James Gunn is one of the most talented and distinctive directors to ever touch a comic-book franchise. His original Guardians of the Galaxy film was for Marvel Studios what The Incredibles was for Pixar. It shook things up in such a way that the studio would never and could never be the same again. I’m a definite fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I don’t feel obligated to see every film or television show in its orbit. Judging by the ones I have seen, Gunn’s influence since his 2014 surprise smash hit has been deeply felt across all the various tendrils of the franchise, so much so that the specific comedic tone can become grating in the wrong hands. Signing off from the franchise in true artistic fashion, Gunn’s hands here deliver a multifaceted and satisfying conclusion to the arc of his beloved band of misfits.
The multifaceted quality is the one thing I take slight issue with in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It’s not that I actually dislike any of the individual facets, it’s just that there are perhaps one too many of them. Where many Marvel Studios films feel overstuffed because they have to set so many things up, this one feels cluttered because it needs to wrap so many things up. Still, I admire how the film has its own unique story at its center amid all the other machinations happening around it, and that story is Rocket Raccoon’s (voice of Bradley Cooper) origin.
Especially when it comes to Rocket’s backstory, Gunn is allowed to really let loose here visually. His background in horror and B-movies comes to the fore when we see flashbacks to the nightmare of Rocket’s creation. These flashbacks are the emotional core of the film’s story, and they introduce us to our villain, a mad scientist who calls himself The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). If you are squeamish when it comes to seeing animal abuse on screen, this film might not be for you. The animals here are computer-generated, of course, but the grotesque ways in which they are mutated are truly disturbing to look at.
The High Evolutionary makes a great villain partly because Iwuji sells it to the cheap seats. He is committed to the insanity of this tyrant at such a feverish level that he elevates already solid material and seems to raise what are already fairly high stakes. Kudos as well to the makeup team for their work on his character. We eventually come to understand why he looks this way, but his human-skin mask hooked into the sides of a cybernetic skull is really off-putting in the very best way, and it makes us want to know more about him, even though he’s a truly despicable individual.
Of course, the other Guardians outside of Rocket are all given nice emotional through-lines and endpoints as well. My favorite of the bunch has always been Nebula (Karen Gillan), who now almost takes on a mothering role as the group expands and can get rowdy and unwieldy at times. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) of course have to address the romantic elephant in the room set up by the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, and that is nicely and rather maturely handled. Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) still have terrific comedic chemistry, and they along with the lovable Groot (voice of Vin Diesel) add the extra dash of tenderness the film needs to get it over the finish line with a total heart-on-its-sleeve ending.
That’s what continues to impress me about each of Gunn’s blockbuster films — there may be a lot going on, but each piece of that lot has genuine emotion to it. Though his films may be slightly sarcastic and sometimes violent and disturbing, they’re rarely cynical, and this is no exception. He has always had a knack for knowing exactly what makes this particular group of oddballs appealing. They represent a helping hand in a chaotic and cruel universe. Even if this is truly the last time we see them all together on screen, that hope will always be welcome and relatable. | George Napper
