As the latest instalment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe story is here with the release of Guardians of the Galaxy 3 at the beginning of the month, it is time to give an honest review of the film.
With Avengers Endgame culminating at the end of Stage 4, there was strong disappointment surrounding the lacklustre Marvel movies to date as Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness and Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania failed to meet fans’ expectations, and with Marvel fans preferring a serious tone, it was vital for James Gunn to find a key balance between the two.
From start to finish, the film’s story, pacing, and character arcs were interwoven and expanded beautifully. While the other Marvel movies focused on the multiversal elements of the overarching story, the audience also loves the movies because of the characters.
Critics’ favourite film element was Rocket’s emotional backstory, perfectly executed into the main narrative. It also cemented that even though the Guardians bicker with one another, they truly are a family, not hesitating for a second when placed in a life-threatening situation.
The Guardian’s newest villain, the High Evolutionary/HI, posed as a physical and psychological threat due to HI’s prior associations with Rocket blends into the present. However, Rocket seemingly cannot run from the past and engages in a face-to-face battle.
The film’s climax perfectly depicts the Guardian’s relationship when fighting High Evolutionary and while the Guardians may not show it all the time, they would do anything for each other.
However, while I liked the film’s pacing, there were too many subplots for the audience to pay attention to with six in total. While it was not too overwhelming that it completely harmed the story’s progression, it was becoming too convoluted.
The ending, though bittersweet, was the perfect way for the story to progress. The characters have been together through numerous ups and downs that in order to fully grow, they must go their separate ways. The post-credits scene, outlining the newest Guardians of the Galaxy members, seems to have been upgraded, with most of the members now having superpowers, hypothetically to deal with bigger threats, a subtle hint at the upcoming trials and tribulations in the future.
While the Guardians are going their separate ways and becoming their own people, their hearts will always be connected to the anti-hero group. It will be interesting to see what solo adventures they will get up to which will hopefully be unravelled in future Marvel instalments.
Overall, I would give the film a 4.5/5 as the combination of visuals, character arcs, pacing, and plot, James Gunn did a perfect job with this movie. It’s a self-reflective film that while others may trample you down and pick at your faults, you can also surprise and impress people with your talents.
Lead image: Marvel Entertainment on YouTube