For the most part, I have been purposely avoiding as many spoilers as I can as this particular series is one of my favorites when it comes to the MCU. Whether it’s because of the wonderful characters filled with tons of personality or just the awesomeness behind Rocket Racoon and Groot, I’ve always been partial to this franchise. Currently, an art print of Rocket Racoon and Groot stares at me while I write this review, and well for this movie it was no different.
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 is by far the best one in the series, it is filled with emotional moments, action-packed, and funny as ever. However, I think this is the first time my heart has ever been so touched whilst watching a Marvel movie. Yes, we all cried during that Ironman and Spider-Man moment in Avengers: Endgame, but this movie takes things to a whole ‘nother level, the saddest level possible.
In this film, we are exposed to really hard topics such as animal cruelty, unchecked animal experimentation, and corporate greed. I don’t want to go into too much detail in regards to the story because I feel like a big part of why the movie hits so strongly is because you don’t know what you’re going to see, but in a nutshell, this is the story of how a raccoon became one of the most intelligent, mechanics and technology experts in the galaxy. It is one for the books without a doubt.
Whilst watching the movie I came upon the realization that not only have these movies gotten bigger, better, and more action-packed, but they have also gotten deeper and more emotional as well. They are tugging at strings in our hearts that make us really question whether it is worth it to experiment on animals, all in hopes of creating a society that is “perfect” or if in fact, we are doing more harm than good when we test drugs, make-up and all sorts of things on our vulnerable, conscious furry companions. The 3d animation in this film is so good at making you feel like these are actual animals being persecuted by deranged scientists and at times one can’t help but feel like we’re staring into the eyes of our very own cats and dogs back at home. It is a sad movie, and even whilst writing this my eyes begin to tear up. I’ve heard a couple of people say that the movie is a little long, with a run time of 2 hours and 29 minutes. Yet I felt it go by in a breeze, between the innovative fight scenes, the light-hearted jokes and the amazing structure of story beats this felt like a thrill to watch. I just wish more MCU movies were like this, sure I will have to bring a box of napkins to clean my tears next time, but this movie actually says something about us as a society. It holds a mirror to our desires for scientific advancement and asks the question “Is it worth it?”
The sound design in this movie is particularly spectacular, in every scene where we were in a lab with captive animals you could hear cats, dogs, and bird sounds intermixed into the ambiance and that just made it the more real, and the more disheartening and profound. It is a really chilling experience, but a good one. It was well balanced with things like fight scenes, bubbly fantastic worlds, and amazing character building for otherwise blank characters like Drax and Mantis, heck even Kraglin, the new owner of the Yaka arrow has a wonderfully redeeming storyline. I keep going back to the animals because there is no doubt in my mind that this is what they wanted to transmit in this story, with the inclusion of Cosmo the Space Dog, the pack of Abilisks, and the wonderfully creative yet gooey Orgoscope (a planet made entirely of living organic matter), this is a direct letter from Marvel, that invites us to think about what we are actively doing to other living creatures around us. It puts into question, whether we really are the advanced civilization we say we are, or are we just bullies never content with the beauty that the Universe already has in store for us?
Despite all the controversy behind one of the main actors. I feel like everyone involved in this movie did a fantastic job with the story they were given, and I have to tip my hat off to the amazing CGI artists that made this story come to life. I know it is obvious to say this, but it is still fascinating to see the incredible leaps CGI has taken from movies like the first Toy Story all the way to this Guardians of the Galaxy installment. It makes me hopeful for the wonderful tools artists will develop to tell new innovative stories in the coming years. If we’ve come this far with entertainment, I can’t imagine the crazy stuff that Marvel will have for us next.
Lastly, and this might sound weird, but I’m so glad Groot died in that first movie because the new Groot is so much better! He is badass, and heck he’s not even as dumb as you might think he is, just wait to hear what he says at the end of this film. “I am Groot”.
If you’re itching for a new movie to watch and you’re between this one and the New Super Mario Bros. movie, I say do a Chris Pratt double feature and watch them both back to back, you will enjoy them both very much. There is no uncertainty in my mind about it. Guardians of the Galaxy is a must-watch, even if you’re not into MCU movies, this film will have you laughing, crying, and on the edge of your seat from the moment the Marvel logo comes up.
Score: 5/5
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