Man...not only was worth the wait, but the movie is one of MCU's best to date and I'm not exaggerating even a bit. The Guardians are back in a whopping two-and-a-half hours long movie and thankfully, every minute is used with purpose, and nothing goes to waste.
Every character in "Vol.3" is perfectly incorporated and woven into its complex narrative tapestry.
Chris Pratt's Star-Lord might have been the lead of the last two films, but Bradley Cooper's Rocket Raccoon takes center stage this time around. Needless to say, the narrative work done for the character is amongst some of the best in the MCU.
It also provides some deeply emotional and disturbing moments as audiences learn the circumstances that created everyone's favorite trash panda...don't say that infront of him.
While Rocket was already one of the strongest characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "GOTG Vol.3" elevates him even further.
This newfound focus on Rocket, however, doesn't ever take the attention away from the rest of the movie's sprawling cast. At no point does it feel like any character or plot point suffers due to the narrative focus clearly landing on Cooper's Raccoon.
When it comes to Pratt's Star-Lord, he's having a hard time dealing with the death, and subsequent revival, of his dead lover. Despite the complex emotional situation Quill finds himself in. The character's classic comedic chops are still very much present, as is the case for the humor throughout the film. This time around, the balance between laughs and heavy drama is pitch-perfect.
There are three specific characters who all could have had better characterizations and development in the franchise's prior installments - Gamora, Drax, and Mantis. All three are handled superbly, and in many ways, the development they receive here almost makes up for any shortcomings in the past.
This new Variant of Gamora feels far more aligned with her moniker of the Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy. Zoe Saldana gives her best performance to date as the character. Drax actually gets to competently fight while also making time to explore his softer side. And Mantis's powers are put to use in unique and clever ways, while she also gains more agency than just simply being a supporting punchline to Drax's many jokes.
As for Nebula, her story in "Infinity War" and "Endgame" gives the former villain a great foundation for "Vol.3" to build on. It feels like she's always been a member of the team, and despite her continued elevated anger, that's no longer her singular trait.
While previous iterations of the Groot may have come off as gimmicky for many, the version seen in "Vol. 3" feels like the most fully realized and elevated form of the character yet.
As for the newcomers, the obvious first person to mention would be Will Poulter's Adam Warlock. Teased at the end of "Vol. 2" five years ago, the character finally makes his proper entrance. Adam's story is not one that would seem like an organic fit alongside the rest of the narrative. However, Gunn does an incredible job of giving the character just the right amount of screen time without allowing anything to feel forced, unearned, or undercooked. He feels like a nebown child and kinda reminding you Vision in "Age of Ultron".
Needless to say, the wait for the Russian telepathic dog's arrival is worth the wait. While the role of Cosno in the film isn't much, it's just enough to feel satisfying and really makes audiences excited to see more of Maria Bakalova' s work with the character down the road.
Let's talk about the villain...Chukwudi Iwuji's High Evolutionary is one of Marvel's best antagonists, and he gives his all for every second of his screen time. Iwuji's performance perfectly encapsulates the terrifying, maddened evil genius to a tee. He's also impressively brutal at points in the story. While the character is notably changed from his source material, the core aspects of what makes the villain unique are all there. Like all of the best villains, the story makes his motives very clear and skillfully creates his twisted logic behind it all.
Not only is the High Evolutionary the best villain in any of the "GOTG" trilogy movies, but he belongs in the running for one of the best MCU baddies in general.
When it comes to the overall production design of "Vol.3" it's just as strong as always. The High Evolutionary's base of operations sports a unique and eye-catching aesthetic, while another space station made entirely of organic matter may be quick to make some squeamish.
As for the costumes, the core team's new matching outfits are fantastic. They are wonderfully comic-accurate, and many fans are no doubt thrilled to see Gunn put them on screen before his Marvel departure.
Then there's the VFX work, which, for the most part, is astounding. The high quality can easily be noticed during any sequence with a CGI animal-notably any and all of Rocket's backstory.
When it comes to this entry's mixtape, the musical selection is just as wonderfully chosen and curated as any of the previous Volumes before.
Not only did James Gunn successfully stick the landing for his era-ending story, but he's also gone and created one of the very best movies in Marvel Studios history.
It is everything you probably wanted to be and beyond. It is funny, action packed and extremely emotional. You gonna' need tissues for you and your friends and if you has loved all these characters through the years, then the emotions will caught you off guard for sure. This for me is probably the best MCU trilogy, beating the Cap's one for the prize.
There are two credit scenes, not five this time...but it will be hard to leave the theatre anyway, so you gonna check them.
Extremely emotional and memorable coclusion, which you will want to see with your closest friends.
Every character in "Vol.3" is perfectly incorporated and woven into its complex narrative tapestry.
Chris Pratt's Star-Lord might have been the lead of the last two films, but Bradley Cooper's Rocket Raccoon takes center stage this time around. Needless to say, the narrative work done for the character is amongst some of the best in the MCU.
It also provides some deeply emotional and disturbing moments as audiences learn the circumstances that created everyone's favorite trash panda...don't say that infront of him.
While Rocket was already one of the strongest characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "GOTG Vol.3" elevates him even further.
This newfound focus on Rocket, however, doesn't ever take the attention away from the rest of the movie's sprawling cast. At no point does it feel like any character or plot point suffers due to the narrative focus clearly landing on Cooper's Raccoon.
When it comes to Pratt's Star-Lord, he's having a hard time dealing with the death, and subsequent revival, of his dead lover. Despite the complex emotional situation Quill finds himself in. The character's classic comedic chops are still very much present, as is the case for the humor throughout the film. This time around, the balance between laughs and heavy drama is pitch-perfect.
There are three specific characters who all could have had better characterizations and development in the franchise's prior installments - Gamora, Drax, and Mantis. All three are handled superbly, and in many ways, the development they receive here almost makes up for any shortcomings in the past.
This new Variant of Gamora feels far more aligned with her moniker of the Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy. Zoe Saldana gives her best performance to date as the character. Drax actually gets to competently fight while also making time to explore his softer side. And Mantis's powers are put to use in unique and clever ways, while she also gains more agency than just simply being a supporting punchline to Drax's many jokes.
As for Nebula, her story in "Infinity War" and "Endgame" gives the former villain a great foundation for "Vol.3" to build on. It feels like she's always been a member of the team, and despite her continued elevated anger, that's no longer her singular trait.
While previous iterations of the Groot may have come off as gimmicky for many, the version seen in "Vol. 3" feels like the most fully realized and elevated form of the character yet.
As for the newcomers, the obvious first person to mention would be Will Poulter's Adam Warlock. Teased at the end of "Vol. 2" five years ago, the character finally makes his proper entrance. Adam's story is not one that would seem like an organic fit alongside the rest of the narrative. However, Gunn does an incredible job of giving the character just the right amount of screen time without allowing anything to feel forced, unearned, or undercooked. He feels like a nebown child and kinda reminding you Vision in "Age of Ultron".
Needless to say, the wait for the Russian telepathic dog's arrival is worth the wait. While the role of Cosno in the film isn't much, it's just enough to feel satisfying and really makes audiences excited to see more of Maria Bakalova' s work with the character down the road.
Let's talk about the villain...Chukwudi Iwuji's High Evolutionary is one of Marvel's best antagonists, and he gives his all for every second of his screen time. Iwuji's performance perfectly encapsulates the terrifying, maddened evil genius to a tee. He's also impressively brutal at points in the story. While the character is notably changed from his source material, the core aspects of what makes the villain unique are all there. Like all of the best villains, the story makes his motives very clear and skillfully creates his twisted logic behind it all.
Not only is the High Evolutionary the best villain in any of the "GOTG" trilogy movies, but he belongs in the running for one of the best MCU baddies in general.
When it comes to the overall production design of "Vol.3" it's just as strong as always. The High Evolutionary's base of operations sports a unique and eye-catching aesthetic, while another space station made entirely of organic matter may be quick to make some squeamish.
As for the costumes, the core team's new matching outfits are fantastic. They are wonderfully comic-accurate, and many fans are no doubt thrilled to see Gunn put them on screen before his Marvel departure.
Then there's the VFX work, which, for the most part, is astounding. The high quality can easily be noticed during any sequence with a CGI animal-notably any and all of Rocket's backstory.
When it comes to this entry's mixtape, the musical selection is just as wonderfully chosen and curated as any of the previous Volumes before.
Not only did James Gunn successfully stick the landing for his era-ending story, but he's also gone and created one of the very best movies in Marvel Studios history.
It is everything you probably wanted to be and beyond. It is funny, action packed and extremely emotional. You gonna' need tissues for you and your friends and if you has loved all these characters through the years, then the emotions will caught you off guard for sure. This for me is probably the best MCU trilogy, beating the Cap's one for the prize.
There are two credit scenes, not five this time...but it will be hard to leave the theatre anyway, so you gonna check them.
Extremely emotional and memorable coclusion, which you will want to see with your closest friends.