Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3
It’s impossible to imagine a “Guardians of the Galaxy” story made without James Gunn. How it nearly happened comes up every once in a while, as trolls try to bash him for his current role as the head of DC Films, but now that we’ve gotten our last ride with the MCU Guardians, could it possibly live up to the hype? In between films, a lot has changed that shifted the trajectory of the story arcs of the characters, and in this new normal, Gunn had a difficult task of adjusting the story he wanted to tell with what happened in the “Infinity War”/”Endgame” arc to the characters. I’d say he succeeded on the emotional part, but the film doesn’t quite have the smooth, natural vibe the first two “Guardians” movies had. I think that comes from the changes the MCU has gone through, but also James Gunn- the director of “Slither” and “Super” is not afraid to go big and epic with his stories anymore. How he lands the emotions is what matters in the end, however, and as I said, he nails that.
While I don’t think the “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy is the best in the MCU- this film’s 150-minute running time feels too cumbersome, and some of the subplots feel half-baked- I think it’s the best non-“Avengers” franchise in how it leaves its characters. A lot of speculation was abound in how we would see Peter Quill and Rocket Raccoon’s stories end, in particular, and one of the things that “Vol. 3” does so beautifully is earn the conclusions of its character arcs. A big sacrifice doesn’t just mean a character dying; sometimes, it’s something as simple as realizing your life is more than just running away from the traumas of the past, and- as we age- realizing the place we thought we needed to head in our lives is now where we should be. Even characters like Mantis and Nebula feel more whole by the end of this film, and that is consistent with how Gunn has developed these characters over the years. That is where it trumps every other MCU franchise.
This week, members of the Writers Guild of America went on strike. This movie had already screened for critics when it happened, but it’s also a great example of why writing is the most important part of filmmaking. There’s an awful reality where someone other than James Gunn is making these movies, and Rocket Raccoon is just a horrible comic relief character. He still might have worked if it was still Bradley Cooper giving voice to him, but it’s Gunn’s words, his characterization of the experimented-on raccoon, that makes him the endearing smartass we all know and love. Gunn’s always said that the third film would focus on Rocket, and the way he does that is to remove him from the core action, and give us a chance to see how he relates to the film’s main villain, the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), a scientist obsessed with creating the perfect world. Rocket is one of his experiments in doing so, and might be the key to him succeeding. If you’re familiar with the scientific history of eugenics in the late 19th/early 20th Century, there are familiar elements in the High Evolutionary’s experiments to that, and the arrogance with which he sees his pursuits will ring true if you understand the direction that that led some by the time World War II happened. We’ve known since the first film that Rocket’s backstory was a tragic one. Seeing how he was shaped by it, and his friends in the labs, is where Gunn’s direction is most confident in the film; this is definitely the story he’s wanted to tell since signing on to the franchise, and he and Cooper nail every emotional beat.
Rocket’s status in the film is what sets the Guardians on the path they go on here, and something about the dynamics of the team feels off. Everyone still has terrific moments throughout, but a quip by Chris Pratt as Quill, or Dave Bautista’s ultra-literalism as Drax, or Pom Klementieff’s quirky personality as Mantis, doesn’t feel the same when some of the best reactors to those moments are either unavailable to the narrative (Rocket), or changed personally (Zoe Saldaña as Gamora). Remember, this Gamora is not the same one from the previous “Guardians” films; she’s from 2014 pre-“Guardians” when she still worked for Thanos. She’s gone to be a Ravager, and while Saldaña does terrific work in the role, the fact that the character’s so antagonistic even while being a part of the team just doesn’t connect. She’s not a true Guardian, and you can tell. That said, Karen Gillan as Nebula fills the void of exasperation with Quill quite well. Some other highlights include Sean Gunn as Kraglin, trying to find himself as a leader, Maria Bakalova as Cosmo, Linda Cardellini as Lylla (one of Rocket’s friends), and Iwuji, who captures the High Evolutionary’s villain status beautifully. Less successful is Will Poulter as Adam Warlock, not because he’s bad in the role, but because it feels like Gunn is not certain how to integrate him naturally into the story even after teasing him in the end credits of “Vol. 2.”
If the film suffers anywhere compared to its predecessors, it’s visually. Gunn and cinematographer Henry Braham give us some great images- including a fight scene that is one of the best in the MCU- but visually, it doesn’t pop quite the same way the first two “Guardians” films do, no doubt as a result of the “house style” the MCU has cultivated since 2017. That said, his use of music still rocks, and I love the wild imagination of the team’s trip to a biological laboratory, and how their space suits remind me of the suits in “2001: A Space Odyssey.” I also love the creature creations in this film, whether it’s Rocket’s friends, Cosmo, the High Evolutionary’s creations for his “perfect world” or just random aliens in the galaxy. This is the type of world I love seeing in science fiction, and it’s a shame more space operas haven’t leaned into it over the past few years.
At this point, I watch each MCU project but I’m more a casual fan than an obsessive one, and I think that’s the best way to approach this, at this point. I’m curious about how each film or TV series will add to the world but I’m not going to get worked up about what doesn’t work, at times. “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3” fits nicely into that way of viewing the MCU- I’m not going to dwell on what I don’t like, in part because what I do like will stick with me for a long time. That’s a credit to the world James Gunn expanded, and I can’t wait to see how he does at DC, as a result.
