The Mosley Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Ladies and gentlemen, we have witnessed a master storyteller achieve something that is increasingly rare these days. When a director has a set vision and direction he wants to take a story, it is harder nowadays to succeed in executing it without studio interference. From what I can tell, writer and director James Gunn fully had his hands on the reins and he delivered a much darker, topical and emotional story that I haven't seen in the MCU since the first 10 years of Marvel. The tone of a ragtag, dysfunctional and yet functional family has continued throughout their films and in their mini adventures in other appearances in other MCU films. What I loved about this film is that it lets you know right away that this was gonna be a different tale of pain, love and growth. The first film was all about the group getting together. The second film was about Peter Quill's origins and now this film pays off the many illusions to a certain characters' traumatic past to say it lightly. The trademark comedy, soundtrack and action is all their and it is even more exciting and brutal than ever before and the stakes are actually high. I actually feared that at anytime the characters could die which is a safety net that needs to be pulled more often in comic book films. All the events these characters have been through and the effect it has on all of them is on display in the most devastating and sometimes heartwarming ways.
Chris Pratt returns as Peter Quill/Star Lord and he is more depressed and heartbroken then ever. I liked seeing him take on the fact that he was falling apart with the love of his life gone, but her younger self if is alive. The insane emotional turmoil within him was refreshing and matured the character to another level. When his family is under attack, you get to see him fully unleash his killer rage. Zoe Saldana returns as Gamora and she is more blood thirsty and more in line with how she was in the first film before she met Peter. Zoe takes the character in a much harder edged direction and she created a new identiy to the character that was tough to watch. Her scenes with Peter were truly heartbreaking as he would express his love to a woman whom has no idea about their past. Karen Gillan was exceptional as the constantly irritated Nebula. She tends to take the lead at times and I liked her tenacity. The growth this character has had truly pays off in so many subtle and abrasive ways. Dave Bautista was just as fun and loveable as Drax the Destroyer. He may be a big goof most of the time, but this film speaks to the heart of the character and how he has grown away from the vengeful spirited fighter to a loving father figure. Pom Klementieff was so much fun as Mantis and more involved this time around. She turned into the voice of truth in the family and their is a particular scene where she lets it all out. Her, Drax and Nebula together have the biggest fight in the film between each other and it was rough to watch, but important. Families have their fights and arguments and that was an important moment for this crew to have. Nathan Fillion was fun as Master Karja, an orgosentry and I loved his comedic timing in the middle of an otherwise tense scene. Vin Diesel as Groot was good and I loved that he had some of the most badass and intense action scenes. Elizabeth Debicki returns as Ayesha and I liked seeing her fulfill her mission from the end of the second film. Will Poulter was fun as Adam Warlock and I liked that he insanely over powered, but he wasn't the typical antagonist. He may have had the mentality of a child, but throughout the film you get to see him mature. I'm curious to see where he goes from here. Sean Gunn was great as Kraglin and I loved that we get to see him fully embrace his talents as a leader and how he handles the needle given to him by Yondu. Maria Bakalova was fun as Cosmo and I loved her scenes the most with Kraglin as their chemistry grows throughout the film.
Like I said before, the first 2 films had a center point, but this film had a central focus on one of the most complex characters of the family and that was Rocket Racoon. Bradley Cooper gives a heart shattering performance as the character and his backstory is fully explored. If you could not tell from the trailers, this was going to be something so much more personal and it truly was. The amount of experimentation, physical, emotional and psychological torture Rocket was subjected to was on full display and was not for the faint of heart. His story broke me in a way that I haven't felt since the original 1987 film Robocop. You see where his brilliance and inventiveness was created, but it is full of sorrow. His friends were the heart of him and I loved their scenes together. Asim Chaudhry and Mikaela Hoover were adorable as the voices of Teefs and Floor. Their character designs as the heavily experimented on walrus and rabbit were horrific, but their personalities were sweet. Linda Cardellini was amazing and heartwarming as the otter, Lilah. Her kindness out shined their harsh reality and I loved her chemistry with Rocket the most. Their love story was so engaging and beautiful and will bring tears to your eyes. Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary will go down as one of the best villains of the MCU. His performance was truly brilliant and unhinged as he perfectly portrays a monster of a zealous man with an insatiable God complex. He is the new definition of a mad scientist and I hated him the moment we saw his creations. He was a smart man, but cruel and unrelenting. His scenes with Batch 89 and especially with Rocket were truly the most soul crushing parts of the film.
John Murphy's score was out of this world and emotionally charged. It was big, operatic and enhanced the sadness and dread of Rocket's scenes and all the emotional turmoil of the Guardians. Even listening to it now, as I type this review, it brings tears to my eyes and joy as we get to hear the "Guardians Theme" once again in epic fashion. Visually, the film has its trademark colorfulness and inventive cinematography. The action in this film is bigger than ever and there is an epic one take corridor action scene that was insane. Writer and Director James Gunn had made a promise to deliver a personal and engaging story for the final film in his trilogy with the Guardians and he did just that in the most epic way possible. The studio truly gave him carte blanche to his vision of how it will all end. No matter how intense, violent and soul crushing it may be. This is hands down, from start to finish, the best Marvel film I have seen in a VERY long time. Yes there have been good films in the recent state of the MCU, but this film shows that you can focus on story first instead of spectacle and it will work. There are 2 credit scenes and they're both fun in their own special way. This was definitely one of the best films of the year and I highly advise parents that this film isn't the kid friendly tone of the past films. Its more mature and bring a lot of tissues. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
