‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’ is a Fond Farewell for the Franchise
Director James Gunn delivers a funny and weird character-driven superhero movie that touchingly wraps up the trilogy, but it's really Rocket's story.
(L to R) Karen Gillan as Nebula, Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, and Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer in 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.' Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Opening in theaters on May 5th is ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3,’ which is the third feature film in the series and the 32nd Marvel Cinematic Universe movie overall, once again written and directed by the new co-chairman and co-CEO of DC StudiosJames Gunn (‘The Suicide Squad’).
What is the plot of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?’
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’ follows the events of ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ as well as their appearances in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ and ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.’ Now, the Guardians of the Galaxy are adjusting to life on Knowhere when Rocket's (voice of Bradley Cooper) past comes back to haunt him.
After an attack from Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) injures Rocket, the Guardians learn of his origins and confront his creator, the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). Meanwhile, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is still coming to terms with the “new” Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), who is now a Ravager. In order to save their friend, the Guardians must go on a dangerous mission that could lead to the team dissolving if they fail.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Who is in the cast of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?’
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’ once again stars Chris Pratt ('Jurassic World Dominion') as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, Zoe Saldaña ('Avatar: The Way of Water') as Gamora, Dave Bautista ('Knock at the Cabin') as Drax the Destroyer, Karen Gillan ('Jumanji: The Next Level') as Nebula, Pom Klementieff ('Uncut Gems') as Mantis, Vin Diesel ('Fast X') as Groot, Bradley Cooper ('A Star is Born') as Rocket, Sean Gunn ('The Suicide Squad') as Kraglin Obfonteri, Elizabeth Debicki ('Tenet') as Ayesha, as well as new cast members Chukwudi Iwuji ('Peacemaker') as the High Evolutionary, Will Poulter ('We're the Millers') as Adam Warlock, Maria Bakalova ('Borat Subsequent Moviefilm') as Cosmo the Spacedog, and Sylvester Stallone ('Rocky') as Stakar Ogord.
Initial Thoughts
While it’s not a perfect movie, James Gunn finishes his trilogy off with a heartfelt love letter to the franchise, in a character-driven movie that ties up loose ends and brings many arcs to a close. The actors are given room to explore their characters, and the villain is strong, but make no mistakes … this is Rocket’s movie!
Writer and director James Gunn at Los Angeles premiere of 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.'
Story, Direction and Visual Effects
Full disclosure: I love the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movies, in fact, they’re both in my top ten of MCU movies. But ‘Guardians 3’ is different than the previous films, its somber, character-driven, and darker, while still having James Gunn’s signature weirdness, humor, and music. The story ties up all the loose ends of the trilogy, including Quill and Gamora’s relationship, but really takes time to explore all the core characters, especially Rocket.
Obviously a lot of time is spent on Quill, Gamora, and Rocket, but Drax, Mantis, Nebula, Groot, and even Kraglin are all given their time to shine. The movie starts off slow and somber, and drags a bit in the middle, but has a very touching and action-packed third act. James Gunn clearly has an affection for this trilogy and these actors, and it shows in the film which is really a love letter to them.
For the most part, the visual effects work, and the colorful costumes and creatures are interesting and fun. But I do question the odd flesh-colored uniforms that the guards (including Nathan Fillion) wear at the High Evolutionary’s headquarters. They were just a little too weird and goofy for me, and distracted from the story.
Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) in Marvel Studios' 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.' Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 Marvel.
Rocket’s Storyline
Make no mistakes … this is Rocket’s movie! The film actually takes place in two timelines, flashing back throughout the movie to tell Rocket’s origin story. Over the course of the previous ‘Guardian’ movies and his appearances in ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame,’ Rocket’s become my favorite Marvel character and his story arc here is extremely touching. He’s the heart of the movie, and exploring his past while saying something about animal cruelty was both smart and affective. Some of the creatures we meet in his past are very creepy, but again, the message is not lost. While it’s only a voice role, Bradley Cooper’s “Gilbert Gottfried meets Bill the Butcher” performance has brought the character to life and his work here is touching, emotional, funny and makes Rocket a stronger character.
Marvel Studio's 'Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.' Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Related Article: James Gunn Has Discussed DC/Marvel Crossover
Cast Performances
Chris Pratt is given a lot more emotional work to do with Quill this time around, and handles it well, especially his scenes with Gamora. Zoe Saldaña returns as the ‘Avengers: Endgame’ version of Gamora, allowing the actress to play a new character, in a sense. When the original Gamora died in ‘Infinity War,’ I was really sad to see her go because she had grown so much since the original film and I loved her relationship with Quill, but the new Gamora had really grown on me by the end of this film, thanks to Saldaña’s layered performance.
In a movie with so many characters, it’s easy for some to get lost in the shuffle and not get the screen time they deserve, but the movie balances the characters well and gives them all a moment to shine. Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, and even Sean Gunn, are all given time to explore their characters and grow through the course of the movie. As for Groot, he’s not a kid anymore and like Rocket, also has a great arc over the course of the trilogy, and surprisingly, Vin Diesel gets to do a little more in this movie than just say: “I Am Groot.”
Chukwudi Iwuji plays the High Evolutionary and is actually a pretty good Marvel villain. I found the performance menacing and effective, even though his ultimate evil plan is confusing at times. But his motivations and hubris made the character believable, and Iwuji gives a fun, if not over-the-top at times, performance.
Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary in 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.' Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Is Adam Warlock a Good Guy?
Yes and no. He’s an unwilling villain in the beginning, but has a change of heart over the course of the film, which I must say is paced well and is ultimately effective. But to be honest, I didn’t like the way the character was depicted, and didn’t care for Will Poulter’s performance, although it’s through no fault of his own. In the film, the character is the son of ‘Guardians Vol. 2’ baddie Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), and is depicted as a brainless, bratty mama’s boy, and while the characterization gets a few laughs, it didn’t work for me knowing the character’s importance in the comics. Poulter physically transformed to play the role, and looks great, but for me, the character and performance just didn’t work.
(L to R) Will Poulter as Adam Warlock and Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha in 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.' Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Are There End-Credit Scenes in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?’
Yes. There are two in fact. The first sets up a possible future for the franchise, beyond the current lineup, and the second would set up a spinoff of sorts for one of the main characters. Both scenes are ‘Guardians’ centric and do not hint to any other upcoming MCU projects.
Will There Be a ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4?’
That’s hard to say at this time. James Gunn certainly is saying goodbye to the franchise, as he’ll be busy in the near future working on ‘Superman: Legacy’ and running DC Studios. As previously mentioned, the first end-credit scene does hint at a possible future installment, and the team teased for that is incredibly intriguing. As is the possibility of the spinoff teased in the other end-credit scene, with a character that is strong enough to carry their own film franchise, or at least a Disney+ series. Whether or not we will see any of the other Guardians in future Marvel projects, is anyone’s guess.
Vin Diesel as Groot in 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.' Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Final Thoughts
In the end, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’ is not a perfect film, and in some ways is not quite as fun as the previous two movies, but is a very loving sendoff to the current team and a dark and emotional look at these beloved characters.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
Marvel Studio's 'Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.' Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Other Movies Similar to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3:’
- ‘Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014)
- ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' (2017)
- 'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)
- ‘Avengers: Endgame' (2019)
- 'The Suicide Squad' (2021)
- 'The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special' (2022)
- 'Thor: Love and Thunder' (2022)
Buy Tickets: 'Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3' Movie Showtimes
Buy 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Movies On Amazon
Witten and directed by James Gunn, the Sci-Fi action adventure comedy 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ is scheduled for release from Marvel Studios on May 5th 2023.
