Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 marks the big farewell to the beloved Chaos squad. Can the final ‘Guardians’ film live up to the high expectations?
On May 3, 2023, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” will premiere in German cinemas, marking not only the highly anticipated next Marvel blockbuster but also the director and screenwriter James Gunn’s farewell to the Marvel franchise. This third and final installment of the popular intergalactic crew series marks a significant farewell as there will be no fourth sequel with the well-known troupe. Given the popularity of the first two films, as well as the Guardians as supporting characters in other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), expectations for this final film are correspondingly high.
The question remains: will “Guardians of the Galaxy” have a fitting ending, and will Part 3 break the Marvel curse of disappointing trilogy endings? The initial reactions to “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” have been overwhelmingly positive, celebrating the film as a great sci-fi and emotional farewell to the MCU. We were fortunate enough to see the film before its release and provide a spoiler-free review of the movie, revealing our thoughts on the ending for the Guardians of the Galaxy and why it’s worth seeing in cinemas.
As a long-time Guardians fan, I have eagerly awaited “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” However, there was a fear that the characters might not get the ending they deserved. This was mainly due to the fact that the Marvel projects from phase 4 could not really convince me, and phase 5 with “Ant-Man 3” did not open as well as expected. Nevertheless, I trusted James Gunn to deliver, and I was not disappointed. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” gave me exactly what I was hoping for and still managed to surprise me.
In my opinion, the “Guardians” films have always stood out from the rest of the MCU, scoring particularly well with their focus on the characters of the lovable Chaos squad, whom I have grown very fond of over the years. I didn’t care much about the plot as long as I learned more about the Guardians and their dynamics with each other.
However, just like in the previous films, James Gunn manages to create the perfect mix of great music, cool action, a typically weird sense of humor, and great emotions with great attention to detail. Part 3 takes us on one last great space adventure with the characters we have grown to love, which entertained, fascinated, and touched me far more than any other Marvel films and series in recent years. In fact, I would say that “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is the best Marvel movie since “Avengers: Endgame,” even if it doesn’t have the same scope for the MCU.
But I think that was always part of the charm of the “Guardians” movies. Although they did play a role in the MCU, the films worked equally well on their own, and in “Vol. 3,” I feel like it’s about the story itself and not just the expansion of the Marvel franchise.
Just like parts 1 and 2, I will undoubtedly watch “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” multiple times, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy the film just as much, if not more, each time. Although saying goodbye is difficult, the end of the trilogy is a fitting conclusion for the troupe. A visit to the cinema is a must for all Guardians fans!
We had the opportunity to interview Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, and James Gunn, where they discussed what they will miss most about the Guardians and why “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is a worthy conclusion to the film series. You can watch the video to hear their thoughts firsthand.
Andi and I will miss James Gunn in the MCU.
When I left the theater after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, all I could think to myself was, “James motherf***ing Gunn.” After Marvel fatigue threatened to set in, especially with “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” the filmmaker reminded me that this franchise can be a lot of fun, and I wonder why not every title succeeds.
A large part of that might be down to screenwriter/director James Gunn because, like Celina, I think Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the best MCU film since Avengers: Endgame. That may not mean much, given the often poor quality of recent Marvel contributions, in my opinion, so let me elaborate:
Like the previous “Guardians” films, the conclusion of the trilogy captivates with humorous absurdities, a rousing soundtrack, sometimes skillfully staged action, beautiful group dynamics – and more heart and emotions than ever before. Does that border on kitsch? Surely. Have I still had tears in my eyes more than once? But hello. Incidentally, “Endgame” also managed to do this in the MCU.
Despite all the positive aspects, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” cannot get rid of some of the franchise’s long-term illnesses. Some relationships and character developments seem a bit hasty due to the abundance of characters, and the blockbuster wheel is not reinvented here. But I don’t need a revolution at all. I’m just glad that I had a lot of fun with an MCU title, and I’m now looking forward to “Superman: Legacy.” James Gunn is moving from Marvel to DC and will have a decisive influence on the fate of the DC Universe in the future. Among other things, he is writing and directing the said “Superman” film, and with his penchant for characters who are looking for their place and have their hearts (ultimately) in the right place, Gunn seems to be made for it. However, the MCU loses one of its best filmmakers.
Dennis Marvel reproduces himself (again).
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” can score in parts with some surprisingly emotional moments, a good soundtrack, and targeted laughs. All in all, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen it all several times in the MCU or in other movies. Unfortunately, that’s also the main problem because Marvel hasn’t really had anything new to tell in recent years and instead only reproduces itself, which they then try to cover up with big effects and numerous punchlines.
That might still work for die-hard fans. It made me tired of Marvel a long time ago, though. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” couldn’t change that either, although in direct comparison, the film did better for me than recent MCU productions like “Thor: Love and Thunder” or “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” From my point of view, however, the entire film universe has already been told with “Avengers: Endgame,” and with the exception of the great concept of “WandaVision,” no story has stood out for me in phase 4 and also in the current phase 5, which is a continuation of the MCU beyond “Endgame” so far justified. Although “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is actually supposed to be the end of a trilogy, the obligatory post-credit scenes of course once again indicate that it somehow has to go on, even if in the future maybe not all well-known Guardians will be featured in the MCU. But “The Show Must Go On!”
Mario: The MCU again the way I love it.
James Gunn managed to make me even more fond of all the Guardians, and I found myself rooting for every scene for fear of losing one of them. I laughed a lot and cried just as much, and after all the rather average films that came after “Avengers: Endgame”, I finally felt like I was back in good hands in the MCU. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy, and I can hardly imagine a better farewell to James Gunn from the MCU.
The High Evolutionary was more of an average villain, added just as a hate object to give a face to what happened to Rocket. However, I didn’t care about that in the film because I preferred to focus my attention on the Guardians.
