2023 Summer Movie Season - Marvel Studios' Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3: Review & Analysis

Guardians Forever!!!!! James Gunn Delivers Thrilling and Emotional Caper to Marvel's Cosmic Trilogy!!!!!

Review By Brandon Porter

One More For The Road.

Story Description

 For Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Mantis (Pom Klementiff), Drax (Dave Bautista), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Times have been ever-changing. Still navigating the universe years after the blip, the guardians have done their best to bring peace to the cosmos. But figures from the past have now returned to wreak havoc on them and those who follow. A powerful adversary known as the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) has emerged looking to expand his unethical methods of “genetic improvement” by any means necessary. His return is extra personal for Rocket knowing that he was one of his “special projects”. With the High Evolutionary’s shadow looming over the galaxy, the Guardians must band together to face him while also contending with a returning Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) as well as the vengeful Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki) and her experimental human weapon Adam Warlock (Will Poulter). After the dust settles, the galaxy and the guardians will never be the same again. 

Lost Lovers Found

Film Review

For 9 years, Marvel’s galactic outlaws have transcended their mundane comic origins to become one of the MCU’s most popular characters. Now, James Gunn closes out his story featuring this lovable group of misfits in what aims to be a show-stopping final chapter in the Guardians of The Galaxy series. After listening to the last song on the album, Guardians of The Galaxy Vol 3 is an emotionally earnest and thrilling sendoff to this cosmic group of misfits. I can't say enough about the amount of love and care that went into this series, its characters, and the world they inhabit. Gunn's absolute passion for the series shines through as he delivers full-circle moments that close character arcs that have been built over the past few films and the subsequent crossovers. Performance-wise, Bradley Cooper deserves full marks as Rocket Racoon. Cooper's portrayal of Rocket is iconic and an absolute joy to watch. He captures the essence of the character so well while making it his own. While Cooper's previous performances as the character were great, Vol. 3 really showcases the talent of Cooper in arguably one of his best performances in the MCU. Rocket's journey in this film is gut-wrenchingly emotional and adds so much context to him as a character. It's clear that the film's focus was on him and it made for some heavy moments that pay off brilliantly by the film’s end. As for his fellow Guardians, Chris Pratt continues to excel as Peter Quill. His charisma knows no bounds and his performance here is a joy to watch especially with his interactions with the other Guardians. Zoe Saldaña is equally a standout as Gamora. While she is technically the same Gamora we know, what the story does with her post-endgame is interesting and adds further layers to her character. Pom Klementiff, Dave Bautista, and Karen Gillan all shine as Mantis, Drax, and Nebula bringing an incredible amount of substance to the film in their own right. Klementiff's Mantis goes from a comedic and shy empath to a compassionate and strong-willed character who sees the good in everyone. Nebula's arc is tremendous as she transforms from a sadistic killing machine made for chaos to a loyal member who tries firmly hard to keep everyone in line not out of anger but because she deeply cares for the people around her. As for Drax, the film solidifies him as the glue guy. Despite his powerful and menacing nature, his heart is his strongest aspect as he brings light to a dark room. It's amazing to see how Gunn has managed to drastically change each character from their first appearance to this latest one. He truly understands the importance of character development and how vital that is for the story. This film is a great example of what a skilled storyteller Gunn truly is.

The Ultimate Gunslingers

As for the new blood, Chukwudi Iwuji is despicably delightful as the High Evolutionary. I don't think there has been an MCU villain that has filled me with so much loathing since John Walker in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. The High Evolutionary is cruel, egotistical, sadistic, and devoid of basic compassion. He is easy to root against and Iwuji plays him so convincingly that every time he appears on screen, it makes your blood boil. Bravo to him for crafting such a memorable antagonist. Will Poulter, though his time is brief, delivers a fun introduction as Adam Warlock. His childlike nature and gullibility mixed with incredible strength and power made him a formidable foe and a comedic standout. It will be interesting to see his development as the Multiverse saga progresses. One of Guardians of The Galaxy Vol 3's biggest strengths is its ability to balance exposition while still keeping things moving. A lot of films spend too much time in the past which takes away from the current story being told. Gunn does a solid job of giving context without sacrificing the pace or the progression of the narrative. The backstory of Rocket is told via flashbacks yet it still adds so much to the current story being told. It's not an easy thing to do but Gunn manages to find a solid middle ground between adding essential context and not allowing the story to lose focus. Action-wise, the film is a full on thrill ride from beginning to end. Vol 3 delivers adrenaline-induced action with some of the sequences ranking among the best in the trilogy including an epic sequence in a hallway that was nothing short of breathtaking. Gunn pulled out all the stops to ensure his trilogy capper was every bit of a showstopping finale in terms of spectacle. As for how the film wraps things up, I applaud James Gunn for not taking the cliche route when it comes to writing his finale. It was obvious that so many people were convinced that they knew how the stories of these characters were going to end. But the actual end result is surprising and quite frankly a welcome change of pace. All while still doing what Gunn set out to do which was close out the story of this current Guardians team. Overall, Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is a wonderful conclusion to one of Marvel's most unlikely standout franchises. Gunn's MCU swan song delivers in every facet firmly establishing him as of the franchise's most influential architects. There is still plenty to be excited about when talking about the future despite its current roster officially ending its run. While this tracklist has reached its end, one can't help but be excited as to what the next playlist has in store. 

Rating and Final Thoughts

Filled with all the heart, humor, and action that has defined
the series for nearly a decade, Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3
closes the current era of Marvel's cosmic heroes with a showstopping
and emotionally jubilant conclusion. 

To the team we never knew we needed but couldn't think of living without, THANK YOU!!!