Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Review

Somewhere in between Endgame becoming the highest grossing movie of all time and Scorsese saying "Marvel movies are not cinema" lies the truth - Marvel can make really heartfelt, emotional films, but even those will come with some superhero tropes built in.

That's not to say writer and director James Gunn has resorted to clichés and gimmicks in Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3 - far from it, he has in fact delivered arguably his best film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The fact that this is his last gig with Marvel before taking over as the head honcho of the DC Extended Universe makes it extra spicy for the kind of people who get worked up by such stuff.

The guardians are back together again after their idyllic stay on Planet Nowhere is interrupted by Rocket (Bradley Cooper) getting attacked by a shiny bad guy, Adam Warlock (Will Poulter). Nursing Rocket back to good health puts the gang on the radar for the guy who orchestrated that attack - the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji).

We join Star Lord / Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and his motley group of guardians - Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Nebula (Karen Gillan) and Groot (Vin Diesel) - as they zoom across the galaxy desperately trying to keep their emotions under control as they race to keep their friend alive.

James Gunn is weird, wonderful, and a master of his craft - he uses every single trick in the book to get the NEW members of the audience to get as involved as loyal fans of the Guardians during the movie's 150-minute running time. And he succeeds - after all, what kind of heartless person feels nothing when baby animals are in distress? Oh, let us add that said distress is caused by an evil human. That's right, you already hate the bad human, and are sucked into the story. It is an exceedingly simple yet skilled manipulation of the moviegoing audience that gets them to root for the superheroes in a film that begs the question "Are super evolved beings even necessary?"

And then there's the comedy, the one we have been enjoying right from the first Guardians movie - jokes come at you quick and hard. What's more impressive is how humour is used to help the viewer cope with the tragic backstory of Rocket and his friends. The chuckles never take away from the gravity of the situation (no pun intended), but they help the viewer stave off the tears at points.

Yes, this is the kind of movie where you have to be invested in, nay, swept away by the narrative to fully enjoy it. It is a fun watch as a standalone movie, take nothing away from it, but it offers the little extra something to the longtime MCU stan - references, Easter eggs, fan service, a telekinetic talking dog that speaks in a Russian accent and gets devastated when called a bad dog (Kraglin did not mean it, okay?). What's there to not love?

With its list of who's who cast that already have plenty of chemistry and camaraderie amongst themselves, the Guardians were never going to lack for star power. What makes Volume 3 extra special is that the actors seem to be in on the plot, and are a lot more emotional themselves. Knowing that this is the last ride makes it as bittersweet for the cast as it does for the fans, and for once we get to feel like we're part of the movie (more on that later).

When it comes to visuals, Marvel is as dependable as ever. When it comes to the music, though, replacing Tyler Bates with John Murphy has had no impact on its quality. The Guardians Of The Galaxy movies have had an absolute banger of a soundtrack, chock full of older hits: '70s, '80s, '90s, '00s - you name it and it is there. The films are easily the best in the MCU when it comes to the music, and Volume 3 takes it a notch higher. Alice Cooper, Bruce Springsteen, Cat Stevens, David Bowie, George Harrison, Marvin Gaye, Gloria Gaynor, Beastie Boys, Radiohead, Florence And The Machine, Fleetwood Mac and Queen are some of the featured artists and bands - and we stopped with those since we are running out of space here.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is arguably the best offering by the MCU after No Way Home. You can watch this one even if you are newcomer to the Guardians. We are all Groot now, that's just how it is.

If you're already a fan, though, you don't need me to tell you to go watch this one. Oh, and I love you guys.