- Release Date: – 5/5/2023
- Cast: – Chris Pratt, Chukwudi Iwuji, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Zoe Saldana, Will Poulter
- Director: – James Gunn
I went into Guardians of the Galaxy with little to no expectations. I was never really inspired by the characters of the film except for Rocket and Drax (mildly). James Gunn’s comic injection into everything serious or sinister was another thing that often got in my way of building a connection with the characters and the stories. The films never had any genuine threats to the heroes. The villains, though colorful and imaginative were almost always overpowered by the Guardians easily. I also noticed that when I watched the first two instalments in 2014 and 2017, I enjoyed them a lot more than I have over the years in my subsequent viewings. Thus, it can be concluded that the films didn’t age too well for me.
The fact that Peter Quill’s character was the biggest crybaby and moron in Infinity War owing to how he was written as a character only made matters worse for me when it came to watching the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. Interestingly, little did I know that every apprehension that I had about the film and all my complaints about the previous Guardians films was about to be turned on its head. James Gunn ends up giving us the best Guardians of the Galaxy film as he bids farewell to Marvel Studios.
The Story: –
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is simple on its surface. Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) attacks the Guardians in their new headquarters in Knowhere and in the attack seriously injures Rocket. The Guardians now have only 48 hours to find a passkey that will allow them to heal Rocket or else he will succumb to his wounds. The passkey is in the possession of the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) who also happens to be the one to have upgraded Rocket from a raccoon to a cybernetically enhanced entity. As the Guardians race against time to get the passkey from the High Evolutionary, we are shown glimpses of Rocket’s torrid past that for the first time explains his origins and also shows us why he is like he is.
Emotions run high and form the core of the film: –
This is the first Guardians film where emotions run high and the core of the film is made up of the interpersonal drama that brews between the different characters. The majority of the film is spent showing the Guardians gunning to get the passkey from the High Evolutionary and to do so they are forced to face one life-threatening ordeal after another. Each of these ordeals is unique and is designed to be fast-paced, fun and thrilling. Some of it has a lot of physical and gritty action that ups the ante for the entire challenge and adds a cherry on the cake. With each of these challenges we learn something new about the characters involved and their emotional and dramatic arc is developed a little more. The visual palate of each of these challenges is unique and is designed with creativity and finesse.
A gamut of colourful and imaginative creatures that are there for a reason: –
The film has a plethora of different creatures and these creatures serve a purpose in the narrative. They are not used as mere props or as cannon fodder. On the contrary many of these creatures are responsible for turning the film into an extremely emotional affair in some of the sequences towards the end of the film. As I speak about the different creatures, I have to mention the sensational visual wizardry of the film. This is the most natural and best CGI that I have seen in a Marvel film in a while. The CGI of Rocket at different times in the film and that of the other creatures that form part of his past are absolutely gorgeous. They are able to extract genuine emotion from the audiences which is something that most visual artists dream for. It won’t be wrong to say that the film’s most emotional moments involve CGI characters and they are done so well that they might make you teary-eyed.
Splendid action sequences that feel physical and gritty: –
The action of the film is innovative and physical. The first attack involving Adam Warlock was sensational and left quite an impact on me. The next big few fights happen in the second half and they are executed with physicality and grit. There is a minor portion where the CGI overdose feels like kicking in when numerous spaceships are shown fighting it out for a colon cause but that is quickly neutralized by a hallway fight that will bring back fond memories of some of the most enjoyable team-up fight sequences from the Marvel stable. I also loved the action sequence that unfolds in Counter Earth where an entire world is decimated by the High Evolutionary and our heroes are forced to deal with the mayhem.
Wonderful performances from the ensemble cast: –
The ensemble cast does a fantastic job. It must be noted that each of the characters is very well written and have an emotional arc to go with. Chris Pratt leads from the front. His best friend is about to die and you see that urgency and panic on his face and in everything that he is shown doing. This not only sells the thrill element associated with being on the clock but also makes the proceedings a whole lot more convincing and tense. Chukwudi Iwuji as the primary antagonist is perfect. He looks and acts like a person who was capable of doing what he was shown doing. His interactions with the character of Rocket in the flashback sequences were unsettling but also highlighted key aspects of his character that are utilized later to evoke tension and drama.
Zoe Saldana as Gamora is great. She is not the Gamora who was in love with Peter Quill. Quill is still head over heels in love with her and when the two have to play it out together to save Rocket it makes for some interesting character dynamics. These scenes are both a source of comedy and heartbreak as we feel empathetic towards Quill as his one undying love has just forgotten him and there is nothing that he can do to get her back. How this track culminates was heartwarming.
Dave Bautista as Drax is great as usual. We get to see a different angle of the character and it worked extremely well for me. I have to admit that his performance in one scene nearly got me teary-eyed. Karen Gillan is successful in conveying a gamut of expressions even after being under such a thick veil of makeup. For the first time, her character is depicted to be so passionate about fighting for something or someone and she gives it her everything. That dedication to a certain cause is beautifully evoked by Gillan for the character.
A film about true human emotions evoked through different creatures in strange worlds: –
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is a film about longing, friendship, and the ability of life to find happiness, love and solace in each other’s company. Every character in the film is shown dealing with some tragedy but at the end of it all, they all make peace with their circumstances and are successful in finding solace and love in each other’s company. At the end of this film, Peter Quill, Gamora, Mantis and the remaining Guardians all walk different paths. While the end credit scene tells us that Quill will be back, it might be a while before we see the entire gang reunite. I couldn’t have imagined that Marvel would actually end one of their most successful franchises after just three films but they did so in great style.
Final words: –
Filled with tension, drama, tender moments, action, visual wizardry and breakneck speed, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is easily my favourite Guardians of the Galaxy film. James Gunn for once was able to restrict his slapstick comedy to the sequences and characters that absolutely needed them. This resulted in not only the comedy working out much better than before but also never diluting the seriousness of the film and ensuring that it was endlessly tense, intriguing and dramatic.
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For a film that is 2 hours and 30 minutes long, this felt uncharacteristically breezy and for that, we have to thank the masterful structuring and direction of James Gunn. Gunn is moving to DC for his future endeavors but his last outing for Marvel will remain memorable for all the right reasons. This was easily the best Marvel film since Avengers: Endgame and I enjoyed it a little bit more than No Way Home because of the amount of humanity and drama that it was able to evoke through its story and characters. Don’t miss this one in theaters.
Rating: – 4/5 (4 out of 5 Stars)
The views expressed in this article are that of the reviewer and do not reflect EastMojo’s position
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