The Guardians of the Galaxy movies have always held a unique place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the personal vision of writer-director James Gunn. So it's fitting that he gets to end the franchise — at least for now — on his own terms. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is almost certainly not the last time all of these space-faring superheroes will be seen in the MCU, but it is Gunn's farewell to the characters, some of whom will likely be taking a well-deserved break.
As such, Vol. 3 is a bit overstuffed, as Gunn works to include all of the themes and relationships that have defined the previous two movies, while also introducing a new villain and significantly expanding the back story of one of the Guardians. The previous movies have been anchored by Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), the quippy galactic adventurer who calls himself Star-Lord, and green-skinned alien warrior Gamora (Zoe Saldaña). Quill continues to lead the Guardians of the Galaxy, and Gamora plays a significant role as well, although thanks to the intricacies of MCU continuity, she's actually a different version of the character, plucked out of the past following the original Gamora's death in Avengers: Infinity War.
The story in Vol. 3 is driven by another character, though — the scrappy, tough-talking, raccoon-like Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper). After Rocket is critically injured during an attack, the Guardians must seek out his creator, the mad scientist known as the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), to retrieve a key that will allow them to treat his injuries. Rocket remains inert and unconscious for a good two-thirds of the movie, but Gunn uses that time for extensive flashbacks to his treatment at the hands of the High Evolutionary, who conducts cruel experiments on helpless animals in his efforts to engineer a perfect race of elevated beings.
The Guardians movies have always featured a potentially awkward mix of snarky humor and gooey sentimentality, and Vol. 3 too often goes overboard on the pathos, especially in the manipulative flashbacks to Rocket and his doomed friends. Putting cute animals — even entirely CGI ones — in peril is a cheap tactic, and the emotional resonance of this movie relies almost entirely on the audience's investment in the personal development of a talking, gun-toting space rodent.
Although Rocket's story is the primary focus, there's still plenty of material for the other Guardians, including super-strong lunkhead Drax (Dave Bautista), Gamora's sullen sister Nebula (Karen Gillan), bug-eyed empath Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and tree creature Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), who takes a new, disturbingly buff-looking form. That's a lot for Gunn to handle, as he wraps up arcs and sets the characters on new paths. The relationship between Quill and this different Gamora gets shortchanged, replacing the connection they had in the first two films with a half-formed new dynamic. Secondary antagonist Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), whose debut has been teased across multiple movies, turns out to be a complete dud.
As ungainly as it can be, Vol. 3 is still an entertaining ride, full of creatively designed alien worlds and vessels, with Iwuji as an enjoyably unhinged villain. The effects have a more tactile feel than the plasticky environments of recent MCU movies Thor: Love and Thunder and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, even if the action is largely underwhelming. The characters remain endearing, and while the comedy has worn a little thin, there are still moments of humor amid the schmaltz. Gunn mostly insulates the movie from the endless MCU set-ups and references, making it a satisfying — if bumpy — conclusion for longtime Guardians fans. ♦
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3
