GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOLUME 3 – Review

Ah, May is finally here! The temps are rising, the sun’s shining, the flowers are blooming and it’s time (as it has for the last ten years or so) for another trek into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) courtesy of your friendly neighborhood multiplex. Now for this flick, we can accentuate the U, because after “getting small” in the Quantum Realm three months ago and diving deep into the ocean waters near Wakanda we’re going to catch up with that “bunch of A-holes’ zipping around the fringes of way, way out outer space. It seems like it’s been a long time, but they’ve kept busy in other MCU franchises along with Thor and the Avengers, and even had their own streaming holiday special last year on Disney+. As this is their third solo outing, the filmmaker at the helm has promised that this is his last, perhaps marking the end of the “official trilogy”. And so let’s grab a seat on the good ship Milano, crank up that killer soundtrack, and brace ourselves for GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOLUME 3!

As shown in the aforementioned holiday “special presentation”, the old crew is still fixing up the ramshackle floating spaceport Knowhere. Peter Quill AKA Starlord (Chris Pratt) is hitting the bottle hard as he still yearns for Gamora (in ENDGAME we know that she’s now an “alternate previous version” who never fell for him). And while everyone is still fixing up the “joint”, Rocket (voice of Bradley Cooper) is reflecting on his past, going back to when he was “genetically enhanced”. His memories are interrupted by the destructive arrival of the super-powered space being Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), who comes to “retrieve him” for his “mother” Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), and her new “overseer”. Luckily the interloper is brought down and captured, though Rocket is wounded and in a coma. He’s not responding to the medical equipment leading Nebula (Karen Gillan) to discover that his “upgrades” can only be fixed by finding his project “data file”. So begins a mission to go to Orgo HQ and steal it. But they need the aid of the Ravagers, which leads to Peter working alongside their second-in-command, Gamora (Zoe Saldana). Oh, but it turns out that Orgo, led by the cruel scientist known as the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) is out to thwart them as he unleashes all of his forces to reclaim his “property”, Rocket. So can the combined might of Starlord, Gamora, Nebula, Groot (voice of Vin Diesel), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Draz (Dave Bautista) save Rocket’s life and keep him from the clutches of this fiend, or could this be their last planet-hopping adventure?

Thinking back on the story, it becomes clear that its main focus is Rocket, other than his importance as the desired “force” (with the Guardians wanting to save him and the Orgo group wishing to “retain” him). Though he’s unconscious for most of the action, the story in his mind, his “origin” is the most compelling. Cooper’s voice is “tweaked” in order to give us a view of him as a youngster, just becoming “sentient” after the “tinkering” by the “lab coats”. Also the bonding between him and the other “projects” is heartbreaking, especially his affection for the otter Lylla (voiced by the affecting Linda Cardellini). As for his humanoid pals, Pratt may have his most complex character arc, going from self-medication right into a courageous leader, who is almost undone by being near that former love. Pratt conveys that aching while being frustrated that he can’t break through to her, to rekindle what was taken away. Saldana as Gamora, is all business, blocking Quill’s romantic pleas, while slowly showing a touch of sympathy to this “wounded puppy”. Her toughened exterior is matched by Gillan as her sister, who puts up a brave front while also mourning the Gamora she once knew. Providing much of the film’s humor is the terrific Batista whose Drax still has a socially awkward nobility, while we now see that his treatment from the others cuts into his pride as he fears being labeled a simpleton. the comes out in his great pairing with Klementieff’s Mantis (they were the heart of the inspired holiday special), whose affection is tested by Drax’s often stubborn nature. But she cares for him nearly as much as she does for her newfound brother (again from the special). And once again, Diesel does wonders with the same three words, eliciting the correct emotions needed by the now teenaged creature (a toddler in the last flick, now a beefy oak-like creature, far from the tall strolling “driftwood” we first met).

And now we meet the “newbies” to the series. At the top of the list is this story’s “big bad”, Iwuji as the demented megalomaniacal mad scientist the High Evolutionary, a narcissist to rival his inspiration Dr. Moreau of the classic H.G. Welles novel (and the 30’s fright film ISLAND OF LOST SOULS). Unlike many researchers, he’s not interested in aiding others, but instead desires to be in control, crushing any who stand in his way, and treating his “projects” with callous casual cruelty. Iwuji tosses aside any humanity to give us perhaps the most interesting MCU mastermind since Thanos (who really thought he was helping save several worlds). His greatest asset may be Poulter as the naive Warlock, whose dedication to “mother” makes him a very powerful ‘loose cannon”, more like a super-powered adolescent in need of better guidance, someone who will keep his raging ego in check. Also bringing in extra comic relief is Cosmo the Spacedog, now voiced by Maria Bakalova (Borat’s daughter) who is an asset to Knowhere while irritating the testy Kraglin played once again by Sean Gunn (who still can’t do that “arrow tick” like his late mentor Yondru).

And that filmmaker in charge is returning director/solo screenwriter James Gunn, bidding a fond farewell to the MCU (he’s now the co-boss of the, as Stan Lee would say, the “Distinguished Competition”, and plotting the return of Superman himself). He’s tried to make this an epic romp, but many may be stunned at that very dark “origin” story at its center. It’s perhaps only a sixth of the film’s runtime, but its grim intensity may induce nightmares in the small fry and perhaps “trigger” older pet-owning viewers in its condemnation of animal testing and experimentation (message received “loud and clear”, Mr. Gunn). Aside from that, we get more of the freewheeling teamwork of the GOTGs and the rapid-fire comic turns (although it begins to be a tad repetitive by the third act). The soundtrack’s not as bouncy and fun as in the previous two outings, though it does bring the melodies into the 21st century. Kudos to the many artists that helped create these stunning new vessels and alien landscapes. Unlike those two movie “star” franchises. many of the sets have a clay-like organic feel rather than the shiny metallic surfaces seen in most space flicks. There’s also a nice retro-feel to many of the otherworldly creatures, especially on Counter-Earth which is a 70’s suburbia populated by Orgo subjects whose full-face prosthetic designs recall the original PLANET OF THE APES and previous Moreau adaptations. The main problem with the film is one that continues to plague most action epics (comic book inspired and others). The chaotic climax doesn’t really know when to conclude, giving us multiple finales. with one set exploding while something else must be resolved before we get the big expected “showdown”, which is delayed by a sacrifice made by a principal (a Tony Stark-ENDGAME riff). Once the debris settles, we get a sweet send-off to some of the crew, while the obligatory mid-credits bonus scene teases us of a possible detour. Despite its bombastic final half-hour (contributing to its overlong 150-minute runtime), franchise fans will relish blasting off for a final time with the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOLUME 3. Just make sure you have enough Zargnuts to share.

3 Out of 4

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOLUME 3 opens in theatres everywhere on Friday, May 5, 2923