'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' film review: Thrilling, harrowing swansong for Marvel's unlikeliest heroes
Marvel's band of misfit heroes get one heck of an emotionally exhausting rollercoaster of a send-off in the space adventure 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' (in theaters May 5).
In short: Even as the Guardians still struggle with the loss of Gamora, Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) must lead the team on a daring mission to save the life of one of their own - a journey that reveals that tragic origins of a Guardian and a dangerous new enemy willing to destroy worlds.
Perhaps the most refreshing aspect of 'Vol. 3' is how liberated it is from the rest of the Marvel series. It's totally unburdened from trying to wedge this flick into the larger Marvel storyline - it solely exists to bring the story of these Guardians to a close. Writer-director James Gunn was afforded the latitude to craft a character-centered story that is first a foremost a 'Guardians of the Galaxy' sequel, not merely just another stepping stone toward the next 'Avengers' event.
Despite the massive "save the universe" underpinnings of the trilogy, the 'Guardians' movies have primarily rooted in a band of misfits that, even to their own surprise, formed an unconventional, slightly dysfunctional but tightly knit family. This band of broken souls - driven by rage, revenge or abandonment - gravitated toward each other at first as a matter of convenience - but stayed together, coalescing into a chosen family whose bonds grew deeper than mere flesh and blood. If the Guardians formed out of their individual need for family, 'Vol. 3' ponders what it means when deeply rooted trauma is finally given time to heal, and how much family would risk to save each other.
Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) has always been the breakout star of the 'Guardians' flicks, with the small mammal even adding some humor and unexpected pathos to 'Avengers: Endgame.' This former bounty hunter turned galactic protector turned Avenger is the absolute heart and soul of 'Vol. 3' as the sequel finally delves into his tragic origins. Gunn and Cooper deserve all the credit ever in crafting such a lovable, if mischievous and snarky character as the Academy Award-nominated actor has always completely disappeared into Rocket. Trauma is what brought the Guardians together in the first place, so it's only fitting this third 'Guardians' flick finally works to resolve the unspoken trauma of the team's most consistent member.
Without spoiling any plot points of 'Vol. 3,' it is fair to say this third film is not necessarily the conclusion of the Guardians of the Galaxy story - but the movie gives its characters closure. And in the post-'Endgame' MCU, 'Vol. 3' is the final ride for this exact iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy - while allowing latitude for some new beginnings. And what makes 'Vol. 3' a truly harrowing ride at times is watching the character begin to accept that this might be their last adventure together - which subtly adds a sense of dread ... because no one is protected by plot armor.
The strongest elements of 'Vol. 3' relate directly to Rocket's origins and how far Quill and company would go to save a friend. The weakest elements involve the dangling, frayed plot threads Gunn has to clean up before ending the trilogy. 'Vol. 2' promised the emergence of Adam, a character apparently created for the sole reason of enacting revenge upon the Guardians for their actions in 'Vol. 2.' ... But Adam is a pretty shallow character in 'Vol. 3' - he just bursts into the movie and his characterization is almost solely defined by naivety draped in awesome superpowers. Gamora's death in 'Avengers: Infinity War' is yet another plot thread 'Vol. 3' rushes to clean up in the movie. To this movie's credit, Gamora's storyline is handled with complexity and care - but it does feel tangential to the core story.
Final verdict: James Gunn turned an obscure comic book that most people forgot about into arguably the strongest and most emotionally evocative trilogy in the MCU, with 'Vol. 3' bringing the story of the original Guardians to a wrap with a thrilling conclusion to a strong trilogy.
Score: 4/5
'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' opens in theaters nationwide May 5. The action adventure is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, strong language, suggestive/drug references and thematic elements and has a runtime of 150 minutes.
