by Aaron Schweitzer, Editor
I think the best way to start off this review is to give you the basics, then the details. We do not do spoilers in our reviews on SiftPop, but for the sake of caution, I want to get all of the questions that you’re really looking for answered here up front. If you are unsure of my feelings on the franchise up until this point, you should know that I think the original Guardians of the Galaxy is probably the best MCU film, and my third favorite. Volume 2 gets better every time I watch it, and I’ve grown quite fond of it. I’ve recently soured on the MCU since the release of Endgame due to lack of quality content; I will still probably watch all of the films, but I am really only excited for a handful of them, and at the tippy top was Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3. With all of that context, here are the three biggest answers I’m sure you’re looking for: 1) No, it’s not the best Guardians film. As it stands, I think I’ll actually rank it my least favorite of the three. 2) I feel very bittersweet about the ending. For everything I like, there’s something I am conflicted about. 3) I had plenty of watery-eyed moments, and one time that tears rolled down my cheek.
Let’s start with that last point since I think it will be the easiest to address: These days, I find myself crying at movies more than I used to, and the Guardians franchise has always plucked my heartstrings. There are three moments that make me cry every time I watch the original film: Peter’s (Chris Pratt) mom’s death, Groot’s (Vin Diesel) cocoon, and Rocket (Bradley Cooper) crying over Groot’s twigs. I think there are some great moments in Volume 2,and it makes me cry about two times, which are different each time. I fully expected to cry throughout Volume 3, but found myself watery during a good portion, mostly because of a new character who I was familiar with from playing the video game from Telltale Games. There is one scene that actually made me cry, and if you have seen the film, I think you can pick it out. As a hint, it involves Rocket, and it has a revelation about him in regards to this trilogy.
I think that is a great point for me to jump off into a big negative I have: When the film is about Rocket, it works so well. When it is about everyone else, I do not care all that much. It may sound like heresy to say, but this film would be better if Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) stayed dead after the events of Infinity War. On top of trying to wrap this trilogy up, Volume 3 also wants to set up the new phase of the Guardians of the Galaxy, with a few too many smaller characters. Naturally, we don’t get much time with them, so it is hard for me to get excited about the next iteration, especially knowing that James Gunn won’t be behind it. I love the characters of Cosmo the Space Dog (Maria Bakalova) and Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), but they just feel so unnecessary to the current film that I wish I would have had more time with Rocket, Groot, or even Kraglin (Sean Gunn).
The set pieces are fun, but they don’t feel like anything more than getting us to the next scene, until we can finally get to the big emotional payoff. There is a lot to like about Volume 3, but it feels like it was initially drafted as a four-hour epic and had to be cut before filming to be two-and-a-half hours. It would have felt more appropriate if the film ended this trilogy, and a new project focused on setting up the new iteration.
Despite being a big jumbled mess at some points, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 packs a ton of emotion, especially its character work, but also in a few “Hell yeah!” moments. Every one of your favorite characters gets a chance to shine and give you one last hurrah from this trilogy. My personal favorite of these moments is Groot in an infiltration scene. On top of all of these moments, Volume 3 tells you exactly how to feel with its two dozen needle drop moments, the standout being “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” and “Dog Days Are Over.” Naturally, like the first two films, this soundtrack is full of bangers, and the songs are implemented well.
Speaking of the soundtrack, there is a needle drop that sets up one of the best action scenes in the MCU in recent memory. It feels reminiscent of the end of Age of Ultron, or even the Battle of New York, where each member is using their specific skills to fight, and has the back of those around them.
Contrary to the most recent MCU entry, Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 also has excellent visual effects. I would die for young Rocket, because the VFX team absolutely nailed his look!
Meanwhile, our main villain for the movie is The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), and just like the previous Guardians films, he stands out as not just another stock comic book villain. I do wish he had more screen time, because I would love to see him more than just when the Guardians interact with him; but if he had more time, it would mean less with those we already know.
As for the tone, if the comedy of the first two films works for you, then it will work here as well. This series manages to remain the funniest of the MCU, while also somehow still having the most depth.
I want to touch on the ending as spoiler-free as I can as I wrap up my thoughts. I genuinely do not know how I feel about the end, because there is so much I love, along with so much that I don’t. Starting off with my biggest gripe: It all just feels so safe. After this film, I kind of felt like I did after The Battle of Winterfell in Game of Thrones. For those characters who survive, I really liked where they were left. Of the resolutions, I thought Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) are the best handled.
In the end, where we leave these characters feels both final and completely new, but not in a great way. This should have bookended the trilogy and leave our characters in a place where we could say, “I love them, but would be fine not seeing them again for a while,” but I don’t think I could say that about any of them. And that is kind of the big problem for me. For a film that is really solid in a lot of areas, the vision is clouded by setting up the future, and leaves a lot to be desired in the end. I strongly considered passing along this review to someone else after my screening, because I am still unsure where to even land with a rating. I think I will like this movie more as time goes on, but I can’t say I’m terribly too excited for the continuing storylines of any of the surviving characters. I really did not want to leave this trilogy where I did, but maybe my views will change after a third or fourth viewing.
Score 8/10
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 is currently playing in theaters
You can read more from Aaron Schweitzer, and follow him on Twitter and Letterboxd