Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 reviewed

 

It’s rare for each film in a trilogy to be equally good, however Guardians of the Galaxy have managed it. This third instalment is just as packed with action, quips, character and heart as the previous two yet still has something different. Just like its predecessors the pace is fast, the ideas keep coming and there are plenty of dramatic moments plus a rousing climax. Yet what has always made this particular strand of the MCU stand apart is the characters and each of the principals gets more to do this time courtesy of a very well rounded script. In a sense it’s the Guardian’s growing up movie- and appropriately includes the MCU’s first ever f-bomb – yet not without losing the sense of fun that has been with them from the start.

 

In some ways we’re in similar territory to the recent Quantumania being shown a vista of incredibly vivid planets that could be lifted from a 1940s science fiction magazine. The difference is that the Guardians, even though only one of them is human, are a far more identifiable bunch than Antman and co plus nobody mentions multiverses for a change! The film plays like a coming of age story except for adults rather than teenagers and centres around Rocket the wise cracking racoon who has previously been used more comedically. We get to see his backstory which has its roots in terrible genetic experimentation carried out by a being dubbed the High Evolutionary. Played with scenery chewing relish by Chukwudi Iwuji this character’s aim has always been to iron our imperfections and create the perfect species, intentions that have left a trail of damaged experiments on live animals and people.

Seeing this in some detail with animals made up partly of metal parts or machinery and talking takes a little getting used to but is essential in getting the full picture and the film would not work anywhere near as well if we’d not seen these sequences. Dark places perhaps for the Guardians to go but it fires the film’s momentum as they race to save their friend via a series of clues to his origin. To balance what would otherwise be a grim story, the Guardians are especially sparky and snarky with each other in some of the funniest interactions we’ve yet seen from them.

Each of the Guardians has developed with Quill pining for Gamora even though she is right there with them but after previous events has no memory of him. Chris Pratt has been given more emotional material to work with while remaining the fearless leader (one stunt Quill tries will have you on the edge of your seat). Gamora’s snarling beef with Nebula remains while the latter becomes more three dimensional this time round.

Meanwhile Drax and Mantis get the funniest material, Dave Bautista wonderfully deadpan, Pom Klementieff making the most of Mantis’ sensory powers. Groot remains Groot as of course he keeps reminding us. A funny running gag sees this version of Gamora failing to understand him at all. Some may find Chukwudi Iwuji a little too crazy but this absolutely fits the character’s unhinged mentality while Will Poulter makes an encouraging debut as Adam Warlock. Fittingly as the narrative revolves around Rocket Bradley Cooper does some excellent voice work in the scenes showing the character’s origins, a long way from the streetwise persona we are used to helped by Sean Gunn and Noah Raskin.

The look of the movie is rich and the visualisations fantastic from the steampunk aesthetic of the Guardians’ base Knowhere to  the day glo playground Organsphere in which the Teletubbies wouldn’t look out of place.. We even visit the results of one of the experiments dubbed Counter Earth whose inhabitants live in a picket fence sort of America town except they all have animal heads. The film does well to skirt the edge between making us fascinated and appalled by what has happened.

The best thing about this movie is that it does not get itself muddled up with grand arc storylines- it is about a desperate dash to save a dying friend, about how people come together to protect and care for their own . That translates whether you’ve seen very MCU film or none, whether or not you’ve even seen the previous two Guardians films, So, yes, it is as the familiar parlance has it, the darkest one yet. It’s also in some respects the lightest one yet with a warm, fuzzy message about loyalty, friendship and some ethics as well.  Ultimately that is what I think makes this the best Marvel film since Endgame.