Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 (2023)

Score: A+ (9.5/10)

With almost ten years in the spotlight, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 acts as a send-off for the Guardians, James Gunn, and the audience, making the film a well-rounded and emotionally gripping adventure, where characters and fans are more than ready to move on to bigger and more exciting adventures.

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James Gunn had quite the journey before completing the final act of the Guardians trilogy. Gunn started his position in pop culture by writing the first two live-action Scooby-Doo films. However, his full spot in the limelight arrived when he wrote and directed 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. The film is Gunn’s shining example of his craft being a well-balanced mix between drama and comedy. The idea remained throughout the rest of the trilogy, with each sequel having more emotional heart than the last.

However, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 barely came to fruition. Disney fired him in the summer of 2018 over controversial jokes made almost a decade prior. It didn’t sit well with anybody, leading to his reinstatement a year later. Unbeknownst to everyone, Gunn received an opportunity from Warner Bros. to direct what would become 2021’s The Suicide Squad soon after his release from Disney. While the first Guardians film acts like a magnum-opus for Gunn, The Suicide Squad acts like Gunn’s future in the industry. In November 2022, Gunn became DC Studios’ chairman and CEO alongside Peter Safran, making Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 his last hurrah in the MCU. As such, the film is more of a send-off for James Gunn and his Guardians than it ever needed to be, but more than welcome in the film industry’s current climate.

One detail many likely notice while watching Volume 3 is Gunn’s change in directing. It’s partly due to Gunn doing unexpectedly different shots throughout the film, especially with the awe-inspiring hallway “one-shot” sequence towards the climax. However, the difference in detail primarily lies in the number of prosthetics used, breaking the world record previously held by How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The practical effects make the movie feel more visually realistic, excluding scenes including Rocket and his friends. It’s, unfortunately, an idea foreign to a modern-day viewer’s eyes. Luckily, it allows many to see the potential of using practical effects, specifically if it benefits the movie’s tone and theme.

Speaking of tone and theme, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 expertly gives the trilogy the most drama and heart in one film. The Guardians risk their lives to protect others, a role taken in pride despite their less-than-ideal origins. Rocket, in particular, unexpectedly becomes the squad’s foundation due to the film exploring his origins. The “raccoon” went through so much before meeting Groot and the rest of the Guardians. However, Rocket is a shining example of why audiences love the Guardians because the team initially had no place for them in the universe. They found their purpose in each other being a rag-tag group of protectors. The idea is massively present throughout the movie, with every Guardian taking their purpose to heart. It makes the film’s ending emotionally enticing and gripping, with the Guardians ready and willing to move onto bigger and better times in their lives.

Luckily for audience members and James Gunn, Volume 3 includes stellar supporting characters. Adam Warlock is similar to the Guardians in that he doesn’t know his purpose and creates some of the film’s most intense moments. The High Evolutionary is a brilliantly mad scientist who does whatever it takes to make the perfect world. He’s also a refreshing take on a villain, especially since there’s no reason to like or feel bad for him after what he’s done to Rocket and his first set of friends. The man is a bad guy, and the movie takes pride in him being that way. “Past” Gamora represents Quill’s losses along his heroic journey and his opportunity to move on from his mistakes and times of grief and loss. Gamora also becomes a better person (again) simply by working with the Guardians, showing how the team’s adventures since they met each other made them the family they are.

The Guardians trilogy is one of the best in the MCU, with each installment making the package more well-rounded. Volume 2 and Volume 3 go deeper into the franchise’s emotional heart, with Volume 3 making it a primary detail throughout the film. It’s bittersweet seeing Gunn and the Guardians move on from their adventures in the MCU, but it’s also a detail important for audience members to pick up on. People live and learn and sometimes require a change to keep doing so. For many, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 is a perfect send-off for everyone and the MCU’s past. It’s the last movie arguably residing in the ground-breaking MCU dynasty and should be treated as such. Much like our lives, we must realize and acknowledge when it’s time to move on to bigger and brighter livelihoods. The Guardians shine in the spotlight and will (hopefully) continue to do so. Raise a glass to them and their trilogy because there may never be a more heartwarming and emotional narrative about a humane rag-tag team protecting those in need who banter and argue with each other in their free time.