Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

“In Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” our beloved band of misfits is looking a bit different these days. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), still reeling from a terrible loss, must rally his team and embark on a dicey, action-packed mission to defend the universe and protect Rocket. Meanwhile, a new, unpredictable force threatens to bring the Guardians down for good. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is written and directed by James Gunn. WARNING: Some flashing-lights scenes may affect photosensitive viewers.”

The Guardians of the Galaxy films are definitely one of the most stylized films of the MCU, and we have director James Gunn to thank for that. His unique vision and direction have produced some of the most entertaining moments in the franchise, that despite all the action sequences, comedic moments, still manages to really hit you hard, delivering powerful emotional moments that you can never forget. We as viewers and fans knew that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was going to include a lot of final moments, as James Gunn leaves to head the DCU, with several cast members officially saying good-bye to their characters. These bitter-sweet moments make the newest Guardians film one of the most satisfying and emotional ones yet.

The story has come a long way from when Peter Quill was a member of the Ravagers and doing general pirate-like stuff. With the subsequent films, and even the holiday special that was actually pretty entertaining, the team has grown quite large with a diverse cast of characters including all kinds of minor MCU characters that are really cool to see in action, especially Cosmo the Spacedog. Their tight-knit community is all about inclusion, and I’m not sure if there is a more heartwarming bunch of characters in the MCU than the Guardians, all deeply caring about one another and will go to any lengths to help. Which leads to the core of the story: Rocket is injured in an unprovoked attack, and the Guardians learn that he has internal components that prohibit the use of medical equipment to save his life. They must track down the creators of this technology, the creators of Rocket himself, to find the answers on how to save his life and ultimately answers about his past he’s always kept hidden.

While watching the film, the story itself isn’t one of epic proportions. It’s not them battling a super-villain intent on destroying the universe. It feels more like a television episode with the cast going on a friend-quest or something of that nature. However, for me, this was a refreshing change of pace for the MCU. The shift in the story dynamic continues to grow as we get further and further from the Avengers phase. Stories are more confined, and this being one of the final stories involving all of these characters, this was the perfect choice. Although this villain isn’t one of the more menacing ones we’ve seen, his callous attitude in the face of creation and destruction of countless lives is what is most horrifying. There is some great flashback sequences between him and Rocket that provide a lot of information and backstory we’ve been missing.

There is also a lot of satisfying resolution in the film, and without giving anything away, leaves the door open for some characters to make a return, and some newer characters to make future appearances. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 does everything right. It has all the beats you’d expect for the comedy, action, and especially the heartfelt moments that drive the story.

We were given a digital code to review this film, which is currently available only for purchase digitally. The release on to Disney+ is a day after the physical release, which is August 1^st for the Blu-ray and 4k, which will be packed full of extras, with superior video and audio, something that cannot be accurately reviewed based on internet connections.  If you can wait a few short weeks, grab this one on physical, which will surely be packed full of extras.