By Laura BennettThursday 4 May 2023Hope AfternoonsMoviesReading Time: 2 minutes
When Marvel brings “end of an era” chapters to the screen, you never know how it’s going to go: will it hit with the heartbreak of Avengers: Endgame? Overdo the sentimentality? Or revel in the epic nature of yet another adventure with your heroes?
You’ll have to watch Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 yourself to find out because there will be no spoilers here, but what can be said is that the final chapter of the Guardians arm of the MCU retains the comical, endearing and happily chaotic identity Star Lord and his troupe are admired for.
In what’s director James Gunn’s last Marvel film before we see what he’s been cooking over at DC Studios, Star Lord (Chris Pratt) is still grieving the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldana) when he must rally the team to defend the universe and save the life of Rocket (Bradley Cooper) whose backstory becomes the centrepiece of the mission.
Between Rocket’s history, the humour of Drax and the loveable dynamic of the team Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol.3 is exactly as Chris Pratt describes it, “special, beautiful and painful”.
This team have traversed galaxies together and yet there’s still more to know about each other. They’ve grieved, they’ve laughed and they’ve saved-the-day and this time around we peel back the layers to understand why the bond they share is so important to them all.
Leaving details of the plot alone, the “unpeeling” hits on some pretty big themes.
Everything from the existence of God and the freewill of His creation to how humanity meddles in pursuing perfection and a utopian world are covered. We’re confronted with animal abuse, trafficking and the afterlife.
While the light-heartedness is still there, there’s a lot in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol.3 that takes it out of being “the Marvel film for kids” and into one that’s grown up with them.
It’s worth staying until the end for the two post-credit Easter eggs, if only to pause and take in all that Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol.3 just offered.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol.3 is in cinemas now.