The two-and-a-half-hour film more than delivers on all the heart and action that the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise has been known for, but it does subvert expectations of what final films in movie trilogies are known for.
At its centre, the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies have always been about chosen family and how integral those relationships are.
With Volume 3, it becomes an even more central theme as the movie unpacks the turbulent past of Rocket (Bradley Cooper), and leans into what makes the characters tick.
Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” sees the beloved band of misfits settling into life on Knowhere, which soon gets upended by the echoes of Rocket’s origin.
Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), still reeling from the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldana), must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket’s life – a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” manages to do what a number of final films in movie trilogies often fail at – delivering on what has come before.
One of the most impressive skills that director-writer James Gunn has done with the franchise is dig into who these characters are.
Most often, blockbuster movies struggle to have such realised characters and it’s because they rarely choose to run towards who the character’s identity is, and instead run outwards for external conflict.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” works very well as an emotional film because it gives you what the franchise is known for – heart and connection.
The conflicts, and the challenges that the characters face, all tie into their connections with each other.
Sure, not every character is as actualised as one would like in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” – namely Gamora and Drax (Dave Bautista) – as the film forces you to rely of your understanding of their history, and doesn’t push them forward and evolving much.
That said, pulling off a movie of such fast-paced action, with a large scale of story, where a large portion of your characters do have arcs and growth is impressive.
Another standout of what Gunn manages is the skill in which the camera is used because the directing on the movie needs to be highlighted.
With how much movies have changed and how action films deliver much of the same techniques, the film really works because of the dynamic way the camera moves during action scenes, and the angles in which scenes are portrayed.
The film feels exciting because of it and makes the experience on watching it in IMAX all the more enjoyable.
There are definitely moments when the film does lose some of its shine and most of that is in the dialogue – specifically the comedic dialogue.
Gunn relies too much on toilet humour and then will drag out a joke a bit too long. They don’t ruin the movie, but they do take you out of it.
The movie’s advertisement campaign also missed the mark as it leads viewers to believe of numerous deaths when in reality the number of deaths predicted or foretold have been misrepresented.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” does deliver a great villain. While their backstory isn’t unique or really unpacked in large detail, Nigerian actor Chukwudi Iwuji really delivers a delicious performance as the High Evolutionary.
Such roles require dramatic flair and Iwuji knocks it out of the park. It’s okay for villains to be a little camp. Iwuji is aware of that, and it’s that campiness mixed with his unabashed cruelty that makes his character work.
Will Poulter makes his debut in the MCU as Adam Warlock and while the introduction of his character does initially cause concern, Poulter really manages to pull it off with his charm.
Poulter knows his skills when it comes to comedy and it’s nice to see that he isn’t scared to lean into it.
He has done more dramatically acclaimed work of late, which has helped raised his profile, but his skills in comedy haven’t gone stale.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is really also a story about Rocket and while there is a lot to unpack with his character, discussing it is a spoiler.
That being said, Cooper’s voice-acting is incredibly on point for this movie.
Ultimately, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is a thoroughly enjoyable film that, while it works best for those who have followed the franchise, it does also work as a film you can watch without context.
The enjoyment won’t be the same as others, but it’s still quite good.
Gunn manages to end off his “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise in near-perfect style and the MCU is all the better because of it.
Rating: 8.5/10
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is currently showing at cinemas nationwide.