We tend to avoid including much of what Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures puts out these days as it’s largely become disappointing. But there are some films that this does not apply to, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is one of them.
After a run of forgettable films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), such as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Thor: Love and Thunder, this third Guardians film delivers all that made the other two films (or three if you count the Christmas special), more so the first installment, such re-watchable crowd pleasers.
Again, Chris Pratt returns as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket Raccoon, Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, and Sean Gunn (brother of the film’s director James Gunn) as Kraglin.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 introduces new characters, including Adam Warlock, played by Will Poulter, and Chukwudi Iwuji as the villainous High Evolutionary, both of whom are exceptional.
See below for a sampling of reviews for the film.
JUDGEMENT
‘While the CGI work on Rocket is stunning and reaches levels of human-like emotion – especially when combined with Cooper’s performance – perhaps the biggest “raw acting” surprise comes from Chris Pratt, who plays Peter Quill aka Star-Lord in an almost entirely different way following Gamora’s death. We already felt some of his pain in the Infinity Saga’s two-part finale plus last Christmas’ Holiday Special, but here he gets to exhibit genuine anger, sadness, and above all, the experience as a leader he’s amassed over the years. It’s one of the best leading performances we’ve had in the MCU so far, up there with Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans’ best.’ Fran Ruiz, space.com
‘Gunn wouldn’t be Gunn if he wasn’t compelled to mix sweetness with viciousness – but the unique deftness of the first Guardians lay in never letting us dwell on either side of the equation for long. By contrast, at this point the sadistic side of his imagination is out in the open, even if the family entertainment format bars him from going for broke in the manner of his DC production The Suicide Squad.’ Jake Wilson, The Age
‘No one expected that the one about the tree and the raccoon would be a highlight of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but so it proved with the first Guardians. After a weaker second instalment and a fun Christmas special, director James Gunn closes out his four-part trilogy with a triumph: a big, scrappy mix of humour and terror boasting a heart as big as Drax. The result may be a little too chaotic and sprawling to match the pace of the first film, but it’s packed with great moments and far more emotionally resonant.’ Helen O’Hara, Empire Online
‘I won’t spoil the story. Much focuses on Rocket’s backstory, which is pretty grim, and deals with the main villain of both that bleak past and this dire present: the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) an erratic, unhinged supervillain that embodies a classic sort of progressive thinking that’s led to noxious ideas such as eugenics: That the world can be made perfect if we just tinker with it mercilessly, without worrying too much about who gets hurt along the way. “He doesn’t want to make the world a better place,” Rocket says at one point. “He just doesn’t like it the way it is”.’ Erik Kain, Forbes
‘Pratt has been phoning in some of his lead film roles lately, but he’s always clicked best on-screen as Peter Quill, equal parts hero and chump. Giving him a broken heart allows Pratt to push away some of the cocky smarm that has derailed him in other projects and allows us to like Quill again. Saldaña is having fun returning to the basics of a warrior like Gamora, convincing us she could carry a movie like this alone. But, most of all, this is Rocket’s film, a story of how he overcomes trauma to be the hero he was always meant to be.’ Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com
‘For all the extravagant special effects and efforts to tug at our heartstrings, what we get is more of an epic variety show than coherent space opera. Happily, most of the turns are up to scratch. Will Poulter is hilariously pompous. Elizabeth Debicki gives good cackle as his malevolent mother. Dave Bautista retains his sweet charm. As a distraction from growing worries about where Marvel is headed next, GOGV3 will do well enough.’ Donald Clarke, The Irish Times
