It was almost 10 years ago the film “Guardians of the Galaxy” came out, which took the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a new direction by introducing the intergalactic space side of the franchise’s superhero world. The film went on to be a smash hit at the box office and spawned two sequels, one titled “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” in 2017, and another titled “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” this year, which I had just seen in theaters recently. It can be said that Marvel has been somewhat losing its way after “Avengers: Engame” as they have recently been producing mediocrely written films such as “Eternals,” “Thor: Love and Thunder,” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania.” My faith in the franchise however was somewhat restored when I saw “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” which had all the heart, humor, action, and sharp dialogue as its predecessors.

Plot:

In this latest edition to the MCU, the Guardians find themselves up against the High Evolutionary, Rocket Raccoon’s creator who plans to create different types of species and create societies for them to make the universe “perfect.” After failing to get the species he is creating just right, the High Evolutionary realizes that Rocket Raccoon has a highly advanced brain that can tell him how to make the species absolutely perfect. When he plans to steal back Rocket and dissect his brain for the info he needs, the guardians must work together to protect their friend for one last adventure together. 

Reception:

What made the first two Guardians movies so great was that they were full of heart, cleverley balanced humor with emotional weight and had such fun, lovable characters. Vol. 3 keeps that formula going by giving the Guardians goofy moments, whether that be Drax doing something stupid or Star-Lord pathetically trying to win back Gamora, while incorporating emotional depth into the character arcs, such as Star-Lord and Mantis’ feeling of what their place is in the universe. 

The standout character arc in this film was definitely Rocket Raccoon, as the film shows the difficulties he faced when he was held captive by the high evolutionary, the friends he made in the process and how he escaped while watching his close friends die. Though Rocket was always a tragic character, this film really shows his origin story in the detail that will definitely make some audience members shed a few tears. 

Some could argue however that the film was overly sentimental due to the intensity of Rocket’s early years. Other aspects of the film did feel either forced or pointless, such as the character of Adam Warlock, an artificial being working for the High Evolutionary to retrieve Rocket, who really serves no use to the film other than to join the Guardians at the end for future MCU projects. 

Overall:

“The Guardians of the Galaxy” is one of, if not, the best franchise Marvel has ever produced and I was so sad to see this team together for the last time on the big screen. As usual, writer/director James Gunn brings these superheroes to life with feeling and sentiment without skimping out on the humor in the process. 

Guardians, it was a pleasure seeing you all together one last time.