It has been a long and strange road, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters this weekend in what has been lauded as a farewell tour. Fans of the MCU in general, and this franchise in particular, are sure to enjoy the third and final (?) installment from director James Gunn. Because there is a lot to enjoy in this colorful, funny, and frequently emotional sendoff.
After (temporarily) reaching the lofty status of highest grossing film of all time — unadjusted for inflation — Marvel’s post-Avengers: Endgame releases have struggled to hang onto the audience the studio had built over 20+ films. The ever-expanding cinematic universe became a multiverse of skewed timelines and television series, comics, games, and every other form of media. It’s a lot for diehard fans to keep up with, but for the casual viewer, it’s impossible.
We last saw the Guardians just a few months ago, looking for a chance to ditch their extra crew member at the beginning of Thor: Love and Thunder. Vol 3 picks up sometime later with the motley crew now safely ensconced on Knowhere. The time spent here never feels like too much. Gunn has a story to tell and he jumps into it pretty quickly, but manages to fit in plenty of details about what everyone has been up to in this post-Thanos universe. While most of Knowhere’s residents are happy, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) — aka Star-Lord — is depressed. He misses Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) and his excessive drinking and general bad moods are too much for his friends. The Gamora that Peter loved died. This Gamora, accidentally plucked from the past, wants nothing to do with him and is far, far away with her new crew.
Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.
After a sudden, seemingly unprovoked attack on Knowhere, Rocket (Bradley Cooper) is gravely injured. The only chance of saving him involves a dangerous journey. Exactly the kind of thing the Guardians do best. While Peter, Nebula (Karen Gillan), Drax (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Groot (Austin Freeman & Vin Diesel) engage in heists and fights and a lot of action, we also learn more about Rocket’s past.
With a signature mix of great music, vivid color, and general humor, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is an entertaining movie and fits right in as part of the trilogy. It also suffers from an age-old Marvel problem: a villain with a generic motive.
To be fair, Chukwudi Iwuji is a fantastic actor and his High Evolutionary definitely wins points for being a Really Bad Guy. His one goal is to create the perfect society. He has spent his life searching for the exact genetic combination that will achieve this perfection. As a giant PSA about the horrors of animal testing, the High Evolutionary and his cronies are sufficiently evil and terrifying. They have no discernible feelings about wiping out a creature or an entire planet that doesn’t meet their standards. And Rocket suffered greatly because of them.
But that’s a whole lot of effort and destruction to send a message that “animal testing is bad” and “eugenics is bad.” And also “genocide is bad,” of course. We know. We’ve known for awhile now. And so we are left with a villain who, while scary, is little more than a caricature of baddies we’ve seen many times before. Just with great acting and an awesome wardrobe.
But our heroes’ journey is a good one. Curmudgeon Rocket’s history is heartbreaking. Even Peter’s angst over Gamora’s repeated rejections leads to a good blend of comedy and sadness. Every character gets a chance to be a hero, to play their part, and to show why they were always an important part of the team. The film, and especially its final moments, find that delicate balance between giving the audience enough and leaving them wanting more.
And that is why this is a good stopping place for this franchise. The stars are ready to move on and the MCU is too. James Gunn takes this story to a good and natural conclusion, leaving plenty of directions for future adventures, even if it means the Guardians go their separate ways for a while. Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a good time and a satisfying closing chapter.
