Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.3 – Time To Face The Music

It’s been almost ten years since “Guardians of the Galaxy” debuted worldwide. To anyone who thinks that superhero movies are all the same, I would ask if you’ve seen any of the “Guardians” movies. A glorious mix of humor, action, fantastic acting and a brilliant retro soundtrack.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” takes a different approach than the previous two films. For me, the best part of the movies is watching the character of Peter Quill or Starlord (played to perfection by Chris Pratt). To my surprise “Vol. 3” puts Rocket into the spotlight. After suffering a life-threatening injury the plot revolves around the Guardians trying to unravel the mystery of Rockets origins.

I’m genuinely impressed with the scope of “Vol. 3”. A strange new villain is thrown in, the High Evolutionary. An individual obsessed with perfecting life, but unable to create the perfect world. Themes of genetic manipulation pervade, raising some very intelligent questions. One scene that stood out was watching the High Evolutionary trying to create a perfect world, though it seemed idyllic, there was still violence and drug dealing. Try as he might, he just can’t seem to stamp out evil. I appreciate that James Gunn tried to raise important questions about gene splicing/manipulation and cloning. “Vol. 3” manages to raise warnings without being overtly apocalyptic.

In the same vein, the character of the High Evolutionary isn’t as clearly defined as I would have liked. The acting was good, there was a believable motivation, that’s all there. It’s unclear as to who, or what exactly he is. An alien? A machine? Throughout the film he makes vague references to visiting Earth, which makes it all the more confusing. A little backstory would have been very much appreciated.

Another surprising aspect is just how emotional this movie really is. Marvel Studios has only managed to pull this off a handful of times. “The Avengers; Endgame” was a genuinely moving film. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was also deeply emotional. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” also is a moving experience. James Gunn made quite a few bold plot moves. It’s hard not to feel empathy watching Starlord wrestle with the fact Gomorah isn’t coming back to him, and that he has to move on. Rockets prickly exterior is explained by watching his horrific origins. To my shock, even Drax (played by Dave Bautista) is even given meaning. The ending reminds me very much of “No Way Home”. In a moment of deja vu, I really wanted there to be the standard “and they all lived happily ever after” ending. I don’t think the ending is sad, towards the Guardians realize they have to each move on with their lives. Usually superhero films don’t have this level of characterization. You would have to be a cold soul to not be moved.

There’s still plenty of fun to be had here. James Gunn’s talent for production really shines in “Vol. 3” as this has some of the best action scenes in the series. There’s some truly humorous lines strewn throughout. Of course, the retro soundtrack continues and it’s equally as masterful as the previous two movies. If you can’t enjoy watching superheros battle to the Beastie Boys I just can’t help you.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is every bit the masterpiece the previous two are. A genuinely entertaining thrill ride set to a fantastic retro soundtrack. Rather than be predictable this movie manages to mirror real life, hard choices are made by each character. As the movie drew to a close I irrationally found myself wishing for a Vol. 4. Its irrational given there’s a high chance another movie wouldn’t be anywhere near as good as this trilogy. Sort of like “Thor: Love & Thunder”. “Ragnarok” was a masterpiece, but “Love & Thunder” was outstandingly bad. I loved watching this movie so much that towards the end, I really wanted it to continue. Yet, I’ll admit the movie ended the way it should. All good things must come to an end. “Vol. 3” is an excellent film, and a much needed boost for Phase 5, which got off to a rocky start to put it mildly. Still, the MCU is still very much alive and worth continuing as “Vol. 3” ably proves. Well done and farewell. It’s been fun.