Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
★★★ 1/2
I'm not your go-to-guy for the MCU and certainly not for Guardians of the Galaxy. I didn't even see Vol. 2, but that didn't take away from my surprised enjoyment for this film. I wouldn't have normally sought this out on my own, but I had an opportunity to go see it with one of my best friends in our hometown. He is a comic book enthusiast, so I felt like I could defer to him if I had any questions.
I'm sure there are some elements to this movie where some more knowledge of the franchise would have increased my appreciation for some of the emotional beats, but it was refreshing to see a MCU film that is completely self-contained. The emotional arcs of all the characters involved (and there are a lot of them) were clearly spelled out and for a movie that has a lot going on visually and storytelling wise, I thought that it was easy to follow.
Director James Gunn's style might not be for everyone. He has been around long enough to evoke trademarks that are easily recognizable, whether it's a needle drop of a popular song, ultra violence or undercutting emotional moments with sarcastic humor. I get it if it turns certain people off, but for a superhero genre, I felt like it fits the genre perfectly. Whether it's this franchise, The Suicide Squad or the Peacemaker television series, I'm entertained by how much fun he seems to be having.
Knowing that this movie was going to be filled with a ton of special effects, I was starting to get worried when the multiple trailers that were showcased before this movie (mainly DC films) looked horrific. Thankfully, the look and feel of Vol. 3 is visually breathtaking, especially for Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) whose story propels this whole movie. Gunn understands the power of character in this universe, and that drives a connection to this sci-fi tale that could win over a lot of those that avoid the genre. That said, I was completely turned off by the acting choices and style of the villain, The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). Talk about being dialed up to 11. I could literally feel his spit as he constantly screams and chews the scenery. The actions of this character are enough for you to hate the man and I don't understand why Gunn didn't reign this character in a little more.
The runtime of about two and a half hours started to wear on me a bit. I can understand that if you love these characters, it's time well spent, but as entertained as I was, I found myself starting to lose focus. The whole premise of this story is a bit silly and can be a hard sell, but I think that if you give yourself up to the process, you will be pleasantly surprised. The Marvel Universe has been struggling to find its voice as of late, and though Gunn has now left Marvel Studios, he has left a film that should be a blueprint for how to continue their dominance in the cinematic world.
