Like 99.9% of the world, the Guardians of the Galaxy a mystery to me when they made their Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut. That changed when Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, danced through a Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love”-backed burglary of the Power stone to open 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. I didn’t know what I witnessed, but I knew it was fun and wanted more.
And more Guardians is what we got with an equally successful sequel, some well-received appearances throughout the MCU, and Disney theme park rides. Now it's time to bid farewell to this ragtag group nine years after they burst from obscurity to make their mark on the MCU and the comic book movie genre.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the swan song for our favorite extraterrestrial gang and Guardians series helmer James Gunn as he begins his tenure running the DC Entertainment Universe. Continuing from the events of Avengers: Endgame and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Vol. 3 finds the Guardians having to defend their rebuilt headquarters, Knowhere, against attacks from the powerful High Evolutionary.
Because comics are like soap operas, you can never truly say goodbye to anyone or anything. However, if this is a definitive end, Vol. 3 sends the Guardians away with their most emotional effort yet.
Vol. 3 still follows the same formula as the previous Guardians entries, but it doesn’t quite feel like a Guardians film. Early on, Vol. 3 delivers everything we’ve come to expect from the series. The self-awareness and humor that kept the previous iterations from taking themselves too seriously remain. Drax and Mantis (played by Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff, respectively) do the heavy lifting here as their back-and-forth banter outshines everyone in this department.
The action and visual effects that didn’t allow things to get too light still have a presence. It’s not as dazzling as in the previous Guardians film, but there’s still a lot of good there, especially when we see the Guardians’ final fight together.
Vol.3 evolves into something different by amping up some familiar ground. Gunn tones down those fundamental elements to give more time to explore the softer side of the Guardians’ story, specifically Rocket Racoon’s origins. Tugging the heartstrings isn’t new to the franchise because it’s always stressed the importance of family and friendship, but Vol. 3 takes that up a few notches.
Gunn uses Rocket’s backstory to strum your pain harder than the guy Roberta Flack and Lauryn Hill sang about in their respective versions of “Killing Me Softly.” It sometimes gets dark for a Guardians film, but it pays off. You learn more about the crew's smallest yet brashest member while possibly being inspired to visit your nearest animal shelter to inquire about adoption.
At the same time, that affecting journey does have its issues. The flashbacks make it difficult for Vol. 3 to find its groove and cause the film to be slightly uneven. Again, Guardians films have always had a degree of emotional weight, but the amount of it this time is too much for a series that made its mark by being fun. It doesn’t sink Vol. 3, but it does mark a big mistake in an otherwise flawless trilogy.
Gunn and his work on the Guardians films didn’t invent combining fun and heart into a comic book/superhero film, but it perfected it. Despite being dangerously heavy-handed with emotion, Vol. 3 is a testament to that hallmark. It’s unbalanced but ultimately satisfies what we love about the series.
Nothing is certain or permanent in comic books and movies borne of them. However, if this is indeed our last cinematic time with the Guardians, then Vol. 3 is the sendoff both the team and fans deserve.
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