User reviews

Having sat through some phase 4 films that failed to inspire... Guardians feels like a breath of fresh air. It's less a run of the mill superhero film and more a out of world space adventure handled with care by James Gunn.

At its heart, Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 is a story about family, loss and technology all of which are prominent in today's zeitgeist. These themes sometimes cause you to forget that you are watching a Marvel movie. The movie's backstory is dark but it helps to hammer home the themes and the villain.

The universe is full of characters that are both weird (sometimes very weird) and unique when compared to the rest of the MCU. That's mostly a good thing. Despite the movie being dark at times, there is also a lot of humour which fits especially well with the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise when compared to other Marvel franchises. The action and of course the music was up to level we now expect from Guardians of the Galaxy movies. This is one of the better Post Endgame movies and a fitting end to the trilogy.

This. This is what I've wanted. Yeah some of the jokes are a bit too silly and the tone is a bit confusing at times. But the end result for me is probably the most heartfelt emotional reaction from me to a comic book movie since Endgame. It's not a perfect film, I am conflicted with what the did with Adam Warlock. And the main villain is a little hammy. But the personal relationship between the guardians and where they take them is dark, heartbreaking, and also beautiful. This is also the best performance from Chris Pratt probably his entire time playing this character. But the person who steals the show is Rocket. I don't know how but they need to change the rules degree voice acting performances can be nominated for Oscars because it was incredible. This is the most emotionally satisfying experience I've had with the MCU in a very long time. And every critic who is saying that the movie is too schmaltzy or sappy... doesn't understand how much these characters not only mean to people but also James Gunn. This isn't just a final chapter of a story, it's a goodbye to a set of characters and films that changed the landscape of not only the tone and vibe of superhero movies but also changed the fact that weird unknown characters who have strange stories can be highlighted in these films.

It all leads back to where we once started off as all great trilogies have indicated from the past. But GOTG surpasses expectations with what is nothing short of phenomenal performances by the cast and truly well written and does not shy away from what could only be understood from what requires a sense of maturity to understand. Rockets back story alone is on occasion dark and incredibly sad it had me in tears at a few instances during the film. Honestly I did not expect this, James Gunn yet again provides an absolutely beautiful piece of cinematography and I have to say I really hope in the future they dive back into the story of the colony . With Adam warlock finally in the MCU it's most likely there will be some cameos. But it does deliver in the traditional guardians humor but this film is meant about more for the mature audience of marvel. Trust me this is a great film.

Up to this point, there has been one trilogy in the MCU that has been excellent from start to finish. It's time to add another one to that list. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is a more than fitting conclusion to the narrative of these characters. James Gunn (writer/director) took his time creating connections and depth to each of the individual story-arcs.

While recent films in the MCU have felt like "filler episodes" whose purpose is solely to set up a future entry in the franchise, this film stands on its own. The story is isolated, which gives the illusion of finality. In more ways than one, "Guardians 3" is a unique entry in an otherwise convoluted extended film universe.

The filmmakers were not afraid to take their time telling this story, which caused the film to drag at times. Though it felt lengthy at 2 hours and 30 minutes, I do not know what they could have cut out. In typical superhero movie fashion, the climactic battle had plenty of explosions to go around.

Between the villains and the bickering within the Guardians, there was an excessive amount of yelling in this movie. A headache was imminent, as much of the third act was screaming match after screaming match. While these scenes were emotionally heavy, the yelling distracted a bit from the strong acting.

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is one of the better entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since "Avengers: Endgame". Though more chaotic than the other two films in the trilogy, it is a beautiful conclusion to the Guardians' story. Boasting stellar set pieces, an excellent soundtrack and perfect chemistry between cast members, this is a film that I am eager to re-watch.

Best Character: Drax Best Quote: "She is to us." Best Scene: Infiltrating Orgocorp Best Piece of Score: "I Love You Guys"

I'm not one to cry at movies often, but this one broke me. Four is merely an estimate. I spent the entire last hour of the film in and out of tears. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is an unexpected masterpiece, and a work of art that absolutely broke me.

From the soundtrack, to the writing, to the characters, to the use of flashbacks, this movie is about as close to perfection as it gets. Having already established all of the characters, it managed to be heart-wrenching all the way through. This movie leaves a bittersweet taste in your mouth, and with so much to think about. It manages to make 2 and 1/2 hours feel ten times as short. I never expected to fall in love with this movie, but it got to me in such a visceral way that I'll never forget the experience of seeing it.

The best marvel film, ever. 10/10.

"There is no God. That's why I stepped in." I have to admit, this is one of THE best lines ever spoken by a supervillain - it concisely captures their whole reason for being. (Seems like that would have been a perfect thing for Thanos to say.) Oddly though, for once there's no real backstory for the High Evolutionary, as there usually is for Marvel villains, but that might have been just too much material. Quite appropriately, all the attention is really on our scruffy, argumentative, and lovable heros, the Guardians.

I liked that all of them, this time around, get their well deserved fair share of screen time, and if doing that means sitting through a pretty long movie, then fine. Mantis and Nebula in particular are better characters than they were before, Quill and Gamora and Drax are as good as ever, and the choice to make Rocket and his very extended backstory the mainspring of the plot was clever -- and by the end, it carried real weight. Rocket is now elevated to a tragic, substantial figure at practically the same level as Spider-Man, and that's saying a lot.

The whole Guardians series owes director James Gunn bigtime, and it's a shame to see him move on (but I'm looking forward to seeing what he'll be able to do over at DC). He set in motion a group of characters that really worked, and this 3rd instalment builds very effectively on top of its predecessors. Going in to the theater I knew what I expected out of them, but we got more than that. That's a big compliment.

At the same time, what was done with Warlock and High Evolutionary was kind of odd, in the end. I was disappointed that Warlock especially was kind of trivialized. He's capable of becoming a major character if they would just follow the path set out in the original comics. That one criticism aside, this is still one of the MCU's best and we can thank them for letting James Gunn do what he had in mind.

A near perfect end to an incredible Marvel trilogy.

Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is one of the best Marvel movies ever produced, and on par if not succeeding the first installment. (I personally didn't think number 2 was good at all)

The humour is brilliant, the storyline perfectly paced, each character gets their time on screen, the world building was wonderful, the action fantastic, and the CGI far better than some of the more recent Marvel additions. As always, the music was excellent.

This entry focuses heavily on our beloved Rocket, and being the final piece of the Guardians Galaxy trilogy, pulls a lot of character arcs almost full circle.

Our bad guy, an actor I'm unfamilar with, was the perfect villain, and from a quick search on imdb he is finally being recognised and is cast in a number of popular TV shows. This is also a tear jerker of a movie, so don't be surprised if you find yourself weeping throughout several points of the film.

You won't be dissapointed with this final addition to the Guardians, but you may feel a little sad that it has now come to an end.

I loved the first GotG, and enjoyed Vol. 2 a lot. For me they were original, quirky, funny films with an awesome soundtrack, great action sequences and a real feel-good factor to them.

This third instalment attempts to carry some of those traits over, but it also wants to be a serious, emotional film as it works its way through Rocket's tortuous back story. These two opposing threads make for uncomfortable bedfellows, and it hits from the very start of the movie. Any anticipation I felt for the film dissipated rapidly in the first 10 very depressing minutes, and I struggled to regain much enthusiasm for it. Perhaps this was an inevitable consequence following the events of the last Avengers movie, but even so I didn't feel it was handled all that well.

This was despite a pretty engaging revenge plot and a compelling and superbly portrayed primary antagonist. Adam Warlock was a welcome if somewhat underexplored addition to the cast, and a wide variety of imaginative and frequently grizzly selection of supporting characters were generally a bonus.

In fact it was the Guardians themselves who disappointed. Rocket and Star-Lord were largely humourless throughout. The three female guardians, including - strangely - Mantis, melded into the same universally angry, shouty character. Only Drax seemed to me to add value, as he was both funny and had a nice bit of character development rolled into it.

All in all, though this wasn't a bad film, it wasn't the film I was hoping it would be.

Firstly Adam warlock's intro was marvelous, which made me hate Kang's depiction in Quantumania even more because Adam seems way more hardcore than Kang was shown(shown, not talked about). Same with the high evolutionary, they delivered on their reputation.

Now the movie as a whole, I loved even more. It's lively and emotional, alternates between the two and some times blends them. Serving as a farewell to a beloved band of misfits who became family, and I don't recall ever feeling this connected to their characters before. Rocket takes the spotlight but everybody else is great as well, both antagonist and protagonist.

Second half is chaotic, but I loved it. The movie in general is very emotional but packed with great action as well, with most of it in the last third of the movie. Adam warlock felt like a waste, he's portrayed as a really strong character yet felt like he's in the sidelines for the whole movie; just popping up here and there then disappears. He deserved a better character arc after his introduction, but hopefully we'll be seeing more of him. I thought the third act was predictable though, especially his and mantis's role in it, like "oh mantis/warlock would be very convenient for this scenario" and a few moments later he/she pops up.

I think the best quality is that it's one of the few superhero movies I felt invested in the characters in a while. The movie focuses on the emotional aspect of it more instead of the plot and looking cool, even though that's a prevalent theme of the movie. I wasn't expecting it to enjoy it as much despite looking forward to it, thought it'd be another case of superhero burnout. It's sad and well made farewell to the guardians of the galaxy... as we know them. Oh and I forgot to mention it's pretty funny.

I've talked about this before, how expectations can mold your appreciation of a movie, so let me tell you what my mindset was coming into this one. I liked the first Guardians, although not as much as everyone else as I think Ronan is such a forgettable villain. I really didn't like the second one and thought it was a huge step down from the first one, it felt rushed and had another very weak villain. Marvel was coming off of a terrible string of movies and I even didn't like the Guardians Christmas special. I was still a fan of James Gunn though, and loved his Suicide Squad so there was that to look forward to. So, to say I wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did is the understatement of the year. Another thing I wanted to talk about after watching this movie, was the much talked about superhero fatigue. When people mention it I think they tend to dismiss or forget that two incredible superhero movies came out this year alone (the other one being the Spiderverse movie, of course), so it just proves that if well written and well executed a superhero movie can still be really good, what people are tired is the terrible writing and lack of originality that populates most superhero movies released nowadays. Anyway, with all that out of the way, let me tell you just how much I loved this movie. It is incredibly well written, interweaving character development, emotional set pieces, comedy and action like it's nothing, with the highlight for me being the characters which are the heart of this thing. I mean, Star-Lord, Rocket, Gamora, Nebula, Drax, Mantis, Groot, even all the supporting characters like Cosmo, Kraglin or Adam Warlock, they're all so likable that you can probably ask ten different persons which one is their favorite, and you might get ten different answers. That's a testament of how good they all are! Execution wise, this is a beautiful movie, very well directed and the VFX for a change are actually good and serve to enhance the story. My only nitpick might be the villain that, although good conceptually and probably the best of this trilogy, is not as memorable as everything else, something that seems to plague all Gunn movies. Anyway, I really, really liked this movie and it is easily in my top five MCU movies. Highly recommended.

The ending to the guardians of the galaxy movies didn't miss action, comedy or romance. The way it played with the soundtrack was on another level. You'll notice it's filming techniques are up to date and the cgi had nothing to complain about, no goofy ahh MODOC cgi (quantumania) or scenes that looked like they were filmed on a blank green screen, it truely was a work of cinema and lacked nothing in this way. Although it was your typical villain from the past coming back for revenge, this story was probably the saddest marvel project to date and hit harder than I was expecting.

Watch this in the biggest screen you can, completely worth it.

This is a fun and exciting space adventure that's elevated by the great heart and humor of its characters, especially Rocket. Throughout the movie, Rocket's character is at the core of the story, and his journey is one of the most interesting and impactful elements of the film.

The film features plenty of action and explosions, but at times it feels like there are too many of them. The plot also has a few flaws, with some of the storylines feeling rushed or underdeveloped. However, these issues are overshadowed by the film's strengths - and surprisingly dark themes.

This is a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, delivering plenty of entertainment. While the film has a few flaws, it's still a fun and engaging, with Rocket standing out as the heart and soul of the movie.

The most unlikely hit of Marvel's string of hits, in retrospect, focused on the most unusual of families. With a rowdy and frequently emotional sequel that seems very much like a proper finale, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" makes that point with great effect. This is mostly due to writer-director James Gunn moving his skills to competitor DC.

Marvel's "GOTG Vol. 3" combines visual excitement, recognizable characters, songs, and silliness with a darker thread that explores Rocket's origins and promotes animal rights.

Nevertheless, "Guardians" feels like a return to form on both fronts following some doubting about Marvel's invulnerability due to the underwhelming (creatively as well as monetarily) performances for "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" and to a lesser extent the "Black Panther" sequel. Give Gunn credit for bidding a loving farewell with both barrels blazing, even if it does close the books on this series, at least temporarily.

I remember that I had the feeling of joy, thrill, amusement, and particular sadness watching the previous 2 installments. While the 2 previous were talking mostly about Quill's backstory and his fear of losing his beloved ones, this 3rd installment speaks about Rocket's same particular issue. And I LOVE IT.

Rocket deserved his story to be told, and I (again) experienced the same roller coaster of feeling like I had years ago (in 2014 and 2017).

Thank you James Gunn, thank you everyone involved in this movie.

This is a complete way to wrap up the trilogy, it has a lot of massive explosions and so did emotions and heart.

Guardians, galaxy still needs you but thanks for being a part of our best memories.

You all will be missed.

I am disappointed. Although Guardians 3 is not a bad movie per se, it is definetly the worst of the three.

All the sillyness and light hearted jokes of the first two installments seemed just forced: The characters used to argue a lot in the previous movies too, but here the arguments seem more serious and sometimes the friendship actually looks damaged. Rocket gets the spotlight, but most of the background story is simply too dark. I wanted to watch the movie with my kids, but this is not a kids movie. The first two were kind of violent too, but not in this grim, dark and desperate way.

Nebula does not seem to fit in the crew, Drax does not do much at all, Groot seems strangely hallow and 'unfinished', only Starlord and Gomorra have a somewhat interesting tension. Both the adult groot and baby groot from 1 and 2 had something going on, young Groot here seems to lack any personality. The writers did not know how to use this character. The actors sometimes played as if it was the last day before summer vacation - just get it done and forget about it.

I always liked the family and friendship aspect of the first two, because it was somewhat ridiculed by the characters themselfs ("5 idiots standing in a circle" from the first, or "that unsaid thing" between Gomorra and Starlord or Drax being gentle to Baby-Groot at the end of part 2), but here it's not embedded in the actions anymore. It has to be said, over and over again.

For a Grand Finale it often feels too complex, too empty and too forced. Was it a bad movie - no, probably not, but it was for sure not up there with the other two. I will probably re-watch it in a couple of years, hopefully I like it more then. ("Endgame" also grew on me, so there is hope.)

It also sucks that there are so many fake ratings on IMDB, some even don't try to hide it.

Marvel has presented us with abysmal contents for the last few years. But this was not it. A truly heartfelt rendition by James Gunn has nibbled a bit of my heart in a corner. Rocket truly deserved his story be told to us and this was a genuinely beautiful way of doing it. I hope Marvel keeps making stories this good in the years to come and give them the proper time to be developed instead of rushing them out of the door for the next quarterly board meeting.

Nothing more to say.

Performance was great. Story was beautifully executed. This is what happens when artists work on a piece on their own. Please get the suites to keep sitting at their chairs and let the real people do the work they were meant to do.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a bit of a tonal mess, and quite easily my least favourite of the three. That being said, it's entertaining and I had a good deal of fun watching it... but I can't call it a slam dunk. That puts it behind the original, which is hard to fault, or Vol. 2, which is a little easier to fault, but those faults don't mean too much when balanced with what works.

With Vol. 3, I think it's that imperfect balancing of the comedy, action, sentimentalism, and heartbreak that makes it stumble. The other two movies got the balance right by some screenwriting miracle, and while this could technically feel more unwieldy or unbalanced, it doesn't quite mesh together ideally.

There are some really violent scenes. There are some genuinely traumatic and honestly kind of disturbing moments. There are the jokes you'd expect (and they're largely funny). There are some very sad scenes. There are some really corny scenes. All these moments work in isolation, but Vol. 3 is a bit like the best orchestra in the world being led by a conductor who's just rolled out of bed and takes the better part of two and a half hours to wake up.

But all those individual elements? If you let them wash over you, they all work extremely well. This is 150 minutes long and doesn't feel it. The pacing largely works, and it's very entertaining. It looks better and is visually more inspired than anything from Phase 4. Maybe that's not saying much, but there is creativity there. And I like how violent, out there, and heavy it can get - I just don't think it combines seamlessly with the fun stuff and the jokes.

Still, I feel it's generally a success. Maybe tugs on the heartstrings a little too aggressively, but a lot of it works. I liked how they handled all the characters, besides maybe Gamora and newcomer Adam Warlock. The storyline is otherwise sound, as are the other character arcs, and it's a pretty good end to what's been a nice trilogy.

Absolutely phenomenal in my opinion. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 was not only super emotional (after Endgame I'd say the most emotional Marvel movie), the CGI and the action scenes were incredibly good as well. In some scenes it was super messed up and weird, but exactly these scenes made the movie so good.

I still don't loose hope to see more of the Guardians of the Galaxy, because they are one my favorite heroes in the MCU.

The music was also on point again, even tho it didn't reach the music from the previous parts, especially not the tracks from the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, but all in all I loved it!

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is the third and final installment in the popular Marvel franchise, which follows the adventures of a ragtag team of cosmic heroes. It serves as a fitting farewell to one of the most beloved and distinctive franchises in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Writer-director James Gunn delivers a thrilling, hilarious, and emotional conclusion to his trilogy, as the Guardians face their biggest challenge yet: saving one of their own from a mad scientist who created him.

The plot of the film revolves around the Guardians' quest to save Rocket (Cooper), who is revealed to be a genetically engineered experiment by the High Evolutionary (Iwuji), a mad scientist who wants to create a perfect society through eugenics. Along the way, they also have to deal with Adam Warlock (Poulter), a powerful being created by Ayesha (Debicki), the leader of the Sovereign race who seeks revenge on the Guardians for stealing her batteries The film also explores the aftermath of Gamora's (Saldana) death and resurrection and how it affects her relationship with Peter Quill (Pratt).

"The action scenes are well-choreographed and thrilling. The movie skillfully balances action, comedy, and drama while maintaining focus on the characters and their relationships. The cast delivers excellent performances, with Pratt and Cooper delivering heartfelt portrayals of Quill and Rocket, who struggle with their identities and purposes. Saldana and Karen Gillan shine as Gamora and Nebula, whose complicated sisterhood evolves throughout the film. Drax, played by Dave Bautista, delivers some of the funniest lines while Pom Klementieff adds sweetness and charm as Mantis. Vin Diesel and Sean Gunn are also great as Groot and Kraglin, respectively."

The movie also introduces some new characters who fit well into the Guardians' world. Poulter is impressive as Adam Warlock, who has a conflicted arc that sets him up for future stories. Iwuji is menacing as the High Evolutionary, who serves as a formidable villain and a personal nemesis for Rocket. Maria Bakalova steals every scene she's in as Cosmo the Spacedog, a telepathic Soviet canine who helps the Guardians. Sylvester Stallone also returns as Stakar Ogord, who leads a team of Ravagers that includes Michael Rosenbaum as Martinex and Daniela Melchior as Ura.

The movie is visually stunning, with vibrant colors and imaginative designs that bring Counter-Earth and other cosmic locations to life. The cinematography by Henry Braham is dynamic and inventive, capturing the action and emotion with flair. The editing by Fred Raskin and Greg D'Auria is tight and smooth, keeping the pace brisk and engaging. The music by John Murphy is epic and catchy, blending orchestral cues with classic rock songs that fit the tone and mood of each scene.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a satisfying end to an amazing saga that has entertained and moved millions of fans around the world. It is a testament to Gunn's vision and talent, as well as to the chemistry and charisma of the cast. It is also a celebration of the themes that have defined the Guardians: family, friendship, redemption, and heroism. It is a movie that will make you laugh, cry, cheer, and dance along with these lovable misfits who have become legends in their own right.