In the third installment to the Guardians of the Galaxy saga, director James Gunn promises to deliver a heartfelt conclusion to Star-Lord, Rocket and the rest of the gang. Without a doubt, Gunn delivers on that promise. Arguably his most ambitious and wild film yet, Vol. 3 is nothing short of amazing. From intense action, to amazing performances, and laugh out loud humor, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has something everyone will love, and won’t soon forget.
The Beauty of the Galaxy
Before we get into plot or action, we gotta talk about the visuals for this movie. The VFX department knocks it out of the park on this one. Everything about this movie looks gorgeous and is so fun to look at. And it’s not just the CGI that’s on point. All the practical sets look fantastic. With Marvel really leaning on CGI environments, it is really refreshing to spend a lot of time on actual built sets, whether that be a suburban neighborhood or on deck of The Bowie. The fight choreography is also enhanced by the beautiful looking CGI. There’s an extremely impressive and badass one-shot hallway fight scene during the third act of this movie that will blow you away. The galaxy, the aliens, the battles all look so so good that the only way to watch this movie is on the biggest screen possible.
The Guardians At Their Best
James Gunn raises the bar for all of these characters in this installment. Each member of the Guardians is at their peak in terms of action, emotion and humor. The fights are vicious and engaging, the humor is well crafted and placed, and your heartstrings will be pulled numerous times throughout the film. Fans of Rocket Raccoon will certainly need to bring the tissues as audiences finally get a glimpse of the trauma he faced in his past. Chris Pratt is back with his excellent combination of charm and witty humor. Seeing Star-Lord risk it all for his friends adds some really wonderful depth to his character, and the team as a whole.
A delightful surprise is Karen Gillan’s Nebula, who has taken on the role of a co-captain in this film. Nebula has come a long way from the murderous assassin she once was in the first Guardians film back in 2014. While still as brutal as she was in previous films, Gillan brings a new side to Nebula to light as she slowly starts to reveal her love for her new found family in the Guardians. We also have the return of Gamora, played by Zoe Saldaña. I imagine some fans may not enjoy her arc in this film, but it was just so nice to see Gamora back with the rest of the Guardians, especially after her absence in the Guardians Holiday Special.
Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff pair up once again as Drax and Mantis for some hilarious banter, while still giving some emotional depth to both of their characters. Having spent many years out of Ego’s grasp, we now see a Mantis who’s starting to grow as an individual and find her place among the team. And as for Drax, while still an oblivious goofball, he feels more akin to his rendition in the first film. Drax is a Destroyer once again and seems to be more in touch with his violent tendencies. That doesn’t mean he’s no longer a softie for the rest of his family.
The High Evolutionary Stakes
The standout performance in this film definitely goes to Chukwudi Iwuji as the film’s main antagonist, The High Evolutionary. From the very first scene of the movie, his presence is felt which dominates the screen. Chukwudi brings such an intense and often times terrifying energy to The High Evolutionary that he will definitely go down as one of the MCU’s best villains. Admittedly, he has less screen time than the Guardian’s previous foes such as Ronan or Ego, but with his limited screen time, he makes sure that he’s seen as a threat that should have you worried about the fate of our Guardians.
And with his threatening aura comes the high stakes of the film. After seeing just how powerful and twisted The High Evolutionary can be, we feel the urgency for the Guardians to stop him and save themselves. You’ll definitely be on the edge of your seat and fearful of the fate of the Guardian’s whenever he or his many servants are hot on the trail of the Guardians. Speaking of his servants, let’s get into that.
The Fault in our Galaxy’s Stars
Adam Warlock makes his big screen debut in this film, played by the talented Will Poulter. However, fans of Poulter or Adam Warlock may be disappointed in the film’s take on the character. Adam Warlock is sent by The High Evolutionary to destroy the Guardians and acts as this secondary antagonist to the film. We first get a glimpse at Adam in a brutal fight between himself and the Guardians. Gunn definitely doesn’t hold back on the brutality of the fight scenes in this movie. We see Adam Warlock as a badass force to be reckoned with, but from then on, he’s pretty quickly sidelined and portrayed as a clueless child. While this take on the character definitely adds some great humor to the film, you cannot help but feel a little disappointed in Poulter’s Warlock.
Similar to Ironheart’s debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Adam Warlock feels like nothing more than just a setup for later projects in the MCU’s future. Poulter is extremely fun as Warlock and shows early on that he can definitely become an extremely powerful badass character later down the line, you just wish they had kept that same momentum up for the entire film. After the credits finishing rolling, fans will most certainly be eager to see more of Adam Warlock in action.
Ending on a High Note
As someone who’s been longing for the return of “the old MCU,” this film hit especially hard. Gunn swings for the fences with this perfect blend of action, comedy and emotion by choosing to focus on giving a perfect conclusion to this wonderful band of misfits. That’s not to say this movie isn’t a big epic story like other entries in the MCU; this film is huge and fantastic in a way that almost comes close to the scale of Avengers: Endgame. Gunn has crafted this beautiful goodbye letter to us on behalf of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and he has done so excellently.
Go see this film on the biggest screen possible, with as many tissues as possible. Trust me, you’re going to need them.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 arrives exclusively in theaters on May 5, 2023 courtesy of Disney and Marvel Studios.
The perfect conclusion to the Guardians franchise as we know it. With wonderful character arches that come to very satisfying and emotional conclusions, James Gunn doesn't miss a beat. The action is bigger, the emotion is heartfelt, and the humor is brilliantly funny. Easily one of Marvel's best and I can't wait to see what the future may hold for our family of galactic misfits.
-
GVN Rating 10
-
User Ratings (0 Votes)
0
Ever since I was young, I had always been fascinated in film and the work that goes into them. I love animation, blockbuster hits, indie films and everything in between. Some day I’ll have the privilege of being apart of the filmmaking process.