Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the conclusion of the trilogy, and the end of the James Gunn era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is here, and I think it’s very good! For those of you that haven’t been following my Marvel reviews personally, I have been pretty disappointed these last few years. While most movies were entertaining, they lacked a quality that I’ve been missing.
Volume 3 is the best MCU film since Endgame!
Before we even get started, I want you to know that you’re in a safe space in terms of spoilers. I won’t be spoiling anything, because you deserve to have the same experience in the theater as I did. That is also why this review will be relatively short. With that being said, let’s talking about GOTG.
Lead once again by Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, along with Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, and more, the Guardians have returned for their third solo film. The most surprising character in Vol. 3 though, is Bradley Cooper voicing Rocket Raccoon. We dive deep into Rocket’s backstory, thanks to Chukwudi Iwuji, as the High Evolutionary’s connection to it. Both of these characters are the pillars that hold this movie together, and Iwuji puts on a hell of a performance here. High Evolutionary was electric on screen, because while unbelievably intelligent and logical, he’s also incredibly flawed and tormented by his own mission.
Rocket’s backstory gives us some of the saddest and tear-jerking scenes in MCU history. I was pleasantly surprised by how dark Gunn decided to go with the character’s past, and at the end of the day, watching an adorable raccoon get treated poorly, just makes this animal lover want to cry! But don’t let that scare you away! If you’re an animal lover, like I am, I think you’ll leave the theater filled with great satisfaction.
With that being said, all of the Guardian’s get plenty of time to shine. This film feels like the final installment for many characters, just by how much story and moments each are given. Whether those moments are emotional and tear-jerking drama, goofy and hilarious comedy, or some absolutely awesome action sequences, every second of this movie is entertaining and meaningful. Pratt brings his charm as usual, but even many side characters get great moments to show who they truly are, like Drax, Mantis, and Nebula, which left me very happy. While the scope of this movie is huge, it’s also the most personal story of the trilogy!
Overall, I really enjoyed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3! There’s a lot of story to tell, James Gunn uses all 2 hours and 30 minutes of his runtime to fit as much as he can into his final MCU film, and I think he did a great job with it. Story came first with this script and its apparent from the very beginning. I appreciate that over anything else, and I think after seeing the film, you will too! I recommend seeing this ASAP to avoid spoilers and on the biggest screen you can find!
Marvel Studios’ GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 opens in U.S. theaters on May 5th, 2023.
Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Logan Wischmeier (Contributing Editor) is a Texas native and a massive fan of all genres of film. You can find him talking about movies on YouTube or in line for the latest Star Wars/Comic Book film.Click Here to check out Logan's Articles.