SPOILERS

Marvel hits the crowd with nostalgia as they bring back the Guardians of the Galaxy for their third and possibly the last movie of their franchise. After the trailer was released, many were eager to see how the Guardians would cope after events of Avengers Endgame and Avengers Infinity War, where their comrade Gamora was killed, and an alternative version came back. Volume 3 instead focuses on a specific guardian, a member of the guardians and a talking racoon, and the future of the Guardians as a family.

Plot:

Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, the Guardians of the Galaxy are attacked at their headquarters by Adam (played by Will Poulter), a Sovereign warrior created by their high priestess Ayesha (villaness from vol.2 played by Elizabeth Debicki).Adam overpowers them and seriously wounds a comrade of the Guardians, but he is stabbed by Nebula (played by Karen Gillen) and forced to flee. The Guardians are unable to tend to their comrades’ wounds due to a kill switch, made by the company Orgocorp. They resolved to travel to Orgocorp’s headquarters and find a way to save their comrade (I am being vague to avoid major spoilers).

As the injured guardian lies unconscious, they recall their past. As a baby (played by Noah Raskin), they were experimented on by a Scientist (I am still being vague to avoid major spoilers of the plot point) who sought to enhance lifeforms to create a Counter-Earth. The child guardian befriended the other test subjects: Lylla, Floor, and Teefs, while they were in confinement. The Scientist perfected the experiments with the child guardian’s advice but ordered their brain to be extracted. The child guardian attempted to free their friends, but it did not turn out as they wanted. The child guardian stole a spaceship and fled Counter-Earth.

In the present, the Ravagers (from vol. 2) and Gamora (played by Zoe Saldana) assist the Guardians in infiltrating Orgo corp. They retrieved a file that would help their fallen comrade, but they still needed more. The group believes that the mad scientist might have an answer, and they set out to fight. Upon arriving on Counter-Earth, the team is helped by residents. Drax (played by Dave Bautista) and Mantis (played by Pom Klementieff) remain with Gamora and Rocket as Peter Quill (played by Chris Pratt), Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) and Nebula travel to the Scientists ship.

The Scientist shows resistance against the Guardians and starts to flee. As the Scientist’s ship enters orbit, Quill and Groot leap off, managing to find an override for their comrades kill switch. Gamora arrives with their ship to rescue them, while Nebula, Mantis, and Drax face their own challenges. Quill’s group faces challenges while trying to save their comrade, fearing the worst. However, Quill was able to save their comrades’ life.

Nebula’s group comes across hundreds of imprisoned humanoid children on the Scientist’s ship, and they free them. The Guardians reunite and head into the final battle. Outside help arrives for the Guardians, and they are able to aid in escape. Together, the Guardians defeat the mad villain. A guardian of the galaxy nearly dies trying to exit the ship, but is saved by Adam, who had a change of heart.

In the aftermath, Quill leaves the Guardians, bestowing the captaincy to Rocket before leaving for Earth to reunite with his grandfather. Mantis embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Gamora reunites with the Ravagers, and Nebula and Drax remain on Knowhere (their headquarters) to raise the rescued children.

End credit scenes:

There are two post credit scenes in vol. 3. The mid-credits scene shows Rocket and Groot in a desert with the newest additions to the Guardians of the Galaxy. The group is seen waiting as a horde of aliens approaching a desert village. Rocket plays “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone, a perfect way to close out the trilogy, since that song played at the beginning of the first movie.

The second end credit scene shows Peter Quill/Starlord reconnecting with his grandpa while having breakfast. It ends with a bittersweet teaser. The screen fades to white and the words “The Legendary Starlord will return” show up on screen, leaving fans excited and wondering about the possibilities of another movie.

Music:

Director James Gunn wanted the soundtrack of this film to leave an impact on fans, and I think it achieved its goal. The Awesome Mix Vol. 3’s track includes songs like Radiohead’s acoustic version of “Creep”, “Since You Been Gone” by Rainbow, “We Care a Lot” by Faith No More, “I Will Dare” by replacements, “No sleep till Brooklyn” by Beastie Boys, “Badlands” by Bruce Springsteen, “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” by Alice Cooper, “San Fransisco” by the Mowgli, “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone, “Dog Days Are Over” by Florence + the Machine, and many more. Despite the wide variety of the music, it perfectly fits all the movie scenes, and it sets a pleasant mood throughout the whole film.

Box office and release:

Disney and Marvel held the film’s premiere at Disneyland Paris on April 22, 2023, and held the Hollywood Los Angeles premiere on April 27. It was released in the United States on May 5, 2023, as part of phase five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Guardians of the Galaxy vol.3 started strong at the weekend box office with a domestic opening of $118.4 million. The worldwide estimate was $282.1 million. China led with $28.1 million, followed by the U.K. ($14.7 million), South Korea ($13.6 million), Mexico ($13 million) and France ($8.2 million). Analysts were expecting a stronger start than $118 million for vol. 3 given that it was the film that would close the franchise, and because vol. 2 had a much bigger debut of $146 million. However, despite analysts’ opinions, some still consider volume 3 a perfect close to the trilogy.

Overall Thoughts:

I enjoy Marvel films because as a kid it would bring me comfort and joy; it was an escape from hard times. Despite not being the biggest Marvel fan out there, I can confidently say this movie had a pleasant ending to the franchise, and when I left the cinema, I could not stop thinking about it. There are so many more details that I did not mention in this review that play an important part in the story; anyone who wants to see the movie can rest easy knowing it will certainly be worth the money. The music choices for the scenes were well thought out, and the mix of action sequences, comedy, and serious or sorrowful topics was done so well, it might make this movie one of my new favorite Marvel films.

Rating: 8/10