About the film (courtesy of Marvel Studios):
Our beloved band of misfits are settling into life on Knowhere. But it isn’t long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket’s turbulent past. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket’s life—a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.
If I’m being completely honest, ever since Avengers: Endgame (2019), the road to greatness has been met with some tough sledding as the cinematic juggernaut of Marvel Studios has seemingly become more mortal in recent years. Some attribute this to superhero fatigue or something similar. Being more of a practical person, I just know that the law of averages will balance the scales at some point. Other than Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), there really hasn’t been any consensus “greatness” in the Phase 4 era of the MCU. As James Gunn’s Marvel Studios swan song, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, arrives, one can’t help but wonder which way this feature will ultimately tip the scales of perception.
As has been very well chronicled over the last six months or so, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the final entry in this trilogy directed by James Gunn, as he has been given/earned the title of creative head of DC Studios. Before assuming his new responsibilities, the world needs to experience the final story that beloved friends, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Nebula (Karen Gillan) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff), have to share.
Also returning to the franchise’s third volume are Kraglin (Sean Gunn), Stakar Ogord (Sylvester Stallone) and a few other familiar faces, with some being furrier or feathery-er than others. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 also brings with it a host of new characters such as Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) and The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). There are even more named actors that I am sparing you for the sake of not making the length of this spoiler-free review ridiculously long. And speaking of long, the runtime weighs in at 150 minutes. This may sound like it’s a bit much, but given everything that this well-balanced film covers, it’s just about right.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 goes all over the place, including the past to help flesh out a surprisingly emotional story that’s filled with subplots galore. Often included in these various tangents are lots of action and comedy to help subdue some of the heavier dramatic moments. The one that is abundantly apparent is that James Gunn isn’t resting on his laurels. He goes that extra mile to ensure that his name will be amongst the best directors involved with the MCU.
As alluded to earlier, if your faith has been shaken by some of the more recent lackluster releases in both theater and on Disney+, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 should have you singing happy songs again. And speaking of songs, there’s no surprise or spoiler here, but the soundtrack is once again going to burrow happily into your ears and have you dancing in your seats.
Simply put, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is an epic emotional rollercoaster that will have you loving every minute of while wanting answers, yet not wanting the thrill ride to end. You’re in luck because you can enjoy this epic conclusion only in theaters on Friday, May 5th with early showtimes beginning Thursday afternoon.
