On a $200 million budget, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was a massive hit, grossing over $863 million worldwide. Like its predecessor, the film also garnered many positive reviews, earning an 85% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While writer/director James Gunn was initially reluctant about returning, he announced his return in April 2017. Gunn had been working on the initial draft and getting the original cast back when he was fired in 2018. Marvel/Disney removed Gunn after some old tweets were dug up, and an independent campaign was started supporting Gunn. Shortly after Warner Bros. announced Gunn would direct The Suicide Squad, Marvel/Disney rehired Gunn, and preproduction began in 2021. The movie was shot in Atlanta’s Trilith Studios from November 2021 to May 2022 on a $250 million budget. After premiering in April 2023, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 was released worldwide the following May.
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Synopsis
After getting hit by a massive laser blast, Rocket Racoon (Bradley Cooper) is barely clinging to life. Nebula (Karen Gillan) determines that whoever made Rocket the way he has had a killswitch installed that prevents treatment. She traces the origins of the killswitch to Orgocorp, an intergalactic company headed by The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). With help from the Ravagers and Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the Guardians infiltrate Orgocorp’s headquarters, the Orgoscope, to find the override. During the adventure, a dying Rocket relives his past: being experimented on, seeing his friends killed, and making his escape. While searching for the killswitch override, the Guardians travel to Counter-Earth, a planet built by the High Evolutionary. With their friend’s life in jeopardy, it’s up to the Guardians to save Rocket’s life and stop the High Evolutionary. It’s the Guardians’ farewell tour, and they plan on going out with a bang!
Review
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 stumbles slightly for being the final installment, but it also succeeds in several ways. For one, it’s great that we learn more about Rocket’s tragic backstory and how it plays into the film’s present. Also, like the previous installments, the motivation is deeply personal, in this case, saving a dear friend. Once again, James Gunn’s writing and directing are on-point, mixing snappy quips with heartfelt, dramatic moments, all with vibrant colors. The returning cast delivers solid performances, with Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, and Zoe Saldana standing out. Chukwudi Iwuji is phenomenal as the High Evolutionary, playing a cold, calculating megalomaniac that’s easy to hate. Admittedly, he starts losing his menace whenever he screams and shouts in an over-the-top fashion that makes him less threatening. Also, William Poulter isn’t terrible as Adam Warlock, but he feels wasted.
Sadly, this movie lacks the unique charm of the first two, especially with the “adventure comedy set in space” trope. Months prior, we had Thor: Love and Thunder and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, both adventure comedies in space. What made the first film so special back in 2014 has been done to death at this point. That said, what makes this better than those is that this film does a better job of balancing the tone. This film knows when to be funny and when to hold off on jokes, so an emotional scene plays out. This one ends with big action sequences like other Marvel movies, but they feel more personal and less hollow. At two and a half hours, parts of the film feel bloated, which could’ve been trimmed with more editing. Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 has some issues, but it’s a satisfying-enough finale.
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