EAT • SLEEP • REVIEW • REPEAT
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3
Everyone’s favourite A-holes go out all guns blazing.
Let’s take a little trip back to 2014, shall we? To almost everyone at the time, the release of an oddball space opera starring a dorky human with a ridiculous code name, a talking raccoon with a fetish for prosthetic limbs, and a living tree that can only say three words felt for all the world like Marvel Studios’ first significant flop. Yet Guardians of the Galaxy wasn’t. Not by a long shot.
Not only did James Gunn’s eccentric slice of space weirdness fill the (as then) Star Wars-shaped void in all our lives, but it managed to do that rarest of things and become a smash hit with both comic book fans and casual movie goers alike. And just like that, this ragtag bunch of A-holes would go on to prove everyone wrong and become one of the studio’s biggest critical and financial hits.
Make no mistake, with a bonkers premise and a cast of oddball, lower league heroes, the release of Guardians of the Galaxy was an enormous risk, but one that paid off handsomely. However, in the nine years since the first film dropped, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the comic book movie landscape have shifted drastically, and with altered landscapes comes altered expectations; so, needless to say, the heat is on for Vol. 3 to not only showcase the worthiness of this trilogy, but ensure the Guardians are given the send-off they deserve.
Still visibly reeling from the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) must rally his team when one of their own finds themselves in mortal danger. To save their friend, the Guardians journey to the furthest corners of the galaxy on a mission that, if not completed successfully, could lead to the end of the team as we know it.
Ok, confession time. Guardians of the Galaxy means an awful lot to me. The first dance at my wedding was to ‘Hooked on a Feeling’ for god’s sake, so it’s safe to say that first film holds a very special place in my heart. That, in itself, is a high bar to pass, and while it’s follow-up, Vol. 2, didn’t quite live up to the lofty expectations of its predecessor, it was nevertheless a perfectly fine effort, teeing up the distinct possibility of a very special end to a very special trilogy.
With such success, however, comes naturally high expectations, so the pressure is most definitely on to send the Guardians out on a high note. However, in typically brazen fashion, James Gunn comes out all guns blazing, as he doubles down on all the aspects that made his first two instalments tick in what is the perfect ending to this perfectly imperfect trilogy.
In amongst all the gags, capering cosmic action, and on point music cues, the first Guardians of the Galaxy proved itself unafraid to open up emotionally. From the moment Quill’s mother dies in the film’s first few minutes, you just knew this section of the MCU was going to cut that little bit deeper, and so it has proven until the very end.
It’s an emotional hook that James Gunn builds upon organically, and as we near the end of the road for this bunch of loveable A-holes, Vol. 3 manages to surpass its predecessors in a heartfelt and heart-warming send-off that simply does not miss. Of course, this is a Marvel film, so action is key to Vol. 3’s success, yet Gunn never lets spectacle dominate emotion, and, even in its most bombastic moments, the film’s heartbeat never drops.
In many ways, Vol. 3 is every bit the thematic continuation of the first two movies, building on the plot strands and character foundations set up so superbly in volumes one and two. Taking centre stage this time round, Bradley Cooper’s Rocket is at the centre of the film’s emotions, as his previously unresolved backstory leads us down some genuinely poignant avenues.
With the best spread of focus across the team that we’ve seen from the series, there’s little doubt that this is every inch a fully-fledged Guardians story, yet, with the spotlight very much on Rocket and his origins, everyone’s favourite trash panda is undoubtedly Vol. 3’s focus and the key not only to its plot but its feels.
From Quill to Mantis to Gamora to Drax to Nebula and even Groot, every member of the team receives a richly deserved emotional payoff, with character arcs from the first two films (and everything in between) getting a well worked conclusion. Whether it’s the complicated relationship between Quill and variant Gamora, Drax and Mantis’ place within the team, or Nebula’s redemption, Vol. 3 ups the ante and emotional heft on its predecessors while adding even more shade and personality to this band of intergalactic oddballs.
As with any Marvel team up, the key to success throughout the Guardians series has always been the balance struck between servicing the plot and giving every member of the ensemble a fair roll of the dice. To this end, Vol. 3 nails it, and despite the team being fragmented for sizeable chunks of the story, every member plays a crucial part in proceedings.
This balance also extends to Vol 3’s big bad. Played with gleeful Shakespearean abandon by Chukwudi Iwuji, the High Evolutionary instantly puts himself up there as one of the MCU’s most compelling, yet utterly loathsome, antagonists and one of the few villains in the entire franchise to possess little to no redeeming qualities.
Completely lacking in morality and with a god complex as big as the worlds he creates, the High Evolutionary is a ruthless, abusive psychopath that makes Thanos look positively sympathetic. Going all in with the role, Iwuji is a true standout while never once overshadowing the heroes, marking himself out as one of the finest characters in the entire Guardians series, and proving that to be an iconic villain, sometimes you just need to be a galactic piece of shit.
To help navigate such an overtly sadistic villain and a story so raw with emotion, a lightness of touch is very much needed, and as has always been the case with this trilogy, James Gunn’s particular brand of off-kilter humour is what really drives Vol. 3. As ever, jokes, quips, shenanigans, and light-hearted banter are abundant throughout the film, and while the surprise factor of all this quirkiness has long since gone, there’s still much joy to be had with it all.
While not every gag lands, the vast majority do, working well to inject a vital layer of levity to proceedings and ensuring that the looming dark cloud above the film never overwhelms it. To varying degrees of success, this is a trick that Marvel have so often employed across their sprawling franchise, and in a series of films centring on some of the studio’s most bizarre characters, it has always been a crucial cog in the Guardians world, and James Gunn comes up with the goods once again.
With really rather grim subject matter and a distinctly sombre tone, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is certainly darker than its predecessors, yet never lets that smother it, always finding time to take you on a sensory journey. With James Gunn utilising the full spectrum of his crayon box, Vol. 3 is a truly stunning visual experience, applying eye-popping colour and impressive visual invention liberally throughout.
From Doctor Strange to Black Panther to Shang-Chi, Marvel have learned to loosen their visual belts through the years, allowing stories to be told with more filmic flair than they ever were before, and while this urge can sometimes leave things drowning in unnecessary CGI, that’s never a worry here. Whether it’s a bizarre gooey spaceship or a strange alternative Earth full of anthropomorphic animals, the weird and wonderful alien worlds we’re introduced to in Vol. 3 work to widen Marvel’s visual scope just that little bit more and, at times, feel like diving headfirst into a planet-sized bag of Rainbow Drops.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that this visual onslaught is complemented perfectly by yet another collection of deep cuts from Gunn’s extensive record collection. From the mournful acoustic melody of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ to the raucous delights of Beastie Boys’ ‘No Sleep Till Brooklyn’, the soundtrack works the same magic as the first two films, complementing Vol. 3’s tone while enhancing both the action and emotion perfectly.
In the grand story of Hollywood, the volume on truly worthwhile trilogies is pitifully short, so enormous credit must go to both James Gunn and Marvel for nailing the landing on this one. The left field novelty of these characters may have long since worn off by now, yet the initial intrigue that swept the original film along has been replaced with some exceptional character development and an emotional depth that’s both heart-warming and heart-breaking. Bolstered by a great ensemble cast and propped up by a top tier villain, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 offers the perfect end to the perfectly imperfect trilogy.
