Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 review: A more emotional experience

What is it about human (and to be inclusive, alien) nature that makes us drawn to teams? Perhaps it's because teams are a type of family. Family that we get to choose, admittedly, but still family nonetheless. And that, at its core, is what Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is all about. A family of misfits, drawn together (due to the machinations of plot) and staying together. And in this, the third film of the trilogy (it's said to be the final film, but we might get a fourth, you never know), they learn something more important than family. They learn to find themselves, and who they are, if they aren't a family.

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a science fiction film that's the 32nd instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It follows the adventures of the titular team, as they embark on high adventures through space. In this third film, the team goes on a quest to learn more about Rocket's origins — and themselves. However, they find that a dangerous menace lurks out there in space — one that has been behind several of the threats they face. To defeat this new villain, they must learn to evolve and become better. And in the process, they find they may need to let go of the very thing that drew them together in the first place.

Gunn has said how Mantis is the emotional core of the team in previous interviews — fitting, given how Mantis' powers literally revolve around the sensing and manipulation of emotions. And Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is certainly the most emotional of the three. That's not just because it wraps up many of the storylines started in the previous movies, or that it gives emotions to the most jaded and bitter of characters. It's because it pushes the characters out of their comfort zones, even as they learn more about themselves and their identity. Not all of them manage to find closure to the questions that they seek, but it's about the journey, and not the destination. And so by the end of the film, when each character decides what they want with their life — it's fitting, bittersweet, and well-earned.

It may be a bit much to say that the film has a good sendoff for all the characters (after all, the end of the film explicitly teases that Star-Lord will be back). And with the MCU being as interconnected as it is, it's certain that many of the Guardians (or ex-Guardians) will make some appearance in one way or another. But for a trilogy, and within the context of the three films, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 does send off our characters satisfactorily. They each find peace with what has happened and what their role is (not just in the team, but life in general). While their story is not over, their character arc is. And so we know that the next time we see them in the MCU, they'll be a little bit more whole, a little bit more healed, than when we first saw them.

If you're not a fan of Peter Quill (I'm not, the bloke caused the Avengers to lose the fight against Thanos) then you'll glad that he's much less irritating and showboaty in this movie. Part of it has to do with the fact that he's grieving, but part of it can also be attributed to the character having grown up, somewhat, over the three movies. He still does retain some of his more grating elements, like unfounded confidence in the few abilities that he has. Overall, though, he's a much less dislikeable character than in all his previous appearances (with the exception of the Holiday Special), so there is some character growth there.

However, the film packs nine protagonists from the get-go, and adds more characters along the way. It manages to give a clear motivation for each character, as well as giving them distinctive personalities and story arcs. It also waxes lyrical about various themes and issues, and packs multiple action sequences into the movie. That's a lot to accomplish in 150 minutes, and it definitely feels that way. The upside is that there's never a dull moment in the film, even if it does feel overstuffed at times. Perhaps it's not holding anything back, since it's supposed to be the final film of the trilogy. Still, it did feel like some stories could have been expanded on in other media forms.

But if there's one theme that felt overplayed, it was that of family. They say the word repeatedly, the motifs are there, and then of course there's the analogy of the Guardians of the Galaxy as a family — they bicker but care for each other as a family does. Yet with two films having already done that, it felt like it was retreading old ground by touching on the themes of family again. This does lead somewhere of course — the finding of one's identity and place outside of being part of a family — but it could have done with less direct signposting and a little more subtlety.

The villain of the piece, the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), was also less than impressive. While it would be difficult to top Kurt Russell's Ego, the High Evolutionary felt more petulant than menacing. Sure, he has copious resources and the sort of vaguely explained telekinesis that allows him to toss characters around like toys. But there was no doubt that he would be definitively defeated by the Guardians (which he is, later in the film) in a straight-up fight. He felt more like a thing for them to punch, rather than an antagonist with complex motivations. Then again, with there being such a sprawling cast of characters as it is, fleshing out the High Evolutionary would have come at the cost of some of the character development of the other characters.

Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 closes the trilogy neatly, while still allowing room for the characters to appear in the future. We had four Thor films, so we may very well get a fourth Guardians of the Galaxy one. If you've followed these characters all the way from 2014, then you'll walk away with a tear or two on your cheek as you see how they've grown, both as a team and as individuals. Remember that this is an MCU movie, and so there'll be two post-credit scenes to enjoy.

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is out in cinemas 4th May.