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Since their first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2014, the Guardians of the Galaxy have grown from a band of criminal misfits to crime-fighting heroes. Through the years, they’ve faced one threat after another—on their own and with various Avengers. But in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, their mission is more personal.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 finds the Guardians reeling from the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldana). But while Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) struggles to move on, he doesn’t get much of a choice when their headquarters comes under attack, leaving Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) fighting for his life, the target of the powerful being who created him (Chukwudi Iwuji). In order to save Rocket, Quill and the others race through space, trying to keep Rocket from being captured while also searching for information on how to keep him alive.
The Guardians and their films have always had their own style and their own tone. These intergalactic heroes aren’t the traditional heroes. They’re a random group of various species who somehow ended up working together to keep peace in the galaxy—often more Star Wars than Avengers, with aliens and interplanetary travel and a playfully quirky soundtrack. But while Vol. 3 still has the aliens and the spaceships and the music, it just feels like something important is missing.
From the beginning, this Guardians installment is a whole lot heavier than the others. Everyone misses Gamora—especially Quill, who’s turned into a sad drunk. And suddenly Rocket is dying, too. So much about the story—from the setup to the flashbacks to Rocket’s past—is just plain depressing. And without the occasional comic relief from Dave Bautista’s dim-witted, muscle-bound Drax, this film would be incredibly dreary. Even once-lovable Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) has grown from a playful character into the tree version of an angry, muscle-bound tough guy—and he’s just not any fun anymore.
The story, meanwhile, travels from one strange planet to another on a seemingly random and meandering scavenger hunt to save Rocket. There just isn’t that much too it, making it all feel long and muddled—far from the fun-filled adventure that fans expect from Marvel movies.
Though it explores more of the story behind the Guardians—and ends with some important realizations for the characters—Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 just isn’t much fun. Its heavy tone and haphazard adventures will leave audience missing the all-out wackiness of some of the other recent Marvel films.
Peter Quill and the rest of the Guardians return to theaters on May 5, 2023.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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