Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 Review

James Gunn has been through it. You can tell in the way he writes this final Guardians of the Galaxy movie. By the end though, we reach a spectacular conclusion that loves each and every character through and through.

The following review is spoiler-free.

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 is not a kid’s movie. For the first two acts, it isn’t a fun movie either. It’s hard to watch at times, though never approximating anything like Saving Private Ryan. No, this is a film with a ton of creativity, a tour de force of directorial and writing prowess, but one that wants to tell a story that is harder to watch than the prior two entries. These Guardians are sorrowful and struggling.

Rocket is largely the focus here although every character gets plenty of time to shine. Emotions are also front and center with each character seeming to be in a place of loneliness, grief, suffering and sorrow. That’s a hard sell for audiences that might want to see a happy-go-lucky return to saving the galaxy. Even the soundtrack is more dour with the movie opening starkly in contrast to the way we began with dancing Groot in the second film. Right from the get-go, this film is intentionally telling you that the fun times are over.

Luckily, by the end of the movie, we are treated to one of the most satisfying conclusions you’ll ever come across in any movie or story, period.

The journey to get there is rough and uneven though. This isn’t as tightly written nor does it rise to the same heights as the first two Guardians films. And the things you see some of the characters go through will be hard for some audiences to watch. Although cruelty is seldom shown explicitly on the screen, cute little animals do die and friends are harmed. For those who have experienced trauma, lost a pet or a loved one, or who may be particularly sensitive to this sort of material, this will be a tough movie to get through.

But… this is the story that James Gunn wants to tell. It feels like his story.

That means the box office will be diminished versus what it could have been. Children aren’t going to want to watch this over and over. Repeat viewings will be down. But when you separate this film from that aspect and realize that Gunn wants to do something different, you have to respect that he’s accomplished producing a film that will be financially less successful but artistically wonderous. And, in fact, there is one fight scene late in the movie that is on par with some of the amazing choreography we saw in John Wick 4.

I don’t know if Guardians of the Galaxy will flop. I don’t know if Marvel’s past mistakes will cause audience to sour on giving this film a chance. I can only tell you that Gunn has fully realized how to satisfactually end a trilogy. I’ve never seen a conclusion so good. The last half of the third act should be taught to everyone getting ready to do a trilogy. It’s phenomenal. And maybe that makes up for a rougher journey to get there.

Review Score: 8/10

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