Review: Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

Image courtesy of Walt Disney Studios.

I've long been feeling superhero fatigue, especially how the two major comic book companies have utilized the concept of the extended universe - which, on the surface, is aimed at incorporating any given sequel into an overarching story that spans across multiple mediums (movies, TV shows, etc.), but to me has always felt more like marketing.

So, I'm always pleased to find any given chapter in these ongoing sagas that stand out slightly from the pack and feel like, for lack of a better phrase, their own thing. This is the case for "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," which isn't as good as the original entry in this franchise, but better than the second film. 

The characters in this series have always felt like the oddballs and outcasts of the extended Marvel Comics Universe - and, in this case, that sentiment goes a long way. Thankfully, there are few throwbacks or callouts to previous Marvel movies - with one small exception involving one character's plot line - and seemingly not too many setups for future Marvel movies. It's a standalone movie without the endless references to previous movies and much less in the way of marketing.

It also focuses - often grimly, I'd warn younger viewers - on the topic of animal cruelty, which makes for a more compelling narrative than just the latest plot about a supervillain who plans to destroy or take over the world (although there is that too). The character of Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) takes center stage here, even though the character himself is in a coma of sorts for most of the proceedings.

As the film opens, a powerful being (Will Poulter) attacks the Guardians' fortress, severely injuring Rocket - for whom he had been sent to kidnap. The Guardians discover some sort of device that is implanted in Rocket and they band together to find the villain who implanted the device so they can save him. The details on this are either nebulous or I missed something.

Regardless, the film features a significant amount of flashbacks that show a younger Rocket, who had been captured by a mad scientist known as the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), whose plan is to create perfect utopian societies by speeding up the evolutionary process. 

To do so, he experiments cruelly on pretty much anyone or anything he can get his hands on - including a cute, young Rocket, who befriends a rabbit, otter, and walrus who are also held in captivity. There are some grueling scenes involving the torture of animals, but a rescue sequence late in the picture will likely please PETA. I thought the be-kind-to-your-furry-friends subplot was a nice added touch.

There's also a subplot involving Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and her lost memory, and how that affects her relationship with Quill (Chris Pratt). But what's nice about this "Guardians" is that it gives every character a few memorable moments - Drax (Dave Bautista) finding that he's good with kids, Nebula (Karen Gillan) having newfound appreciation for teamwork, and a Groot (Vin Diesel) joke that I saw coming since the first installment of this series.

No, "Volume 3" doesn't reinvent the wheel. It's a little overlong and there are, perhaps, too many scenes of characters in peril in which they all miraculously survive. The 1970s needle drops of the first film have been replaced primarily by 1990s ones. Some relationships are left unresolved, and while this is being billed as the final "Guardians" film, I'll believe it when I see it. 

Comic book movies as of late have felt increasingly tired and repetitive - but this is the rare case of a director (in this case, James Gunn) elevating the material by injecting his own nutty personal tastes and attitudes into material that might otherwise, at this point, feel bland. In short, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is pretty decent.