So when I was posting my list of top 30 films a couple months ago it’s worth mentioning that Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 just barely didn’t make the list and until Spider-man No Way Home came out was easily my favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe Film. The Guardian’s franchise as a whole (including the delightful Christmas special and their appearance in other Marvel films) have had a great through line of being about family. And not just finding your family which is where a lot of other stories stop, but dealing with the messy emotions, personalities, and ego’s that can be found in any family and still choosing to love each other regardless. Guardians 3 continues these themes while also being in large part about figuring out who we are as individuals, both within and outside the context of our family.
We open the film on the grumpiest member of the Guardian’s family, Rocket Raccoon, and a brief flashback of some of his dark and troubled past that had only been hinted at previously. The movie then segues into the opening credits while playing the Radiohead classic Creep which has a very obvious but no less impactful way of telling us everything we needed to know about Rocket’s mental state at this point in the story. One thing I have loved about all three of these films is how they use songs in their opening credits combined with some onscreen action to give us a lot of information about where the characters are at that point in the story without needing to necessarily give us a clumsy info dump. Really the use of music (via the in universe conduit of Peter’s Walkman, and later Zune) in this franchise has been mostly excellent, finding songs that have some sort of emotional resonance with what we’re seeing on screen. However with that said I did find this particular entry to maybe have a little bit too much music, cramming so many songs into every minute that I often found myself struggling to find that previously mentioned emotional resonance (though this could be commentary on how music streaming has lessened the impact of music in our lives, it’s sadly probably just an excuse to add more music to the next “mixtape” that will be sold as a vinyl). After Rocket is injured it’s a race against time as the rest of his family does everything in their power to save his life. I actually really like the stakes for this film. In the past the Guardians were either fighting to save a planet or even the whole galaxy, but in this film it’s all about saving just one friend. And what great lengths these guys go through, hopscotching across space (as can be expected from this franchise), and butting heads with what I would describe as a mad scientist with a god complex, and at some point’s choosing to give their own lives, all for the life of a friend. Throughout the adventure we get a great exploration of how far these character’s have come since their first appearances (for instance all the guardians who have been part of the team for longer do their best to uphold a do not kill policy) but also how they still have a lot of flaws to overcome. Peter Quill for instance has been on an alcoholic downward spiral since the death of his girlfriend Gamora (further complicated by the fact that she’s not technically dead since a version of her that hasn’t experience all the adventures with her family does exist thanks to time travel shenanigans). His arc throughout the whole film become about figuring out who he is outside of a romantic relationship, something I have personally seen a lot of people struggle with throughout my life. Another subplot involves the characters of Mantis, Drax, and Nebula essentially learning to respect each other’s perceived flaws and finding the strength in each other’s weakness. Some people may find these character dynamics annoying as it’s a plot thread repeated throughout all three films (albeit with different groups of characters) but for anyone who has ever dealt with siblings it’s pretty easy to see how true to life these interactions can be. It’s also a great reminder that none of us are ever done growing and can always find new opportunities to change and become better people. You may have noticed I talk a good deal about the character’s in this film and not so much about the action or the comedy. The reason for that is because while those things do exist and they aren’t bad by any means, it’s kind of exactly what you expect from a Marvel film at this point. Lot’s of lasers going pew pew, loud explosions, and spaceships going zoom zoom. In between it all we get tons of bathos, physical comedy, and witty banter but for me it’s the emotions of these characters and how they show their love for each other through actions they take, that makes any of those things mean anything. Speaking of other Marvel films, the content of this film is just about on par with past films as far as language, violence, and sexual content goes, so keep that in mind if you choose to watch this film with kiddos or sensitive viewers. I’m not going to lie, I was nervous about watching this film, afraid that it was going to let me down in some way, especially being the third film in a trilogy, which traditionally have a history of not always sticking the landing. However, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 surprised me with its continued exploration of what being in a family means, especially when that family isn’t as unified or coherent as it maybe was at one time. I can’t say this film is in my top 100 films list or even in my top MCU films list, but it does have a lot of heart. In an age of endless content (that often feels cynical at best) it’s nice to have a story that cares and connects to me on an emotional level
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