Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Image credit: newdvdreleasedates.com

It’s a sad, yet somewhat liberating feeling that comes with the realisation that the highest point of a phenomena that you love has passed. That the doors are about to close, that the next instalment won’t be nearly as good as the one before. I’ve been experiencing this sort of cinematic melancholia in regards to the Marvel movies. With the exceptions of Shang-Chi, Multiverse of Madness, No Way Home, and Quantumania practically all of the latest films have left me with a feeling of ‘eh’ at the end, replacing what was previously excitement and stimulation. My conclusion that – at least for me- the high-flying time of the Marvel films has passed has been cemented by the last instalment I sat down and watched: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

When a strange assassin attacks the Guardians and leaves Rocket in a critical condition, Peter, Mantis, Drax, and Nebula determine to go on a rescue mission and find the passcode that is the only thing that can save Rocket’s life. Doing so means delving into Rocket’s past and going up against The High Evolutionary, a deluded being with a god complex who’s mission is to create the perfect race of beings. To make matters a little more difficult, the Guardians enlist the help of the Ravagers which includes Peter’s lost love, Gamora.

I’ve loved every part of the great Marvel ride that has featured the Guardians, so I was really looking forward to this one. Perhaps this is what made the disillusionment all the more pronounced at the end, but hey that’s how emotions work. Half told in flashback and half-chronicling the present narrative, the film centres on Rocket’s story and really is a haphazard baton-pass in the Guardians story. The parts that tell Rocket’s backstory are by far the more engaging of the two narratives, filled with a lot of emotional shaping and really sweet characters. While the central rescue story is sturdy, but lacks the fun of the other two films.

A little like the last Disney movie I saw, which was The Little Mermaid, it felt like everyone was phoning it in with this one. That fresh and fantastic flare that captured audiences with the first film has faded completely, Quill’s character feels distant and uncertain (arguably that is the point considering the ending, and by extension of this argument Pratt does a very good job), and there’s a strange either tension or communal lack of enthusiasm that colours everything here. Special recognition has to be awarded to Chukwudi Iwuji who plays the villain. Maybe he sensed the same lacklustre infecting everything that I did and bless him, he tried to add flavour and spice to the mix with his performance. It’s a shame that this villain wasn’t more interesting, but I really do applaud Iwuji for giving it his damnedest.

Image credit: Radiotimes.com

While I am still invested in this cinematic universe, it can’t be denied that this interconnected cinematic and televisual work is one of the most interesting recent movements in the artform, Guardians 3 has really hit home that feeling of burn-out that comes with oversaturation. But despite this, I still did enjoy this movie just fine. It does still hold good action scenes, enjoyable banter and meaningful dialogue between the characters, and a fun soundtrack. It’s not a terrible film, it’s just a delicious fruit that’s a bit past its prime.

Director: James Gun, 2023

Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Chukwudi Iwuji, Sean Gunn, Will Poulter, Linda Cardellini, & Sylvester Stallone