THE FILM
TITLE: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. III
RELEASE DATE: 22 Apr 2023
WATCH DATE: 09 May 2023
TYPE: live-action feature film
ACCESS: movie theater, streaming on Disney+
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THE PEOPLE
DIRECTOR: James Gunn
PRODUCER: Kevin Feige, Lars P. Winther, David J. Grant
ACTORS: Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, Maria Bakalova, Elizabeth Debicki, Sylvester Stallone
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THE STORY
RUNTIME: 2h 30m
STORYLINE: a figure from Rocket’s mysterious past threatens the safety of the galaxy and Peter Quill must bring the Guardians together as a family to rescue Rocket and save the galaxy
GENRE/THEMES: superheroes, action, friendship, family
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THE CRITIQUE
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
ONCE MORE WITH FEELING.
… and the feeling couldn’t be more captivating.
The third and final installment in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy arc hits home where the majority of other Multiverse Saga films have flopped. This film is a character study focused on Rocket the Raccoon, a bold and surprising choice from Marvel Studios. We learn all about Rocket’s past, how a normal raccoon became a science experiment, and it all comes back to pose a serious threat to the Galaxy.
Groot is - of course - the companion character to Rocket; one is never seen without the other. In this film, the ‘one-line-tree’ even takes a back seat to Rocket, and he feels like the main character - even over Peter Quill/Star-Lord! Rocket’s story here serves as a magnifying glass to Peter’s own character, as concepts classic to Guardians of the Galaxy get hammered home. Family has never felt more palpable than during the climax of this film.
Let me just say… you will find yourself weeping over a walrus.
There are some odd moments, but they lend themselves to the comedic style of the Guardians of the Galaxy stories. The animal-humanoids lean a bit childish, but in the grand scheme of the story, everything fits well together. If you didn’t take them seriously before - let’s face it, they are the comedic face of the MCU - you will after Vol. III.
Being a superhero ‘team’ film, versus a story based on a single character like most of the other MCU films, James Gunn does a great job with the evolution of the team. Across the films, we see new characters join the team (Mantis in Vol. II) or other characters leave the team (no spoilers for Vol. III… but there’s a LOT that happens!!!) - or both, in the case of Yondu (his death in Vol. II). This keeps the characters and story engaging, especially as new characters bring a brand new dynamic (again, Mantis).
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. III was nominated for an Academy Award for Special Effects… though, I’m not sure what makes it stand out from other films. The SFX is amazing. The realistic fur on the animals and all of the scenes with Young Rocket and his friends are super believable.
This film is an emotional, thrilling ride with the Guardians of the Galaxy that we know and love. Don’t sleep on it just because it lands in the Multiverse Saga! I guarantee you will be glad you watched the Guardians’ last adventure together.
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THE RECEPTION
NOMINATIONS
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THE IMPRESSION
IN A SINGLE WORD: storyline
MOST STRIKING ELEMENT: emotions
REWATCH: yes
RATING: 3.5 // 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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