The Guardians are back for one last ride
Directed by: James Gunn
Written by: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, strong language, suggestive/drug references, and thematic element
Release Date: May 5, 2023
Runtime: 2:30
This review may contain spoilers
Hooked on a Feeling
Since Avengers: Endgame, most of these Marvel superhero movies have been lacking. Maybe it’s because of “superhero fatigue” with all these movies and TV shows that we’re becoming unphased with cool explosions and good guys punching bad guys. Maybe it’s the epitome of that final battle in Endgame making it hard for later movies to meet that same level of excitement. Or maybe it’s the loss of the Great Stan Lee and his cameos.
Whatever the reason, 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy was a film that surprised everyone when it came out. Maybe… these Guardians can surprise us again.
MCU
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the next step in the world(s) of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, better known as the MCU. After Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the MCU is now in its fifth stage, which should bring the bigger story of “The Multiverse Saga.”
Behold… Your Guardians of the Galaxy!
Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt, the Jurassic World trilogy), Drax (Dave Bautista, Spectre), Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper, the Hangover trilogy), Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel, the Fast & Furious series), Nebula (Karen Gillan, Jumanji reboots), Mantis (Pom Klementieff, Oldboy remake), and Gamora (Zoe Saldana, Avatar films); all the Guardians are back again! After getting attacked by a new golden foe, Adam Warlock (Will Poulter, We’re the Millers), the Guardians must go on a risky rescue mission for one of their own. The rescue will bring the Guardians to another powerful foe, The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji, John Wick: Chapter 2), the man responsible for abducting, torturing, and transforming Rocket into who he is today.
That’s a wrap
Something I’m starting to notice with these sequels, particularly with trilogy sets, is how they’re grouped together. So far, we’ve had Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Ant-Man, and now the Guardians with their trilogies. But really, only Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Guardians feel like they have completed open-and-close stories.
Vol. 3 does a great job of giving the main characters closure by the end. And I mean, everyone. Gunn left none of the Guardians with loose ends, giving every one of them a satisfying finish to their journey. Some are only beginning a new journey, but this is at least the end of their current journey with the Guardians.
That sounds vague, but getting any more specific would ruin some spoilers.
That old, familiar Gunn feeling
Director James Gunn brought this intergalactic team of misfits to the big screen in 2014, so it makes sense he finished the trilogy. He almost didn’t get to after getting fired by Disney for old tweets about inappropriate jokes. Thankfully, most of the cast defended Gunn and was able to bring the director/writer back.
I was thrilled Gunn could come back and finish the Guardians trilogy. He’s a unique filmmaker, and I don’t believe anyone could follow his work on the Guardians of the Galaxy films. It wouldn’t be the same.
Gunn is also becoming a big name for DC Comics, now the co-CEO of DC Studios (formerly known as DC Films) with creative control over DC projects.
Awesome Mix, Vol 3
The Guardians of the Galaxy is synonymous with great ‘70s and ‘80s music, thanks to Peter Quill’s mother’s excellent taste in music. Quill’s music has changed due to acquiring a Zune (via Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 2’s ending), adding Radiohead, Heart, Spacehog, Alice Cooper, and the Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen.
Oh sure, there’s a bunch more, including one of my favorite songs from the Beastie Boys, “No Sleep Till Brooklyn.” Ohhhh, hell yes, I threw up the devil horns in the theater that night; I don’t care. That song is fucking awesome, and Gunn made it an epic soundtrack for a badass fight scene with all our heroes fighting the High Evolutionary’s mutant army. Reminds me of a certain hallway fight scene from Netflix’s Daredevil.
“There is no god! That’s why I stepped in!”
Speaking of the High Evolutionary, Chukwudi Iwuji gives us a truly despicable villain. Unlike Thanos or Killmonger, Iwuji gave us a villain that is not sympathetic or understanding; he’s an absolute narcissist and, quite frankly, a complete asshole.
He’s the man (or alien) behind Rocket’s creation and behind experimenting on other multiple animals and sentient creatures. His part in Rocket’s backstory brings a stronger reaction to the High Evolutionary. Now we have a face (kinda) of the person who physically, mentally, and spiritually tortured him. Even Nebula couldn’t believe what he went through, after her own trauma from her adoptive father, Thanos.
It’s actually refreshing to have a villain again that is just evil and a total dick. I think they call that kind of character “the heel.” Someone we can all hate together, and then cheer on the Guardians when they finally beat his ass. And they do!
He’s a golden g… man-child
Warlock is finally here, long after Thanos got killed off. Sorry, it’s still weird that we got Infinity War but no Warlock fighting Thanos. Maybe I’m geeking out here, but Adam was a pivotal character!
Anyways, Gunn has been building up Warlock for a long time now. In the mid-credits scene from Thor: Dark World (directed by Gunn himself), Warlock’s pod was seen (non-canonically) in The Collector’s collection. In the Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, a newer, shinier pod was shown, hinting at Adam Warlock coming to destroy the Guardians.
And now that he’s here… well, he’s definitely here. The film starts with Warlock attacking our heroes (and damn does he mess them up), but he spends the rest of the time popping up randomly to recklessly start short fights.
I guess with six years of wanting for the “cosmic golden child” to show up, I was hoping for a stronger threat from Warlock. He felt like more of a nuisance getting in the way of everybody after that first fight.
In the comics, Warlock is supposed to be an all-powerful cosmic god or something, right? He didn’t level up to that in the movie. Maybe Marvel is building him up slowly, like they did with the Scarlet Witch.
Marvel F-Bomb
Ohhhh, it’s official! Marvel’s got its first F-bomb. Not hidden by loud noises or someone about to say it but gets interrupted. They straight up say it. Guardians of the Galaxy got to say the big, bad F-word before Deadpool even showed up.
What’s even funnier was the theater reaction when it was said – the word “fuck” got applause and cheering when it happened.
The Last Goodbye?
So, is it true? Is this the end of the Guardians of the Galaxy? Oh, say it ain’t so…
Gunn posted before the film’s release about this being the end of his Guardians. Personally, I think this meant the end of the current team like the Avengers did. Some are on their own paths, and others rediscovering themselves. I even think there could be more Guardians of the Galaxy movies someday, just without the James Gunn love.
Dog Days are Over
For those disappointed with the current MCU movies post-Endgame, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 retains what we loved from the Guardians series. The action and comedy are balanced nicely with strong, emotional scenes. It’s the end of the trilogy, and it feels like it. Gunn’s writing brought closure for the main characters throughout without over-encumbering the main story. And his choice of music for the film’s soundtrack never disappoints.
Overall, this was a great last ride for my favorite group of cosmic misfits.
Post-credit scenes, yeah, like you didn’t know. One shows the roster of the new Guardians. Without giving anything away, the team ends up with a few spots to fill in, and the mid-credit scene shows off what could be expected in the future MCU. Gunn’s involvement pending…
So, what’s the final post-credit scene, the big payoff? It’s a jokey scene, something you’d expect from Gunn, promising at least one of the original Guardians returning, possibly going for solo adventures.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently playing in theaters.
