Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Having sat through some phase 4 films that failed to inspire... Guardians feels like a breath of fresh air. It's less a run of the mill superhero film and more a out of world space adventure handled with care by James Gunn.

At its heart, Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 is a story about family, loss and technology all of which are prominent in today's zeitgeist. These themes sometimes cause you to forget that you are watching a Marvel movie. The movie's backstory is dark but it helps to hammer home the themes and the villain.

The universe is full of characters that are both weird (sometimes very weird) and unique when compared to the rest of the MCU. That's mostly a good thing. Despite the movie being dark at times, there is also a lot of humour which fits especially well with the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise when compared to other Marvel franchises. The action and of course the music was up to level we now expect from Guardians of the Galaxy movies. This is one of the better Post Endgame movies and a fitting end to the trilogy.

"There is no God. That's why I stepped in." I have to admit, this is one of THE best lines ever spoken by a supervillain - it concisely captures their whole reason for being. (Seems like that would have been a perfect thing for Thanos to say.) Oddly though, for once there's no real backstory for the High Evolutionary, as there usually is for Marvel villains, but that might have been just too much material. Quite appropriately, all the attention is really on our scruffy, argumentative, and lovable heros, the Guardians.

I liked that all of them, this time around, get their well deserved fair share of screen time, and if doing that means sitting through a pretty long movie, then fine. Mantis and Nebula in particular are better characters than they were before, Quill and Gamora and Drax are as good as ever, and the choice to make Rocket and his very extended backstory the mainspring of the plot was clever -- and by the end, it carried real weight. Rocket is now elevated to a tragic, substantial figure at practically the same level as Spider-Man, and that's saying a lot.

The whole Guardians series owes director James Gunn bigtime, and it's a shame to see him move on (but I'm looking forward to seeing what he'll be able to do over at DC). He set in motion a group of characters that really worked, and this 3rd instalment builds very effectively on top of its predecessors. Going in to the theater I knew what I expected out of them, but we got more than that. That's a big compliment.

At the same time, what was done with Warlock and High Evolutionary was kind of odd, in the end. I was disappointed that Warlock especially was kind of trivialized. He's capable of becoming a major character if they would just follow the path set out in the original comics. That one criticism aside, this is still one of the MCU's best and we can thank them for letting James Gunn do what he had in mind.

This is a fun and exciting space adventure that's elevated by the great heart and humor of its characters, especially Rocket. Throughout the movie, Rocket's character is at the core of the story, and his journey is one of the most interesting and impactful elements of the film.

The film features plenty of action and explosions, but at times it feels like there are too many of them. The plot also has a few flaws, with some of the storylines feeling rushed or underdeveloped. However, these issues are overshadowed by the film's strengths - and surprisingly dark themes.

This is a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, delivering plenty of entertainment. While the film has a few flaws, it's still a fun and engaging, with Rocket standing out as the heart and soul of the movie.

Up to this point, there has been one trilogy in the MCU that has been excellent from start to finish. It's time to add another one to that list. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is a more than fitting conclusion to the narrative of these characters. James Gunn (writer/director) took his time creating connections and depth to each of the individual story-arcs.

While recent films in the MCU have felt like "filler episodes" whose purpose is solely to set up a future entry in the franchise, this film stands on its own. The story is isolated, which gives the illusion of finality. In more ways than one, "Guardians 3" is a unique entry in an otherwise convoluted extended film universe.

The filmmakers were not afraid to take their time telling this story, which caused the film to drag at times. Though it felt lengthy at 2 hours and 30 minutes, I do not know what they could have cut out. In typical superhero movie fashion, the climactic battle had plenty of explosions to go around.

Between the villains and the bickering within the Guardians, there was an excessive amount of yelling in this movie. A headache was imminent, as much of the third act was screaming match after screaming match. While these scenes were emotionally heavy, the yelling distracted a bit from the strong acting.

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is one of the better entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since "Avengers: Endgame". Though more chaotic than the other two films in the trilogy, it is a beautiful conclusion to the Guardians' story. Boasting stellar set pieces, an excellent soundtrack and perfect chemistry between cast members, this is a film that I am eager to re-watch.

Best Character: Drax Best Quote: "She is to us." Best Scene: Infiltrating Orgocorp Best Piece of Score: "I Love You Guys"

A near perfect end to an incredible Marvel trilogy.

Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is one of the best Marvel movies ever produced, and on par if not succeeding the first installment. (I personally didn't think number 2 was good at all)

The humour is brilliant, the storyline perfectly paced, each character gets their time on screen, the world building was wonderful, the action fantastic, and the CGI far better than some of the more recent Marvel additions. As always, the music was excellent.

This entry focuses heavily on our beloved Rocket, and being the final piece of the Guardians Galaxy trilogy, pulls a lot of character arcs almost full circle.

Our bad guy, an actor I'm unfamilar with, was the perfect villain, and from a quick search on imdb he is finally being recognised and is cast in a number of popular TV shows. This is also a tear jerker of a movie, so don't be surprised if you find yourself weeping throughout several points of the film.

You won't be dissapointed with this final addition to the Guardians, but you may feel a little sad that it has now come to an end.