There are certain elements you can expect when sitting down for a James Gunn film; those distinct ingredients that define the signature style of Gunn’s vision. A great soundtrack, a group of out-casts, dark humor and plenty of heart are staples of his work and have been since the early days of his career. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 certainly possesses each of these, but to varying degrees of effectiveness.
The Plot
The Guardians return for their first solo film since 2017. When a new foe, The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), presents himself and threatens to break the team apart, the galaxy’s protectors will have to rely on each other to save one of their own. But the High Evolutionary isn’t the only threat they’ll face. Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) will prove to be a dangerous addition, as well.
The Critique
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a film that could simply be described as “good, not great.” That’s not a terrible thing. I would have gladly settled for “good” with Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania. However, I expected more from the Guardians at this stage in their MCU career. After all, this was intended to be their farewell send-off, and Gunn is arguably a far more accomplished filmmaker than Peyton Reed. Perhaps I was a victim of my own expectations, or perhaps the dreaded super hero fatigue has finally caught up to me; but this film did not deliver the adrenaline dump of excitement and emotion that I experienced with the previous two entries in the franchise.
Adam Warlock joins the line-up after first being teased in the post-credits scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 back in 2017. Audiences have waited a long time to see the fan-favorite Marvel character on the big-screen, and I fear most of them will be disappointed with his depiction. It’s nothing against Poulter — I’m a fan of unconventional and outside-the-box casting — but the character is whittled down to the barest and most meaningless of traits. He’s a victim of being dumbed-down for the sake of comedy and is given nothing to do besides fly through windows to tackle people. Not exactly an exciting character arc.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is two-hours and twenty-nine-minutes. It’s not a short film by any means, and it’s the longest of the trilogy. I was confronted earlier online for critiquing the film’s runtime, so I’ll be very specific about it here. I have no issues with a long movie. Avengers: Endgame is over three-hours and I loved every minute of it, and I have vivid memories of experiencing Martin Scorsese’s The Departed in theaters for the first time and wishing it wouldn’t end. My issue with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s runtime is that it feels unnecessary and undeserved. It’s a fairly simple plot that’s stretched, stuffed and would likely have benefitted from trimming a minute or two (or forty) off.
#GotGVol3 is a slightly disappointing conclusion to one of my favorite teams in the MCU. Over-long and with an under whelming villain. It’s my least favorite of the #Gotg trilogy, but it still has glimpses of the magic we got from the original film. pic.twitter.com/SUmYjzN88O
— Joshua Ryan (@MrMovieGuy86) April 28, 2023
Many of the returning characters feel like they’re at the peak of their on-screen presence (Groot, Drax, Mantis and Star Lord are the best we’ve seen them). However, Gamora’s return is fumbled and diminishes the character’s over all image. One significant and glaring issue is the manner in which her return undermines the significance of Infinity War’s events. As the movie played out, my daughter (who’d accompanied me to the screening) leaned over and whispered, “I thought she was dead?” Even worse is the way that this version of the character undoes the entire arc and transformation that we’ve witness over the last decade. She’s back to being an unlikable and mean-spirited loner who remembers nothing of her relationship with Quill or the team. It’s a backwards slide that works against the film and the character, not for it.
In Conclusion
If my review sounds harsh, that’s because it comes from a place of love. I genuinely love these characters and want the best from them. And, sadly, I don’t think that’s what they delivered in The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. I enjoyed myself and I’ll absolutely revisit it again; but I wanted more from the villain, more from the action and a stronger story. I do appreciate Rocket getting to take center stage for a good chunk of the film. He’s a character who deserves more attention, especially since his status has risen following the events of the Infinity Saga. Who knows, maybe time and a second viewing will raise my opinion on the threequel. But for the time being, it’s a fun, yet bumpy ride that’s good… but not great.
7/10
