Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Directed by James Gunn, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ is the third and the said final of the Marvel trilogy. Since its release on May 5th, it has accumulated over 528.8 million sales at the box office and gained recognition as Marvel’s great return.

The main plot of the movie revolves around the Guardians’ mission to save Rocket, who is later revealed to be a genetically engineered experiment by the High Evolutionary, a mad scientist who wants to create a perfect society through eugenics.

The movie doesn’t waste any time getting into the plot. From the get-go, there is a scene at the start of the film that is simply just jaw-dropping. From then on, it was a rollercoaster of emotions. The characters and their interactions with one another have always been what shined most about this franchise and that doesn’t change in volume 3.

This movie really makes the audience feel for them more than it ever has before. There were some emotional scenes that had me and the audience holding back tears. This time around, we get to learn more about Rocket and his tragic backstory. However, it is to be noticed that the rest of the cast does not get that much spotlight, and though the chemistry was great and they all gave something to the table, the development felt weak.

The movie itself is extremely entertaining overall and never has a dull moment. The actors who returned to their roles as the main cast did a phenomenal job. Because of their love for their role and their passionate performance, it is easy to tell that they have been playing those characters for a long time. The supporting cast was also remarkable; unexpected cameos like Sylvester Stallone and Will Poulter appeared throughout the movie.

The action is also greatly shot and amusing. It’s nothing new, but it was captivating as always.
Throughout the movie, the soundtrack contributed a lot to the raw emotion and feel of the action. The soundtrack always hits and usually goes very well with the scene that it’s in and portrays raw emotion. Not just the licensed music, which if you like 80’s music you’re going to absolutely love, but the original soundtrack made for this movie.

Something that has always been criticized about the MCU is that it feels like you need to watch every single show and movie in order to understand what’s going on. That doesn’t happen in this movie, and I heavily doubt that the events in this movie will have much of an impact on the overall story in the future. This works in the movie’s favor because that means that instead of taking time to set up the next 5 projects, they can just take the time to focus on the plot and characters while also satisfying hardcore Marvel fans and new Marvel fans all around.

Something that didn’t land with me was the humor. In the movie’s defense, there were a lot of jokes that got a laugh out of me. During the first half of the movie, the humor was tolerable, but at one point it just becomes so frequent and excessive, to the point where it stops being funny. So, you still have characters acting out of character for the sake of humor which I feel throws off the plot.

As for drama, one thing that the film has gotten harsh criticism for was the animal cruelty scenes. Although, the animal cruelty-related scenes have confused, frightened, and have been considered “too much” for the audience, many states that it was needed. Some say that it was a really good eye-opener and is simply just educating people about the harsh reality revolving around animal cruelty. It makes a larger point about animal rights. Even animal rights group PETA has praised this inclusion because it’s “giving a face” to the plight of animals being used for testing purposes. Some disagree, but as always, everyone has a right to stand for their own opinions.

Overall, it was a very solid movie with a lot of heart to it. It made me feel more emotions than most other Marvel movies. If you’re a fan of Marvel then you’re really going to love this movie. Even if you’re not, I still strongly believe that you will find something to enjoy here.