GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: VOLUME THREE
Starring Chris Pratt (Peter Quill / Star-Lord), Bradley Cooper (the Voice of Rocket), Vin Diesel (the of Groot), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Pom Klementieff (Mantis), Dave Bautista (Drax), Sean Gunn (Kraglin), Maria Bakalova (the Voice of Cosmo), Zoe Saldana (Gamora Time Heist Variant), Will Poulter (Adam), Elizabeth Debicki (Ayesha), Chukwudi Iwuji (The High Evolutionary), Linda Cardellini (the Voice of Lylla), and Sylvester Stallone (Stakar Ogord).
Directed by James Gunn
Produced by Kevin Feige
Written by James Gunn
Music by John Murphy
Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Run Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
World Premier: April 22, 2023 (Disneyland Paris)
Opening Weekend Box Office: $118 million (United Staes)
Worldwide Box Office: $823 million
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
Fun Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three Facts:
Following their first two feature length films, The Guardians of the Galaxy appeared in Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019) where they shared the screen with other popular Marvel Heroes for the first time. In Infinity War, Rocket and Groot II aligned with Thor while Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, (and eventually Nebula) teamed up with Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange. Also, during that movie, Gamora was murdered by her adopted father Thanos so that he could acquire the Soul Stone. At the end of the film, Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, and Groot II were all erased from existence by Thanos when he wielded all six of the Infinity Stones. In Endgame, Rocket and Nebula joined The Avengers on Earth and took part in the team’s Time Heist to utilize the Quantum Realm to travel back through time in an effort to obtain the Infinity Stones before Thanos could.
Doing this created a series of Branched Timelines, including a 2014 Timeline that was identical to the one from which The Avengers came up until the exact moment that they arrived, at which point, limitless new possibilities could be achieved. Nebula found this out the hard way, as she fell captive to the 2014 version of her adopted father Thanos and encountered a past version of herself and of her now deceased adopted sister Gamora. Through Nebula, the Thanos Variant was able to peer into his own future as 616-Nebula lived it and then went on to reverse-engineer the Pym Particles that 616-Nebula had on her person. This allowed him to travel back to The Avengers’ Universe thanks to the efforts of 2014-Nebula Variant (who covertly replaced 616-Nebula). 2014-Thanos then waged war with The Avengers in the Battle of Earth, ultimately losing when Tony Stark / Iron Man wielded the Infinity Stones to defeat him. During the battle, 616-Nebula shot and killed her past self and 2014-Gamora fought alongside The Avengers against her father. At the end of the film, 2014-Gamora slipped away (we find out in Volume Three that she ventured to Space and joined The Ravagers) while Thor joined The Guardians of the Galaxy.
On July 20, 2018, James Gunn, who wrote and directed 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy and 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Two and was expected to helm a third Guardians film, was fired by Marvel Studios and The Walt Disney Company over resurfaced comments that Gunn had posted to Twitter years earlier that were deemed insensitive, offensive, and inexcusable. Gunn was subsequently defended by several Guardians cast members, who openly criticized Disney for Gunn’s firing.
On August 5, 2018, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three was indefinitely delayed by Marvel Studios. The film had been previously rumored to kickoff Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the Spring of 2020.
On October 9, 2018, Warner Brothers announced the hiring of James Gunn to helm the motion picture The Suicide Squad based on the DC Comics team.
On March 15, 2019, Marvel Studios rehired James Gunn to write and direct Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three.
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
On July 20, 2019: Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three was publicly teased at the 2019 San Diego Comic Con during the Marvel Studios Phase Four presentation.
On March 10, 2020, actor Vin Diesel suggested that The Guardians of the Galaxy would be appearing together in Marvel Studios’ forthcoming film Thor: Love and Thunder, which would release theatrically before Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three.
On December 10, 2020, as part of Disney’s Investors Day, Kevin Feige officially announced Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three as part of the MCU upcoming slate. Feige furthermore announced that prior to the theatrical release of Volume Three, a Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special would air on Disney+. Both projects would be written and directed by James Gunn. The Holiday Special was confirmed for a 2022 release with Volume Three following in 2023.
On Monday, May 3, 3021, Marvel Studios released a Slate Preview Trailer that confirmed a May 5, 2023, theatrical release for Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three.
On August 5, 2021, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad was released theatrically in the United States starring Margot Robbie, John Cena, and Joel Kinnaman with MCU veterans Idris Elba, Sylvester Stallone, David Dastmalchian, Michael Rooker, and Sean Gunn also as part of the cast. The Suicide Squad was critically acclaimed (90% Approval Rating on Rotten Tomatoes), but a financial bust, managing only $168 million worldwide. By comparison, Marvel Studios’ Black Widow, even with the theater business still reeling from the COVID-19 Global Pandemic, amassed $379 million; over than $200 million more than The Suicide Squad.
In the Fall of 2020, due to the critical reception of The Suicide Squad, Warner Brothers ordered a spinoff series revolving around the DC Comics character Peacemaker to premier on HBO MAX. James Gunn was hired to write all 8 episodes of the series and to direct five of them.
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
On October 11, 2021, Will Poulter was cast to portray iconic Marvel Comics Cosmic character Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three.
On November 8, 2021, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three commenced filming.
On January 13, 2022, James Gunn’s Peacemaker series starring John Cena premiered on the HBO MAX streaming service to critical acclaim (94% Approval Rating on Rotten Tomatoes). The Season Finale aired on February 17, 2022.
On May 6, 2022, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three wrapped filming.
On July 8, 2022, Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder was released in the United States. The film featured brief appearances from characters that comprise The Guardians of the Galaxy and their time in the film was primarily used to effectively remove Thor from the team. Thor: Love and Thunder grossed $760 million worldwide and was critically divisive.
On Saturday, July 23, 2022, at San Diego Comic Con, Marvel Studios presented a Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three panel hosted by writer / director James Gunn. The panel featured Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Will Poulter, and Maria Bakalova and Chukwudi Iwuji was formally introduced in full costume as The High Evolutionary. Iwuji appeared in Gunn’s Peacemaker series as Clemson Murn / Ik Nobe Lok.
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
Daniela Melchior, who portrayed Cleo Cazo / Ratcatcher # 2 in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, appears in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three as Ura the receptionist. Sylvester Stallone and Michael Rooker are actors who followed Gunn over to DC’s film Universe (with Stallone providing the voice for King Shark) that returned to the MCU in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three. David Dastmalchian returned to the MCU from The Suicide Squad in early-2023 in the Marvel Studios film Ant-Man and The Wasp Quantumania as the voice of Veb. Dastmalchian previously portrayed Kurt in 2015’s Ant-Man and 2018’s Ant-Man and The Wasp. A couple of other MCU veterans took on new roles in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three as well. Judy Greer (who portrayed Maggie Lang-Paxton in Ant-Man and Ant-Man and The Wasp) voiced War Pig, Tara Strong (the voice of Ms. Minutes in Loki) voiced Mainframe (replacing Miley Cyrus), and Linda Cardellini (who portrayed Laura Barton in several MCU projects) provided the voice for Lylla.
On October 25, 2022, James Gunn was hired by Warner Brothers / Discovery to lead the DC Films Universe into the future, taking on a role comparable to that of Kevin Feige’s at Marvel Studios as the Head of DC Studios. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three would therefore mark the official end of James Gunn’s storied tenure at Marvel Studios.
On November 25, 2022, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special was released on Disney+. The Marvel Studios Special Presentation was warmly received, boasting a 93% Approval Rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Holiday Special revealed that The Guardians had taken over the mining colony of Knowhere and featured Cosmo (seen briefly in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film in The Collector’s exhibit) as a team ally. The special also revealed that Mantis was a daughter of Ego, meaning that Mantis and Peter Quill are siblings.
In Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three, several past characters from the Guardians franchise make cameo appearances, including The Broker (Christopher Fairbank), Peter Quill’s grandfather (Gregg Henry), and Howard the Duck (Seth Green).
In Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three, Groot utters the audible words āI Love You Guysā ā¦ this is an illustration of the audience’s newfound ability to interpret Groot’s words. In-Universe, Groot still simply said āI Am Groot.ā
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special was confirmed as taking place during Christmastime of 2025 in the 2023 book Marvel Studios – The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline, which was endorsed by Kevin Feige and his team. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three takes place after The Holiday Special in the MCU year of 2026.
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
The following songs comprise the Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three soundtrack that is heard throughout the film:
“Creepā’ (Radiohead)
“Crazy on You” (Heart)
“Since You Been Gone” (Rainbow)
“In the Meantime” (Spacehog)
“Reasons” (Earth, Wind & Fire)
“Do You Realize?” (The Flaming Lips)
“We Care A lot” (Faith No More)
“Koinu no Carnival” (EHAMIC)
“I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” (Alice Cooper)
“San Francisco” (The Mowgli’s)
“Poor Girl” (X)
“This is the Day” (The The)
“No Sleep till Brooklyn” (The Beastie Boys)
“Dog Days Are Over” (Florence and the Machine)
“Badlands” (Bruce Springsteen)
“I Will Dare” (The Replacements)
“Come and Get Your Love” (Redbone)
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume ThreeĀ was the fourth highest-grossing film of 2023, pulling in 845 million at the worldwide box office. This made it the highest-grossing GuardiansĀ film of all-time and the highest-grossing Marvel Studios film of the year.
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
My Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three Review
Coming into Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three, I really felt like Marvel Studios needed a win. 2023 has not been kind, dating back to the horrific New Years Day snowplow injury suffered by Jeremy Renner. From there, there has been the controversy surrounding the firing of Victoria Alonso, the poor critical reception and Box Office performance of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (46% Approval Rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a $475 million Box office), and the controversy surrounding Jonathan Majors which may or may not lead to a recast or an outright abandoning of Kang the Conqueror. On top of all of that, Disney recently laid off thousands AND as of the release of Volume Three this weekend, we are days into a Writer’s Guild of America strike that has already further delayed Blade (which has already suffered through numerous previous delays) and who knows how many other projects will end up being affected. Truly, we as MCU fans have seen better days and with all of the negativity, I was hoping that Volume Three would generate some positive reviews and receptions.
So, was Guardians Volume Three the win that Marvel Studios needed? Yes, I think so. The Rotten tomatoes score is sitting at 82%. That’s actually lower than Guardians Volume Two‘s 85% and far removed from the first Guardians’ 92%, but it’s also a long way ahead of Quantumania‘s 46%, Love and Thunder‘s 63%, and ahead of Multiverse of Madness‘ 74%. Since Spider-Man: No Way Home (93%), only Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has scored better (84%). Personally, I believe Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three was Marvel Studios’ best effort since Spider-Man: No Way Home, which would make it Marvel Studios’ best solo effort in my book (at least in terms of feature films) since Avengers: Endgame.
While I am a strong believer that what others think should never influence one’s enjoyment of something that they watch one way or another, I also understand the importance of good reviews and profitability. Typically, movies that get lambasted make less money and at the end of the day, movie making is a business and money is the most important thing to the people making them. Personally, I enjoyed Quantumania for instance, but its reception and its performance alike were bad for business and in that way, it does affect my fandom, as it does yours. If you love the MCU, you need these projects to do well in order for Disney to continue supporting Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige’s vision. Yesterday’s success only goes so far.
By this point in his career, I think what James Gunn is best known for is his unique ability to combine his brand of humor with real, raw emotion. It’s almost his trademark, and Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three shines as yet another example of Gunn’s proficiency at this technique.
The film opens fast and furious with The Sovereign’s Adam Warlock (created by Ayesha during the Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Two credits sequence) invading Knowhere and physically assaulting The Guardians; namely Rocket, whom he beats to the point of death. Adam takes advantage of a drunken Peter Quill and an unsuspecting Guardians team to achieve his assault and The Guardians are sent into an instant panic when they discover that a kill switch within Rocket’s head is preventing them from doing what’s necessary to save his life. They have 48-hours to save their friend, and this prompts them to the headquarters of Orgocorp in search of an override code. En route, they encounter 2014-Gamora (the Variant that was created during the Avengers’ Time Heist) and discover that she is now a proud member of The Ravagers. Many of the late Yondu’s former colleagues are there, including Stakar Ogord and his crew and Gamora joins Quill, Nebula, Drax, and Mantis on their mission (Nebula had previously arranged this team-up).
The Guardians successfully retrieve Rocket’s file through Gamora’s aggressiveness, but they also face a significant amount of resistance, with Drax specifically getting injured. They also discover that Rocket’s much-needed override code has been removed from his file and theorize that the information they so desperately need has been downloaded to a high-ranking assistant of The High Evolutionary’s named Theel.
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
Who is The High Evolutionary? Well, we learn this through a series of flashbacks courtesy of a comatose Rocket. These flashbacks were for me, the heart and soul of this movie. If you’re an MCU fan, or even a Guardians fan, you already knew that Rocket had a complex and tortured past, but we never knew the details (comics fans had an idea). Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three gives us those details in gut-wrenching and emotionally devastating fashion. It’s raw. It’s gritty. It’s painful. And it works!
As it turns out, Rocket was created by The High Evolutionary. He was once upon a time an ordinary raccoon that was genetically modified and enhanced by The High Evolutionary and his scientists in the efforts by The High Evolutionary to create a new intelligent species of anthropomorphic animals that would inhabit a realm dubbed by The High Evolutionary as āCounter-Earth.ā The High Evolutionary envisioned Counter-Earth as being a āperfectā world and civilization where life would flourish. For The High Evolutionary, achieving such a thing would feed his God Complex.
Ultimately, Rocket was the peak of The High Evolutionary’s attempts at engineering this new species. That’s because Rocket boasted the single evolutionary piece that none of the other test subjects that The High Evolutionary experimented upon did: an instinctive ability to think, rationalize, and deduce. Rocket could think independently, and Rocket could solve problems. Rocket was the exception to the rule. The High Evolutionary discovered this when Rocket deduced a way to calm his subjects from their uncontrollable rage. This was not something that The High Evolutionary celebrated however, for he never programmed Rocket to achieve this feat. Again, it was evolution ā¦ it was unforeseen … it was the exception to the rule ā¦ it was a breakthrough, yes, but it wasn’t The High Evolutionary’s breakthrough ā¦ it was a reflection of Rocket’s greatness and Rocket’s potential, and Rocket’s evolution ā¦ not The High Evolutionary’s. This was a huge blow to The High Evolutionary’s God Complex.
I have to mention here, that Rocket, as a prisoner of The High Evolutionary befriended a few other test subjects, because it is very important to Rocket’s story. His friends were all cybernetically enhanced animals. There was Lylla (an Otter), Teefs (a Walrus), and Floor (a Rabbit). These creatures were as tortured as they were enhanced, but they were fueled by a belief that their maker (The High Evolutionary) was kind and benevolent and would reward their pain with a life of paradise on Counter-Earth. All of that sounds wonderful to the lot of them until Rocket discovers that it’s all a lie.
This is where this movie is a punch to the stomach. These animals are so adorable and so likable! They are so innocent and their chemistry with Rocket is off the charts! All of these sweet creatures are just driven by the hope of living a life together in paradise, and The High Evolutionary comes and take this from them in murderous fashion. After Rocket discovers the truth about their predicament, The High Evolutionary guns down Lylla and his men gun down Teefs and Floor, and Rocket, in a blind rage of mourning and sorrow reacts against his callous maker / his cruel god with violent aggression and rage. The sound of Rocket’s primitive groaning and moaning at the sight of his slaughtered friends reduced me to instant tears and may well haunt me forever, but I cheered with glee as he maliciously assaulted The High Evolutionary and then fled for his life.
Rocket’s story is beyond tragic, but it lets us as viewers understand him in ways that we never did. Moving forward, The High Evolutionary became obsessed with Rocket; with finding him and studying him and punishing him. We learn that It was he who created The Sovereign and it was he who tasked Adam with finding Rocket. That takes us back to the present of this story: Rocket is dying and his new friends in The Guardians of the Galaxy are trying to save him and it’s basically The High Evolutionary’s fault.
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
The Guardians go to Counter-Earth where they receive help in locating Theel and The High Evolutionary. Star-Lord, Groot, and Nebula go to meet with The High Evolutionary, but only Quill and Groot are allowed to board the ship. En route to the ship, we get the MCU’s first F-bomb, and the heroes realize how imperfect Counter-Earth really is. Aboard the ship, they discover the extent of The High Evolutionary’s God Complex as well as his cruelty. He is fully aware of how imperfect Counter-Earth is, and he is consequently fully prepared to destroy it. And that’s what he does! Quill and Groot launch an attack while Counter-Earth goes up in flames. Gamora battles War Pig (sent by THE to capture Rocket) and Drax, Mantis, and Gamora escape peril.
Rocket is tended to after Quill and Groot retrieve what they need from Theel (whom they kill) but Rocket flat-lines. Be it the true afterlife (which is how I interpreted the sequence) or something more complex, Rocket encounters Lylla and she encourages him with greater purpose and the strength to live on and he recovers!
In the meantime, Mantis, Drax, and Nebula discover a band of humanoid children aboard The High Evolutionary’s ship and Quill, Rocket, Groot, and Gamora set out to save their teammates and friends. Nebula’s reaction to the discovery that Rocket has been saved is especially touching!
This leads to a major showdown pitting The Guardians of the Galaxy against The High Evolutionary. This is part rescue mission / part vengeance. I LOVED this scene! From Rocket being ādone runningā to The Guardians team-up, to the Beastie Boys music, it was all-time great MCU stuff!
In the meantime, Rocket discovers a bunch of animals locked in cages and learns that he was a raccoon after all; and one from Earth. This is absolutely beautiful and so very touching, and we learn the extent of what Rocket did to The High Evolutionary all those years ago ā¦ he literally clawed his face off! Rocket and The Guardians team-up to best THE, but Rocket decides against killing him because Rocket Raccoon is a Guardian of the Galaxy and he want to live up to all that means!
The movie peaks with Rocket here for me. From here, Star-Lord almost dies but doesn’t (saved by Adam who was shown mercy by Groot II) and then, most of the Guardians decide to go their separate ways. Quill returns to Earth to reunite with his grandfather. Mantis goes her own way to discover herself. Gamora rejoins The Ravagers. Drax and Nebula decide to raise The High Evolutionary’s children. Meanwhile, a new Guardians team emerges led by Rocket (as Captain) and including Groot II, Cosmo, Adam Warlock, Kraglin, Phyla (One of The High Evolutionary’s children), and Blurp. We see this team on a mission during one of the credits scenes and learn that Groot has grown to a MASSIVE size!
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
In praising Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three, I have to start with Rocket’s story. Again, it was the heart and soul of this film and easily this movie’s greatest strength! Maybe I’m biased because Rocket is one of my Top-5 Marvel characters (and he may well be Top-3 after this movie), but his story moved me and touched me and was incredibly easy for me to relate to given my own experiences and my personal world view. I relate to Loki and to Wanda Maximoff in so many ways, but there may not be a single MCU character that I relate to more completely than Rocket Raccoon. Because of that, this movie landed with me in a major way.
Next, I have to praise the emphasis on character in this film! This movie wasn’t about The Multiverse Saga or about expanding the overall mythology of the MCU, or about Kang the Conqueror, or the next Avengers team, or any of that. It was simply about The Guardians of the Galaxy. And that’s not a knock on anything that has come before; I LOVE seeing the mythology of this shared world expanded ā¦ but what made me fall in love with the MCU wasn’t so much Iron Man and Captain America as it was Tony and Steve. Character matters, and Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three put character first. Everyone evolved from where they were at the beginning of the movie to a new and satisfying place at the end, and the lack of that may be the fairest criticism against Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Character development is essential, and this film gave us that. Overall, I was satisfied with where each character in this movie landed, especially Nebula (overseeing other tortured and cybernetically enhanced little girl), Drax (no longer a destroyer, but a father), and Rocket (the leader of The Guardians of the Galaxy).
On top of that, I don’t know that I’d change anything about the narrative that I saw. Quill and 2014-Gamora not ending up together was the right call in my view. Rocket not killing THE (regardless of how much I wanted him to) was the right call because it shows the hero that Rocket has become and what it means to him to be a Guardian of the Galaxy. Even Adam Warlock served his purpose perfectly in my opinion. I’ve read enough comics to know that a lot of people will find his portrayal and utilization lacking, but I thought it was fine, and enjoyed what Will Poulter did with the character.
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three was visually stunning. I use that term to describe a lot of Marvel projects, but just know, I’ve read a lot of comic books in years gone by, and it still blows my mind to see some of these things on the screen in live action, realized as spectacularly as they are! Lifelike anthropomorphic animals, a floating Celestial head, that incredible fight sequence that was The Guardians team-up ā¦ it was all gorgeous and immaculate and awe-inspiring!
As usual with James Gunn (especially in the MCU), the music was also wonderful. Scenes were enhanced. Moods were defined. It was great.
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three was emotion and comedy and music and action and adventure and the rich lore of a Shared Cinematic Universe based on superheroes and comic books coming together to create a magical experience that viewers will never forget. It made me proud to be a Marvel fan. It made me proud to be an MCU fan. It made me proud to be a comic book reader. It made me proud to be a James Gunn fan. And it made me proud to host an internet site where I write about these types of things.
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
I cried, yes, but at the end of the day, this film made me feel inspired, enriched, and HAPPY!
It was theĀ bestĀ version of Groot that we have gotten. It was the bestĀ version of Nebula that we have gotten. It was the bestĀ version of Mantis we have gotten. It was the best version of Drax that we have gotten. It was the best version of Cosmo that we have gotten. It showed us layers upon layers of Rocket that we never knew were there. If you’re a fan of these characters, I really don’t know what’s not to like, I really don’t. This movie felt like a love letter from James Gunn to each of them.
I don’t know what more you can ask for from a film. This was for me, the best Marvel Studios movie since Spider-Man: No Way Home. I LOVED Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three and I don’t know what the future holds for Marvel Studios and the MCU or what trials and tribulations will be faced as we move forward, but right now, in the Spring of 2023, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three stands as a testament to my fandom and a reflection of the greatness that this Shared Universe is capable of.
The only downside that I can think of is the fact that Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three marks the end (at least for the foreseeable future) of James Gunn’s contributions to Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I am grateful for all that we have gotten from him, and he is going to be missed. No one combines comedy with emotion like James Gunn, and I say that as an unabashed fan of Thor: Love and Thunder. It’s just the truth. However, rather than mourn his loss, I will celebrate what he gave us while looking to the future, but I think it’s safe to say that The Guardians of the Galaxy; at least in the incarnation that we have known them, have peaked, and though I highly doubt that he will ever read this, I think the best way to close this review is to say ā¦
Thank you, James Gunn ā¦ for making a band of misfits that include a gun-toting Raccoon with an attitude and an upright-walking tree that only says āI Am Grootā an inspirational influence to a generation of moviegoers. Your vision and your commitment and your passion have inspired and entertained millions in ways that you will never comprehend. Your fans love and appreciate you in ways you will never imagine.
Thank you.
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
Highlights of Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three:
EVERY. THING. ROCKET. RACCOON.
Character Development Across the Board
Swol Groot (All Those Guns)!
James Gunn Doing What He Does as Only He Can Do It
Music
Perfect Mix of Comedy and Humor
Cinematography
Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary
Maria Bakalova as Cosmo (Good Dog!)
Will Poulter as Adam Warlock (Served his Purpose)
Karen Gillan as Nebula and the evolution of that character
Drax as a Dad Rather than a Destroyer
Mantis the Abilisk Tamer
Lylla and Rocket’s Other Friends
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
Notable MCU Concepts and Characters Introduced:
Adam Warlock (out of the Coccon). The High Evolutionary. Lylla, Teefs, and Floor. Orgocorp. Phyla.
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