"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" review — Tear-jerk finale is an emotional, memorable good-bye
“We’ll all fly away together, one last time, into the forever and beautiful sky.”
James Gunn likes to set the mood of his Guardians of the Galaxy films through a carefully chosen song early in the runtime. In the first film, he introduces audiences to Chis Pratt’s Star-Lord with the lively sounds of Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love.” In the sequel, he sets the first action sequence to Electric Light Orchestra’s infectious “Mr. Blue Sky.” These tracks give the impression and life and energy, kicking off each film with a memorable, delightful sequence. But Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the finale of Gunn’s trilogy, differentiates itself immediately through its choice of music. Instead of an energetic, upbeat retro pop song, the opening credits are marked with Radiohead’s “Creep,” a grunge-y downer of a song. This dour, more serious energy permeates the entire film. Things haven’t been good for the Guardians in recent years and the cracks in the team’s well-being are starting to show. But things are only bound to get worse before they get better as the MCU’s loveably bunch of losers, oddballs, and misfits get ready for their final flight together.
It’s been six years since the Guardians’ last solo adventure. While they haven’t been strangers to the silver screen since then with supporting roles in a few Avengers movies, the absence of Gunn’s charm and wit has been felt. Anyone who’s been a regular reader of my blog over the past few years is probably aware of the fact that I’ve been fairly cold to the post-Phase 3 MCU adventures. Black Widow was a middling annoyance, Eternals was a lifeless pain, Thor: Love and Thunder was heartless and stakes-less, and the recent Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania just makes me feel sick. But just when I had thought I had checked out of the MCU as a franchise, James Gunn finds a way to sucker me back in. In fact, Gunn might have just been saving the best for last. Combining the tongue-in-cheek humour Gunn has become known for with even grander emotional stakes and stronger character beats than the previous two, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is an emotional and fitting goodbye to these characters. While not without its problems, Vol. 3 is, on the whole, a greatly entertaining and rewarding conclusion.
The film kicks off on Knowhere, a giant floating head and the home base of the Guardians. Things aren’t going super well for the team, especially not for Peter Quill, AKA Star-Lord (Chris Pratt). Recently, Peter lost his love interest, Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), in the events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) before having a younger version brought back through time but without any memory of Peter or the Guardians. It’s the usual melodramatic comic book shenanigans, but it’s enough to awaken a nasty drinking habit in Peter. For everyone else, life has settled into a strange sense of normality, which is quite foreign to these characters. Now, they manage and maintain Knowhere and protect the people who call it home. Of course, nothing will remain quiet for long in the Guardians’ world. Their peace is interrupted by the sudden arrival of a new enemy, Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), who attacks the Guardians and severely injures Rocket (Bradley Cooper). The Guardians begin a desperate race against time to save their friend, meanwhile, the audience descends into Rocket’s long-suppressed memories.
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| Karen Gillan, Chris Pratt, and Dave Bautista in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo: Marvel Studios. |
All of the main players in the Guardians of the Galaxy films are back for the finale. Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff knock it out of the park as Drax and Mantis respectively. Their dynamic is wonderfully strange and odd. Karen Gillan’s Nebula has been a joy to watch grow from a villain’s sidekick in the first movie to a bonafide hero by the third. Vin Diesel’s Groot is a highlight as always. While she gets second-highest billing, Zoe Saldaña definitely fades into the background of the film, although she is still a strong presence in the story. Saldaña is playing a very different version of the green-skinned assassin more akin to her 2014 version. Thankfully, however, the film avoids making her arc in the movie a repeat of her storyline from the first two movies. Chukwudi Iwuji is wonderful as the film’s sadistic and violent main antagonist: The High Evolutionary. The High Evolutionary is pure evil in a cartoonish, over-the-top way, but he’s not a forgettable presence. Iwuji rings everything out of his dialogue making for one of the better MCU villains. He’s cruel and disgusting in all of the best ways.
There are so many other faces populating the cast. Will Poulter is great as the extremely powerful but rather stupid Adam Warlock with Elizabeth Debicki returning from Vol. 2 as his strict “mother” Ayesha. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm breakout star Maria Bakalova is delightful as the Russian telekinetic dog Cosmo. Sean Gunn’s Kraglin is a fun oddball with a surprisingly thorough character arc. Sylvester Stallone manages to squeak into the cast list as well, reprising his role as Stakar Ogord. I just wish that we could have had more of Howard the Duck in the film.
Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord is unfortunately the most uneven here. Pratt struggles to find the same humour and charm in the character that made him so likeable in the first two films. While he struggles to work with the material in the first half of the film, he does a lot better when the character takes a darker turn come the second and third acts. Similarly to Pratt’s character, the film on the whole is definitely the weakest in the first half. Following the attack on Knowhere, the next major chunk of the film is set in the fleshy Orgocorp headquarters. The interpersonal action in the Orgocorp scenes primarily concerns the relationship between Gamora and Star-Lord with Star-Lord trying to win his love interest over again. But this aspect of the film is not particularly well developed and Pratt struggles to sell this section of the film. There’s also one particularly unfortunate sequence on one of the tentacles of the Orgocorp building with some rather rough-looking CGI. However, once the film arrives on Counter-Earth, a place populated by humanoid animals, things really start to pick up.
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| Rocket Racoon in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo: Marvel Studios. |
The real star of this film is Bradley Cooper’s Rocket, a genetically modified raccoon with a bad attitude and a love of guns. The film’s b-plot is a series of flashback scenes where the audience is given a never-before-seen glimpse into Rocket’s youngest days. Rocket’s story might just be the most tragic backstory in a universe full of tragic superhero origins. It’s full of harrowing experimentation, terrifying monsters, and a group of unlikely friends just dreaming of the sky. These flashbacks are one of the most, if not the most, emotionally affecting storylines in the MCU. Gunn really goes for the emotional jugular here and it is highly effective. I never thought that a CGI raccoon would be able to make me cry, but somehow we have found our way to that reality.
With so many characters and so many arcs to resolve, Guardians 3 is faced with a terrifying balancing act, something which Gunn is able to pull off very well here. Although some characters might not always get as much screen time as they might deserve, the amount of finality Gunn is able to give to just about everyone on screen is quite spectacular. There is a clear sense of love surrounding every single character on screen. Gunn likes telling stories about social outcasts, rejects, and found family. While the Guardians movies have always rested upon these themes, they are especially prominent here, which makes this a surprisingly powerful and affecting film. In an age dominated by heartless, emotionless blockbusters, it is so refreshing to watch something that cares so deeply about its characters.
The filmmaking is also very solid here. Gunn knocks it out of the dark with his sense of imagination, a careful balance of humour and heart, and excellent action sequences. There are some inspired visual choices the film makes in the design of its locations and costumes. The organic look of the Orgocorp headquarters makes for a very gross and slimy visual experience and the 1970s-esque design of Counter-Earth is quite silly and charming. Gunn addresses the tonal issues of the first two movies with this installment. Vol. 3 is by far the least funny of the Guardians films. While no stranger to humour, it is not quite as joke-heavy as the previous two. And this change works. While it never shies away from the weirdness of the whole sci-fi universe, by taking it more seriously, the oddities feel more genuine. This film also features some of the best action set pieces of any of the Guardians movies thus far. There is a particularly great action sequence in the third act set to the Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep till Brooklyn” which I am dying to watch again.
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| The Guardians of the Galaxy. Photo: Marvel Studios. |
Guardians 3 is an excellent finale to this trilogy. It belongs to a rare category of MCU films that seem to defy the usual trappings of the studio’s brand and feel like something more than just “MCU Part 32,” instead it works as a proper finale to the story started nine years ago. The characters are given real closure as the series sets up a brave new future. SAs one might expect after the emotional finale of Vol. 2, Vol. 3 has a similarly stunning finale. Combining in equal measure joy and melancholy, Gunn brings his Guardians trilogy to a close in a beautiful, life-affirming final sequence. Mixed with tears of sorrow and tears of joy, Guardians 3 closes out the series on a high note.
I can’t get Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 out of my head. From its surprisingly rich emotional material to its wonderful sci-fi action, this swansong is a great closer to a great chapter in the MCU. In 2014, I don’t know how many people would have been convinced that an angry raccoon could be the leading character of a major Hollywood blockbuster. But James Gunn believed in that weirdo. And the results are wonderful. Gunn crafts such a fantastic directorial vision for these characters. You can feel the love emanating from every frame of the film. With some minor pacing issues aside, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a fantastic and worthy conclusion that only leaves you wanting more. And now, we fly away, into the forever and beautiful sky . . .
Gauardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now playing in theatres.
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