mourning the loss of Gamorra, who was sacrificed by Thanos for the Soul Stone in Infinity War. And Rocket is dealing with trauma from his past as an experiment by the High Executioner (Chukwudi Iwuji). After a fatal encounter with Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), Rocket goes into cardiac arrest. So it’s up to Star Lord, Nebula (Karen Gillan), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Drax, Groot, and Gamorra (from another universe) to learn more about Rocket’s past to save his life.
I won’t tell you anymore than that. This movie is an emotional roller coaster full of twists, turns, huge drops, and a kickass soundtrack to go along with it. It’s also guaranteed to make you cry like a baby. That’s right. It’s one of “those” trilogy endings. Right up there with Toy Story 3 in terms of tear jerker levels.
It’s also visually stunning to look at. It has the best visual effects I’ve seen from Marvel in a long time. It’s a nice mix of CGI and practical effects. The animals are CGI, but they feel real.
And the soundtrack is amazing. The Guardians movies have always had amazing soundtracks, and this is no exception. There are new additions like “Since You Been Gone” by Rainbow”, “Reasons” by Earth Wind and Fire”, and my personal favorite, “In The Meantime” by Spacehhog. There’s even one song from the previous movies that makes an appearance. I won’t tell you what it is. But you’ll know it when you hear it.
The High Evolutionary is one of the worst, most despicable villains in the entire MCU. He’s not a sympathetic villain like Loki or Killmonger, and he’s not someone you understand like Thanos. This guy is just pure evil through and through. He tortures animals and people to make what he thinks is a “perfect society”. Many say he’s too over the top. But honestly, I think it works. He’s not a villain you love to hate. You just hate him, period. (Unless you’re a total sicko who identifies with him. Then please promise me you’ll stay away from me. And my dog.) As much as I love complex and sympathetic villains, it is so refreshing to have a villain who’s just a complete asshole. Kind of like Jack Horner in Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, another movie about an adorable, kick ass furry protagonist dealing with his own mortality.
The entire cast is at their absolute best. Chris Pratt is vulnerable as a Peter Quill who’s dealing with the loss of his friends and family in his life. Zoe Saldana does an excellent job at playing a different Gamorra than the one we knew in the first two. Karen Gillan hams it up as Nebula. This is easily the most fun she’s having in the whole trilogy. Pom Klementieff shines as Mantis. Dave Beautista gets many of the biggest laughs as Drax, as well as one of the most satisfying arcs. And Groot is adorable as ever. But make no mistake. This is Rocket’s movie.
As I mentioned before, we finally learn about Rocket’s backstory. We meet his friends including an otter named Lyla (Linda Cardellini), a walrus named Teef, and a rabbit named Floor. It is so heartbreaking, and even horrifying. It makes you understand why Rocket is the way he is. Rocket is rough around the edges. He’s mean to everyone he meets, including his friends. A lot of it is a coping mechanism resulting from childhood trauma. Rocket has a fear of abandonment, and guilt over not doing enough to save the people he loves.
James Gunn has said that Rocket is the character he relates to the most. And it’s easy to see why. Seeing Rocket’s friends rally to save him is very similar to how James Gunn’s friends and co-workers rallied to save his career after he was unfairly fired in 2018. And because of the help of his friends, James Gunn not only got to complete his Guardians trilogy. He got to be in charge of Marvel’s competition, DC.
I guess in the end, that’s what the Guardians of the Galaxy movies are all about. Standing up for our family. And sticking together through thick and thin. Through ups and downs. Through good times and bad times. That’s why these movies continue to resonate with audiences. Even those who never picked up a comic book before.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 did not meet my expectations. It surpassed them. It was a funny, action packed, and emotional send off to my favorite band of misfits. Not only does this solidify Guardians of the Galaxy as my favorite MCU trilogy. It solidifies it as one of my all time favorite film trilogies. This is up there with Return of the Jedi, Return of the King, Toy Story 3, and Back to the Future Part III as one of the best, most satisfying conclusions to a trilogy.
If you love Guardians of the Galaxy, I cannot recommend this enough. Though you should bring a tissue box. Also, this movie is very intense and disturbing at times for kids ages 10 and under. Be cautious when bringing them.
I am forever grateful to Marvel and to James Gunn for bringing these character to life and into our hearts. I cannot wait to see what James Gunn does with Superman, and DC in general.
I’m gonna miss these A-holes.
We Are Groot. Always and Forever.
