Posted in Action, Adventure, Film Reviews, Film Reviews 2023, MCU, Scifi, Superhero by Silas Lindenstein – May 04, 2023

Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume III (2023)
PG-13  ‧ Action/Adventure  ‧ 2 Hours 29 Minutes

Written by James Gunn
Directed by James Gunn

THE CAST Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, Elizabeth Debicki, Maria Bakalova, and Sylvester Stallone

THE STORY

(In their own words). Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill must rally his team to defend the universe and protect one of their own. If the mission is not completely successful, it could possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

THE BEST
The BEST things about the film

1. The Story – They took the wisest path for this movie; take a simple story and tell it well. And very importantly – relatable. 
2. The Villain – The villain for this film, I think, is one of the scariest villains we’ve had in the MCU in a long, long time. 
3. The Send-Off – It’s been widely stated that this is the final chapter and final film for the Guardians of the Galaxy, at least as we know it today, and I wasn’t sure how they would handle it. The story was a perfect culmination of all the films we’ve seen them in. It puts a bow on most of the character’s stories while setting the groundwork for individuals’ future tales. 
4. The Comedy – I’ve had many complaints about Marvel squashing the serious moments in films by always making a joke happen and killing the seriousness of the film’s in-world moments. This felt like a departure from that. They let the funny moments be funny, and the serious moments have weight and importance. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the film

1. I have only one minor gripe that comes near the end, and I don’t want to ruin anything for you, so I’ll save it for a discussion podcast. But it is minor; this is nearly a perfect action/superhero film for me. 

THE COMMENTS

For me, this is by far the best MCU film since Endgame, and it isn’t close. 

This story is just absolutely beautiful. I was shocked at how much this film got me to care about an animated raccoon’s life and relationships. I was utterly sucked into the characters and their backgrounds. Marvel found what it’s been missing in the latest offering…a relatable story set in a sci-fi setting. This film is really about the scars inside us that we carry around. The latest movies have mostly been about God-like beings, other dimensions, and “greater than this world” events. Marvel stories are best when they are about the things we care about; love, hurt, moving on, and learning how to grow as a person. Films need to teach us more about humanity with a story grounded in something we can relate to or at least aspire to. The early MCU films like Iron Man and Captain America did this, and even so in the original Guardians of The Galaxy film. 

This film is Marvel at its best. 

THE LESSON

Scars on the outside are nothing compared to the scars inside us. 

Friends take care of friends. 

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes. Can’t wait to watch it again. 

THE FINAL WORD

The final chapter of the Guardians Of The Galaxy films ends on a high note. For me, this was the best film since Avengers: Endgame. A captivating story about exploring old wounds wrapped up in a Marvel blanket. It’s a simple story told really well. Humor in the right places without compromising the emotional impact of moments, which has been a flaw of MCU films as of late. This last film from James Gunn in the MCU world (most likely) shows how great of a director and storyteller he truly is. GoG Vol. 3 hopefully will be the guidepost for the type of films Marvel will keep making.

THE VERDICT 

My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It. 

Guardians of The Galaxy Volume 3 gets a Love It. 

THE TRAILER

THE MEME REVIEW