Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

When the credits went up for Avengers: Endgame, I felt I was just about ready to move on from Marvel but I still found time for Sony's Marvel offerings with the very good Spider-Man films and then the not-so-great villain spin-off outings. As Disney's own Marvel content, the word-of-mouth wasn't exactly glowing praise and has continued to be that way as the franchise figures out where it will go next. Director James Gunn on the other hand was ready to sign out of the mouse's house and move across to DC but not before he finished what he started with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. And so I found myself with a chance to watch this and see if there were still any diamonds left in the rough. 

The story follows Quill and the crew in somewhat disarray following the death of Gamora in Infinity War. Quill lets his guard down as grief overcomes him before the guardians are attacked and Rocket is left serious injured. They need to save his life and the journey will take them back to Rocket's tortured past and the man who changed his life forever.

While my feelings were mixed on The Suicide Squad, I thought Gunn did a great job with Peacemaker and he really does have a flair creating interesting characters and immersive stories that carry emotional weight. This was made clear in the previous two films and the third is no exception but, oh boy, do things get a bit too dark. There are two halves to Vol. 3 with one being a fun adventure that I had expected and then the other half exploring Rocket's background that serves as a not-so-subtle allegory for animal testing. This makes for an engaging setup but many viewers will find Gunn's heavy handed approach too much and will not sit well with younger viewers.

It's to Gunn's credit though that he brings so much heart to a story while bringing plenty of action, comedy and spectacle but, for rewatchability sake, perhaps he could have reined the darker plotline in a bit. However, when the story is on a lighter note we get plenty of what has made the Guardians films so much fun to watch and a real standout amongst Marvel's impressive catalogue. Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan and Bradley Cooper's voicework are all back on great form with plenty of witty humour and charisma. Zoe Saldaña is also great as the new Gamora with the same going for other new faces in the cast. Meanwhile, Gunn reunites with Peacemaker co-star Chukwudi Iwuji who makes for a perfectly unhinged villain. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 delivers a suitably emotional send-off for the characters and Gunn's time at Marvel. The story is perfectly paced and, despite going a bit too dark, comes together very nicely by the end demonstrating the best of the cast and director. Marvel might be in a difficult spot right now but this really is proof that with the right team it's best films don't have to be in the past. I'm still not sure when I will jump back into the franchise but I am glad I stopped by to see this.