The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise has always been the go-to for goofs within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The ragtag group of misfits warmed our hearts through their humor and strong bond. But the real magic within the sub-franchise of Marvel movies is the heart. And if there is one thing Vol. 3 does right; it’s pulling at your heartstrings.

We’ve seen the Guardians a few times since Vol. 2 of their franchise, most with the Avengers and more recently on Disney Plus. It almost felt as if the group lost its spark with out-of-character moments and awful dialogue. I’m happy to say that mistake has been mended with this installment, but there were still a few underwhelming moments.

Guardians of the Galaxy is musically masterful, flashback-filled, and action-packed. Set just after the events of their Christmas special, Guardians opens with a drunk Peter Quill still sulking after the events of Endgame. As the adventure starts, the plot shifts towards the creation of Rocket, which is a bold and strong move.

Rocket’s Backstory

From the trailers, we knew this story would dive into Rocket’s backstory, but I was surprised at how much of an interracial role it played in this film. While the subject and visuals are brutal and disturbing, it was the best thing about this movie. We’re introduced to the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), a mad scientist obsessed with perfection. This leads to his hunt for Rocket, and the Guardians fight to protect their furry (maybe Raccoon) friend.

Rocket’s story did what it was supposed to: make your stomach turn and squeeze your heart. I can honestly say I have never cried this much from a Marvel movie (including Wakanda Forever).

Adam Warlock

Will Poulter makes his much-anticipated debut as Adam Warlock. Sadly he was poorly written and underused. Poulter did what he could with the script given, but this was a sad attempt at an introduction. We did get quite a few lovable scenes with Adam but not enough threatening ones.

How Many Jokes Are Too Many Jokes?

It’s Guardians; I know it’s supposed to be funny. I know they are using Dave Bautista as a stereotype, but it’s a lot. Maybe it just was too oversaturated coming off of the Christmas special, but the humor was often just corny and severely lacking. What was well done was the shift of Bautista’s character, which gave it some depth. So even though the humor has faults, the payoff was worth it.

Why is Everyone Yelling!?

The biggest issue is everyone is constantly yelling in this movie. I mean, it works for Nebula because that’s her character, but even then, it was a little too much. Chukwudi Iwuji probably plays one of the best villains ever introduced in the MCU solely because of his actions, and he is dynamic on screen, but every bit of dialogue is just yelled. The most frightening villains are the quiet ones who jolt you by burning into a fit of rage.

Back in Action

The one thing that makes the Guardians lovable is that they all save themselves. Sure, their buddies are there for an assist (they are a team, after all), but their fight sequences show the power they all hold on their own and how they utilize their collective skills to win a battle. The action sequences are James Gunn’s bread and butter because he directs them beautifully.

Conclusion

The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was unexpectedly sad and heartfelt. The main story revolving around Rocket was expertly done. As always, the music makes the movie. The songs used were perfectly placed to tie into the story. I’m not even going to touch on the visuals because, come on, it’s Marvel. Everything was stunning, especially the work done on Rocket. There were a few missteps in directing actors and typical Marvel Humor, but it was just an excellent movie. I’m not fully satisfied with how they ended this team’s time together, but I am intrigued by what’s to come moving forward. For parents, I will warn you some scenes may be hard for children to watch (they were hard for me to watch).