christian movie review guardians of the galaxy 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Reviewed by: Eric Tiansay CONTRIBUTOR

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“W e were gone for quite awhile. But no matter what happens next, the galaxy still needs its guardians.” declares Peter Quill/Star Lord ( Chris Pratt ) in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.”

The galaxy may still need its guardians, but do media-wise families really need to watch the final installment of the intergalactic superheroes?

Maybe, but extreme caution is advised for the superhero film, which has a questionable PG-13 rating.

The 32nd entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU), Vol. 3, which has a $250 million budget, was written and directed by James Gunn , who is now tasked to help revive rival DC Studios.

Gunn, who also directed the first two installment of the franchise, has contrived a quirky trilogy that seemingly throws everything at the audience—lots of action, tear-jerking emotion, laugh-out loud humor, goofy dialog, self sacrificial heroism, jump scares and jarring violence, as well as over the top profanity.

In short, the film could be described as the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

The movie begins with the beloved band of space misfits—Quill, Rocket the Racoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper ), Mantis ( Pom Klementieff ), Drax ( Dave Bautista ), Nebula ( Karen Gillan ) and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel )—settling into life on Knowhere, a galactic outpost…

But then their lives are upended by echoes of Rocket’s turbulent and horrific past when they are attacked by Adam Warlock ( Will Poulter ), who was teased at the end of 2017’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” as a gold-skinned super being created to kill the ragtag group.

The attack badly injures Rocket, a genetically designed mammalian who the group discovers has a kill switch in his body that prevents him from receiving any medical help.

To save their friend, the guardians must figure out where he came from and confront his ominous creator and the film’s bad guy who calls himself The High Evolutionary ( Chukwudi Iwuji ).

The turn of events reunites the team with Gamora ( Zoe Saldana ), whom Quill fell in love, died in “ Avengers: Infinity War ,” but then came back as a different version of herself in “ Avengers: Endgame .”

Did you catch all that?

The movie’s absurd plot features plenty of good, including talk and displays about love, friendship and family. Vol. 3 has a really big heart as each main character is shown doing their part to save Rocket and each other.

In addition, Rocket’s quasi-family of animals—Lylla, an anthropomorphic otter voiced by Linda Cardellini ; Teefs, an anthropomorphic walrus voiced by Asim Chaudhry ; and Floor, an anthropomorphic rabbit voiced by Mikaela Hoover —live in horrific conditions and are subjected to terrors, but endure through it all by their love and support for one another.

The film also firmly espouses standing up against evil and aiding the helpless.

“Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will stand for me against those who practice iniquity?” — Psalm 94:16

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” — Proverbs 31:8-9

Additionally, one of the guardians says everyone deserve a second chance, which is biblical. “Everyone who comes to Him can receive another chance at a better, eternal life , by believing in His Son Jesus Christ and washing away their sins through repentance and baptism in His name.” Acts 2:38

Although there is talk of Evolution by The High Evolutionary, the theory isn’t presented in a positive light.

“My sacred mission is to create the perfect society,” extols the villain, who kills his creations, including people or planets, if they are not “perfect” according to his view.

But Rocket later dispels that notion by noting that: “He didn’t want to make things perfect, he just hated things the way they are.”

In another scene, The High Evolutionary tells someone: “There is no God ! That’s why I stepped in!”

How can we know there’s a God? Answer

What if the cosmos is all that there is? Answer

However, the movie proposes that he is wrong as even his loyal subjects threaten to overthrow him.

There are other positive though subtle references to God . Despite being the victim of experimentation, Rocket is reminded by Lylla that “there are hands that guide the hands.”

On the downside, Vol. 3 also features plenty of bad and ugly content.

The action results in a high body count (the population of an Earth-like planet is annihilated by explosions) and there is intense and gory violence shown (a character is disintegrated by Warlock and his fried skeleton is shown in full view).

Perhaps the most wince-inducing violent imagery comes from the animal cruelty. Animals are transformed into humanoid creatures, and there are distressing scenes of animals being experimented and operated on, leaving them as robotic-animal hybrids.

A dad who watched Vol. 3 with his 11-year-old son during my screening perhaps said it best:

“I noticed Brody had his hat over his head a few times during some of the violent scenes that disturbed him. He also is an animal lover. We had a chat about it before the movie, and he did not like the animal abuse part at all, even though he understood beforehand that it was not real.”

Another down side of Vol. 3 is the more than 25 obscenities, including an “f” word used for the first time in a MCU film.

Unfortunately, the particular harsh vulgarity and a few other strong expletives are spoken by Chris Pratt , who is a professing Christian.

The Bible is clear about cursing.

“But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” — Colossians 3:8

With its Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer currently at 81 percent and an Audiencescore of 95 percent, Vol. 3 is projected to have a domestic opening of $110 million, which is on the very low end of expectations and well behind the last film in the standalone Marvel Studios franchise according to The Hollywood Reporter .

The movie’s initial performance isn’t welcome news for Marvel or Gunn, who now run rival DC Studios, and is sparking further concern that superhero fatigue has settled in at the box office, the publication observed.

The bottom line for Vol. 3 is it’s a mixed bag for families that’s full of questionable content. For Christians who are fans of “Guardians of the Galaxy,” the movie is a bitter pill to swallow, one that will likely leave a semi-sick feeling in their gut.

CONTENT WATCH: Vol. 3 is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, strong language, suggestive/drug references and thematic elements. There is strong language. Most of the other obscenities are “s***,” “h***,” “d***” and “a**” words. There is a playful homosexual joke. There are moments of innuendo about “touching” someone, and oblique references to promiscuity . Scenes of violence include laser gun fights, stabbings, slashings, characters being blasted by fantastical powers, and crunchy fistfights. There is occasional sight of blood—primarily from aliens—and a woman largely comprised of robotic parts contorting her broken limbs as she reforms. Another woman’s arm is broken during a fight. Characters sustain various injuries, including sight of blood, burn wounds and a man’s disfigured face after he has been mauled. A person is reduced to a charred corpse after being blasted by fantastical energy. Aliens are briefly seen dealing an unnamed drug. Later, a man refers to dealing “meth” in a clearly condemnatory manner. A man appears drunk, and there are references to it being a pattern of behavior. There are sustained scenes of threat during action sequences in which ships explode and people avoid falling debris. Sequences also include gun threat, and people being blasted or held by fantastical powers. There are occasional jump scares, including from monsters and aliens.

• Violence: Extreme
• Profane language: Very Heavy
• Vulgar/Crude language: Very Heavy
• Nudity: Minor
• Drugs/Alcohol: Moderately Heavy
• Occult: Minor
• Wokeism: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers .

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3

"ultimately, the hand of god controls our lives".

What You Need To Know:

Miscellaneous Immorality: Villain has abused computer generated animal characters by forcibly turning them into cyborgs with genetically enhanced brains (the cyborg parts look similar to what the villain in the original TOY STORY movie did to some of his toys), villain is mean and prideful and maliciously grumpy toward everyone, and the heroes tease one another in friendly banter.

More Detail:

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 tells an emotional, exciting tale about the Guardians risking their lives against a formidable foe to save their close friend and fellow guardian, Rocket, who’s been mortally wounded by one of the villain’s rogue colleagues. VOL. 3 has some of the most moving, well-written, gripping, funny, redemptive, and morally uplifting content in any Marvel movie, but it also has some of the strongest violence and still contains 25 or more obscenities, including an “f” word and a few other strong expletives.

The movie opens with Rocket, a sentient animal who looks like a racoon, having sad nightmares and memories about how he was changed and created in a lab by a mad scientist calling himself the “High Evolutionary.” Rocket goes to numb his trauma at the local bar in Knowhere, the galactic headquarters that the Guardians of the Galaxy have rebuilt to be their headquarters. Peter Quill, the leader of the Guardians, is drunk, because he’s still mourning the loss of his girlfriend, Gamora. Peter takes his misery out on Rocket. They get into an argument, then Peter passes out. The other Guardians carry him out of the bar and put him to bed.

That night, Knowhere is invaded by Adam Warlock, the powerful son of the High Priestess Ayesha who rules a race of genetically modified people with golden skin. The High Evolutionary was the one behind their genetic modification. He wants to retrieve Rocket, who has developed a mental ability that the High Evolutionary needs for his final experiment, which is to create a new race of perfectly peaceful, super-intelligent creatures to establish a utopia that can rule the galaxy. So, Ayesha and Adam hope to please him by capturing Rocket.

However, a fight ensues in Knowhere, and Adam ends up shooting Rocket in the chest. The Guardians try to save Rocket’s life with a medical pack on their spaceship. However, the High Evolutionary had implanted a device in Rocket’s chest that will kill Rocket if anybody uses technology to heal him. They discover that a code can unlock this kill switch, but they have to infiltrate the High Evolutionary’s giant, state of the art lab facility to retrieve the code.

Meanwhile, they’ve stabilized Rocket’s condition, but it’s only a matter of time before he succumbs to his wound. Also, while the Guardians travel to the villain’s facility and get past all his guards, Rocket’s unconscious mind relives all his experiences in the villain’s lab. The movie reveals, in some wonderful, poignant scenes tugging at the heartstrings, that, while the High Evolutionary experimented on dumb animals like racoons, otters, walruses, and rabbits to create a utopia, he held the poor creatures in dirty cages.

Can the Guardians stop the evil plans of this galactic Dr. Frankenstein and save their friend?

The positive content in VOL 3 of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is stronger than the first two movies, and many other Marvel movies for that matter.

First, the movie’s poignant scenes are much stronger, more moving. In fact, the story of Rocket and the three modified animal friends he meets in the High Evolutionary’s lab are charming, tragic and heartbreaking. The story of rescuing Ricket also includes some moving scenes between the Guardians.

Also, the villain is one of the strongest villains yet in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His brand of wicked insanity not only recalls Dr. Frankenstein; it also recalls Dr. Moreau in H.G. Wells’ groundbreaking novel THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU. The villain here is a cruel megalomaniac trying to play God. In one scene, when he’s confronted by some monotheistic believers, he denies God and puffs up himself.

Some of the comedy is also stronger, funnier. The banter and bickering among the Guardians is hilarious, as is Nathan Fillion of popular TV series like FIREFLY, CASTLE and THE ROOKIE, who plays a leader among the villain’s guards. Parts of the fight scenes are stronger. For example, Peter and Groot surprise the villain at one point with a clever, exciting trick. The script’s characters arcs seem stronger. Writer/Director James Gunn has devised a brilliant character arc for Rocket, who’s perhaps the most beloved character among the heroes. He’s also developed a really nice character arc for the team of comic book heroes as a whole.

Most of the performances in VOL. 3 are also stronger. Of special note are Bradley Cooper’s voice work for Rocket and Pom Klementief as Mantis. Moreover, some of the special effects are among the best Disney has created for their Marvel movies. For example, the faces on the computerized animal characters are wonderful and, at times, heartbreaking. Many of the special effects add to the story and the characters, which is just what you want special effects to do.

Most happily, the positive references to God in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 are stronger and even more poetic than almost anything we’ve seen so far in a Marvel Studios movie. The only exception MOVIEGUIDE® can think of is the profoundly moving image of Peter Parker at the foot of the Cross in SPIDER-MAN 3, which was released by Sony in 2007.

As for VOL. 3, there’s a beautiful reference to the “hand” of God in one scene that’s sublime and profound. In another scene, when a character bravely confronts the villain about his wicked actions and mentions God, the villain screams, “There is no God! That’s why I’m in charge!” He then proceeds to kill the person and several other people confronting him at the same time. A more wicked example of villainy in movie history would be hard to find (a less violent scene occurs in IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE where Mr. Potter chastises Jeff Bailey for misplacing $8,000 when Mr. Potter knows all along that he’s found the missing money and hasn’t told Jeff). In a third scene in VOL. 3, Peter Quill says a hearty, “Thank God,” when he gets some happy news.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 also has some of the most redemptive, morally uplifting content than most Marvel movies.

For example, in one line one of the Guardians preaches the Christian, biblical ideal that everyone should get a second chance. As Jesus says during His crucifixion, “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing.” Also, in Judges 16:28-30, despite his failure, Samson prays to God to strengthen him once more, and God answers Samson’s prayer affirmatively. In Jonah 3:1-4, God gives Jonah a second chance to preach God’s message to the city of Ninevah. Of course, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is like unto Jonah’s release from the stomach of the whale in three days, is a story about God giving people a chance to turn away from evil and do God’s will. To quote Micah 7:8, “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.”

The movie’s story also has a strong pro-life message. It teaches that all innocent life is sacred and worth saving. It also promotes compassion, courage, sacrifice, standing up against evil, doing the right thing when it’s really difficult, repentance, and family. Finally, although the villain mentions evolution several times in the movie, the wicked nature of his warped character ultimately undermines the theory of evolution itself. Also, if a scientist thinks he or she can manipulate the theory of evolution to serve some scientific or social aim, then he or she has actually refuted the whole theory itself by using their own mind to do so. Logically speaking, the act of Creation requires a personal mind behind it, and the Creation of a universe (or even a “multiverse”) requires a Personal, Transcendent, Non-Material, Omnipotent, Rational Divine Mind behind it.

Sadly, however, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 still has some strong objectionable content. For example, some of the violence is excessive. In one scene, for instance, there are some gory images where the Guardians battle some large Frankenstein creatures the High Evolutionary has created. The gore and violence in that scene is over the top. The movie also has a strong, gratuitous scatological joke and a prank in one scene with comical homosexual references. Finally, VOL. 3 has 25 to 27 obscenities, including an “f” word and a few other strong expletives. Most of the obscenities are “h” words and a** words, however. The first two GUARDIANS movies have 20 and 31 obscenities, respectively.

MOVIEGUIDE® praises the good things in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 but advises extreme caution for the violence, foul language and a few of the jokes.

Heartbreak, Violence, and Laughter all in one film now streaming on Disney+

Of all the MCU films, I have loved Guardians of the Galaxy the most. The catchy music, the interesting characters, and the unique storylines have held a deep place in my heart. But would this latest film live up to the hype? In this Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Christian movie review, I will give you the info you need before taking your children to see this film.

Personally, I have grown weary of all the Marvel content that has been created between Disney+ streaming and the movie theaters. First, I saw no extended trailers, and I only saw some photos last night. I try to go into the movie with a blank slate. Follow along in my spoiler-free review so you can make wise viewing decisions as a parent.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 3 CHRISTIAN MOVIE REVIEW SYNOPSIS

The legendary Star-Lord, Peter Quill is having a hard time dealing with the loss of Gamora. So when faced with the potential loss of a friend, he will stop at nothing to guard the universe, take on the people who threaten life as the Guardians know it, and save the lives of those he loves. 

Synopsis from Studio

“In Marvel Studios “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” our beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these days. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.”

Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Christian Movie Review

In this latest GOTG film, the backstory of Rocket Raccoon is explored and we find out more about all the characters as they reveal parts of their past. This leads to many emotional scenes. Expect tears and heartbreak along with laughter.

Also, this is the darkest of the Guardians of the Galaxy films with much more violence and destruction of people and property. There is almost non-stop action and the filmmaking quality is outstanding. While I loved the music in GOTG 1 and liked it in 2, the choice of music for this movie is slightly disappointing. However, there are so many songs, so you are sure to like at least a few of the choices.

Content that Parents May Want to Know:

This movie is rated PG-13. I don’t know why parents think that their 5 year is old is capable of handling a PG-13 movie. I know I will get backlash for saying this, but you do not have some exceptional child who can handle everything because they are so advanced in their development. The reality is that the more we subject our children to violence and adult situations, the more we are damaging them. Please err on the side of caution when taking your children to movies or exposing them to adult situations. The Bible says we are to guard our hearts, and we are to safeguard our children’s hearts and minds.

There is a ton of language in this film including the F-word, d-man, d-ck, screw you, suck mine, h-ll, a-shole, dumb a-s, sh-t, and more. While this shouldn’t surprise anyone because at this point, when scrolling through social media you will encounter the same language.

This is a movie about protecting the galaxy. Therefore, expect a lot of things blowing up, getting stabbed, punched, heads ripped off, people injured, and lots and lots of fighting. 

In one scene, a man is shown missing an eyeball and part of his lip. His face is bloodied. Another person is shown after being “disintegrated” and his skeleton remains.

There are two fights where people use baseball bats to a person’s head.

Be aware, there are scenes of how Rocket Raccoon became who he is. There are other animals shown in a dark, dungeon-like laboratory. Furthermore, there are experiments being performed on not just animals, but humans too in mad scientist fashion. This may be difficult for children to watch.

Adult Content:

A man is shown drunk and he passes out. 

Additionally, there is a conversation that turns sexual because someone misinterprets the meaning of a phrase about touching. 

An animal is “scared” and is shown peeing because of it.

In a heartbreaking scene, lots of children are shown in cages.

One person uses mind control to convince a man that he is hopelessly in love with another man. 

Peter reflects on the people he has lost in his life, his mother and Yondu.

Read to the end of this review for Teaching Moments to use with your Teens.

My Viewing Recommendations for Guardians of the Galaxy 

I would definitely hold to the PG-13 rating and say that this movie is not suitable for younger children. However, it is a well-made film, and I expect that Guardians of the Galaxy fans will love it. It tells a lot of backstory for Rocket. The wrap-up was amazing. I know this will blockbuster for Marvel.

About the Movie:

Cast of guardians of the galaxy vol. 3:.

Chris Pratt as Peter Quill (Star-Lord)

Bradley Cooper as Rocket voice

Zoe Saldaña as Gamora

Sean Gunn as Kraglin and Young Rocket and on-screen Rocket Raccoon

Noah Ruskin as Baby Rocket

Dave Bautista as Drax

Karen Gillan as Nebula

Vin Diesel as Groot voice

Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary

Pom Klementieff as Pom

Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha

Will Poulter as Adam Warlock

Maria Bakalova as Cosmo the Spacedog voice

Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord

Nico Santos as Recorder Theel

Miriam Shor as Recorder Vim

Linda Cardellini is Lylla 

Mikaela Hoover is Floor

Asim Chaudhry is Teefs

Stephen Blackehart as the Dispatcher

Release Date: May 5, 2023, USA

Runtime: 2 hours, 29 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Director: James Gunn

Producer: Kevin Feige

Executive Producers: Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nikolas Korda, Simon Hatt and Sara Smith

Cinematographer: Henry Brahma

Frequently Asked Questions about GOTG Volume 3

When will guardians of the galaxy vol. 3 be streaming on disney+.

Guardians of the Galaxy 3 began streaming on Disney+ on August 1, 2023. 

Can I stream Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on Netflix?

No. Expect Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to be released for streaming on Disney+.

Will there be another Guardians of the Galaxy?

At this time, it does not appear that there will be another GOTG movie. James Gunn has said that this is the last of these movies.

Does GOTG Vol. 3 have a post-credit scene?

Yes, there are actually 2 of them. One mid-credit scene and one post-credit scene that is at the very end. 

What movies should I watch before watching GOTG 3?

You should watch the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies.

What are the Ravagers?

The Ravagers are an interstellar criminal syndicate. They are for hire to steal and are involved in piracy and trafficking. Peter Quill was a Ravager, as was Yondu. Gamora is a ravaged.

Is the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Worth Watching?

​Absolutely, the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a great show and is definitely worth seeing.

Teachable Moments throughout the GOTG 3

One of my favorite lines was “Be not as you are, but as you should be.”  Isn’t that a truth that we all should embrace? As Christians, we are reborn with Holy Spirit and should not be as we were, but filled with Christ and His love.

The High Evolutionary says, “There is no god. That is why I stepped in.” Talk to your kids about what happens when someone decides to “play God.” Things usually don’t go well for them or the ones around them.

Nebula says, “You were born to be a dad,” to Drax. She was speaking destiny into him. She saw him for who he was created to be and not who he thought he was. Our words have incredible power. We have been taught the lie, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may never hurt me.” But the Bible says, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” Our words can exhort, lift up, encourage, or destroy. Teach your children about the power of words.

Reviewing movies for parents from a Christian perspective since 2005. Know Before You Go!

Christian Homeschooling mom – 30 years and counting

Autism Mom & Disney enthusiast

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Guardians of the galaxy vol. 3.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 71 Reviews
• Kids Say 89 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Trauma, teamwork at heart of darker MCU threequel.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the third (and theoretically final) feature film in the massively popular MCU sub-franchise about the ragtag found-family group. This time around, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Drax (Dave Bautista), Groot (Vin Diesel), Nebula (Karen Gillan), and Mantis …

Why Age 13+?

Several upsetting scenes involving Rocket's past, which is revealed to be a trau

Includes the first use of "f--k" in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: "Get in the f

In an early scene, Peter gets so drunk that he must be carried out of a tavern -

Flirting, intense eye contact, and a couple of compliments. Mantis makes a secur

Brands visible include Sony, Ford. Part of the broad MCU franchise with countles

Any Positive Content?

Like previous installments, focuses on teamwork, perseverance, and empathy. Demo

Guardians are brave (if at times impulsive), smart, thoughtful, strategic. They

Centered around a White male lead. Though people of color play several key roles

Violence & Scariness

Several upsetting scenes involving Rocket's past, which is revealed to be a traumatic story of grief and animal torture/death (hybrid creatures made through experiments may be alarming to young kids). Massive destruction. Many weapons (guns, bombs, blades, more) used to blast, threaten, harm, and kill. Characters are shot, incinerated, and decapitated, with gore and skeletal remains visible. One main character is near death for much of the movie. Other sympathetic characters are killed or appear to die. Children are held captive. Intense one-on-one fights and one choreographed battle sequence that's Kingsman -like in its violence. When Nebula is badly hurt, she can snap her body parts back into place, which can be jarring. Medical procedures shown. Alien creatures bleed in many colors. Large, intimidating monsters/hybrid creatures. A character pries something out of someone else's bloody head after that person dies a violent, revenge-fueled death. A character is attacked, and his face is left a bloody mess. A character's skin-covered mask is taken off, revealing a bloody face below. Many people die when a person made for killing terrorizes and kills others. A leader destroys an entire planet of inhabitants whom he views as expendable experiments; this same attitude affects his opinion of most other living creatures. A living space station has a lot of squishy, goopy features that may be unpleasant for some. Mantis sometimes makes creatures do things against their will. Arguments/yelling.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Includes the first use of "f--k" in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: "Get in the f---ing car." Other strong language: "s--t," "d--k," "ass," "a--hole," "d--khead," "stupid," "douche bag," "bitch," "damn," "dammit," "screw you," "dang," "shut up," "idiot," "twit," "piss," "suck my --" (incomplete), "moron," "butt," "dumb," "freakin'," "friggin'," "oh my God," "hell." Groot's comments can sometimes be interpreted as cursing.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

In an early scene, Peter gets so drunk that he must be carried out of a tavern -- and it's clear that it's not the first time. A character witnesses a drug deal involving underage beings. The drug is later referenced as meth.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Flirting, intense eye contact, and a couple of compliments. Mantis makes a security guard fall in love with Drax.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Brands visible include Sony, Ford. Part of the broad MCU franchise with countless tie-in products available.

Positive Messages

Like previous installments, focuses on teamwork, perseverance, and empathy. Demonstrates power of friendship and found family, the reality of coming to terms with your past while also moving forward, the necessity of offering -- and accepting -- forgiveness and second chances. Lessons about believing in yourself, warnings about the evils of bigotry, eugenics, supremacy.

Positive Role Models

Guardians are brave (if at times impulsive), smart, thoughtful, strategic. They might have had shady pasts, but they stick by a code and are loyal to one another, acting heroically to save their families and friends. They are examples of how individuals form kinship bonds. Peter learns to accept that things won't always work out the way he wants them to. Some villains are outright evil, but at least one finds redemption, illustrating the franchise's belief in second chances.

Diverse Representations

Centered around a White male lead. Though people of color play several key roles, nearly all are hidden under makeup and VFX, including Zoe Saldana (Black Latina) as Gamora, Dave Bautista (Greek-Filipino American) as Drax, Pom Klementieff (Korean) as Mantis, Vin Diesel (multiracial) as Groot, dulling any sense of ethnic diversity. The main visibly non-White character is The High Evolutionary, the central villain, who's played by Nigerian actor Chukwudi Iwuji. Women are more than sidekicks here and don't just exist to prop up the male characters. They have agency and contribute to the group, whether it's physical strength or super empathy/persuasion.

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Parents need to know that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the third (and theoretically final) feature film in the massively popular MCU sub-franchise about the ragtag found-family group. This time around, Peter Quill ( Chris Pratt ), Drax ( Dave Bautista ), Groot ( Vin Diesel ), Nebula ( Karen Gillan ), and Mantis ( Pom Klementieff ) must enlist the help of "other timeline" Gamora ( Zoe Saldana ) to save Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper ) from a villain who believes he's working for the betterment of the galaxy by trying to create the perfect species. This is the darkest and goriest of the three Guardians films: It explores the deep-seated trauma that one of the characters experienced early in life and has upsetting scenes of animal torture and experimentation. There's also explosive sci-fi action violence, mass destruction, decapitations, weapons use, blood, skeletal remains, and a huge body count (some of them sympathetic characters). Expect a fair bit of strong language, including the MCU's first F-word (dropped by Quill in a moment of frustration), plus "a--hole," "s--t," "d--k," "bitch," and more. Characters flirt, and Quill gets extremely drunk. But he's also fiercely loyal to his crew, and the Guardians continue to demonstrate teamwork, perseverance, and courage. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (71)
• Kids say (89)

Based on 71 parent reviews

Lots of Animal Abuse - Know before you go

Too sad and violent and not very good or funny., what's the story.

In GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3, the Guardians, having (mostly) survived the events of the previous MCU films , are living in Knowhere in a state of low-key PTSD. That's particularly true for Peter Quill ( Chris Pratt ), who's still mourning the death of his Gamora ( Zoe Saldana ). Then Adam Warlock ( Will Poulter ) -- a killing machine genetically engineered and raised by Sovereign leader Ayesha ( Elizabeth Debicki ) to destroy the Guardians -- ends up surprising the gang and leaving Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper ) near death. Nebula ( Karen Gillan ) and Mantis ( Pom Klementieff ) discover that Rocket has a "kill switch" inside him that needs to be overridden if they want to save his life, so the whole gang -- including Groot ( Vin Diesel ) and Drax ( Dave Bautista ) -- head off to track down the code. Their search ultimately leads to the ultrapowerful High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), who's trying to create utopian societies throughout the universe. Rocket's past -- and his connection to The High Evolutionary -- reveal how he came to be, what kind of creature he really is, and even how he got his name. Meanwhile, Peter must come to terms with the reality that the Gamora who's from the other timeline introduced in Endgame never lived through the love story he shared with the Gamora who died in Infinity War .

Is It Any Good?

Surprisingly heartfelt, this movie is the darkest and most personal of the three Guardians films -- but also the most uneven. Writer-director James Gunn knows how to make this ragtag bunch work, but there's a layer of sadness that envelops the proceedings, despite the many laugh-out-loud moments. On the one hand, this mission has the established camaraderie of the second movie, one of the most ruthless villains in the entire MCU (The High Evolutionary is memorably terrifying with his perfection obsession), and a decades-spanning soundtrack that includes everything from Radiohead's "Creep" and the Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" to Bruce Springsteen's "Badlands" and Florence and the Machine's "Dog Days Are Over." On the other hand, the extensive flashbacks to Rocket's past, while illuminating, have such a different pace and character development that Vol. 3 sometimes feels like two stories smooshed together. The introduction of Adam Warlock is also uneven, and Poulter, who's a talented and funny actor, isn't given much to do except preen, kill, and whine for most of the movie.

Then there's the Gamora factor, which is necessarily complicated because she's not the same Gamora audiences have grown to love. It's difficult to feel invested in this Gamora, and her presence is sometimes more unpleasant than humorous. Like Peter, many viewers are likely to miss the old Gamora too much to enjoy Saldana's performance here. Pratt knows how to continue to make Star Lord lovable and messy and a bit of a wreck, and Cooper does a lovely job of conveying the trauma that Rocket experienced, as well as his core desire to belong to a found family. Bautista gets a great moment to shine when he forms a bond with a group of genetically engineered children, and Gillan's Nebula has her biggest role in the group to date, stepping up as a real leader. The visual effects focus on hybrid creatures created for potential utopias and sequences of violent whole-world destruction. The hybrids are purposefully uncanny and unsettling. It's unclear whether there will be more Guardians films in the future now that Gunn has left the MCU, so this is a good time to enjoy his final contribution to the franchise -- and be thankful for the questions he finally answered here.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 . How does it compare to the two previous movies? To other MCU movies? What's the impact of violence on kids?

Which characters do you consider role models? How do they demonstrate teamwork , perseverance , and courage ? Why are those important character strengths ?

Talk about The High Evolutionary's vision: What's wrong with his way of thinking? What does he lose by viewing Rocket and his friends as failed experiments? Can you think of parallels to real life?

What did you think of the soundtrack to Vol. 3 ? Kids/teens: Does the movie make you interested in music from the 1960s, '70s, '80s, and '90s?

What do you think happens next? Is the franchise done, will it continue as-is, or will it follow only a couple of the main characters?

Movie Details

• In theaters : May 5, 2023
• On DVD or streaming : August 2, 2023
• Cast : Chris Pratt , Zoe Saldana , Karen Gillan , Dave Bautista , Bradley Cooper , Pom Klementieff
• Director : James Gunn
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Black actors, Latino actors, Asian actors
• Studio : Disney/Marvel
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Superheroes , Adventures , Friendship , Space and Aliens
• Character Strengths : Courage , Empathy , Perseverance , Teamwork
• Run time : 150 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : intense sequences of violence and action, strong language, suggestive/drug references and thematic elements
• Last updated : July 18, 2023

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Movie Review: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

NEW YORK (OSV News) – Chris Pratt reprises his starring role as Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (Disney), and writer-director James Gunn returns to helm the project. But there’s a somber tone to long patches of this wrap-up of Gunn’s trilogy, which also lacks the verve that characterized its predecessors.

As leader of the titular team of miscellaneous superheroes, Peter is naturally alarmed when a previously unknown enemy endowed with mighty fighting prowess suddenly invades the ensemble’s headquarters, Knowhere. But anxiety turns to anguish when a confrontation with the new foe leaves his racoon comrade Rocket (voice of Bradley Cooper) gravely wounded.

To save Rocket’s life, Peter and his fellow warriors – likable brawny dope Drax (Dave Bautista), shifty trickster-turned-straight arrow Nebula (Karen Gillan), tentacled Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and anthropomorphized tree Groot (voice of Vin Diesel) – embark on a quest. They’re out to retrieve the computer code that will override Rocket’s programmed resistance to medicine.

Along the path of their journey, they receive off-and-on aid from Peter’s ex-girlfriend, Gamora (Zoe Saldaña). As fans of the interwoven “Avengers” franchise will know, Gamora was killed off, only to reappear as an alternate, younger version of herself. Not only does this mean she’s gone from Guardian to brigand, it also means she doesn’t remember Peter or their relationship.

As Peter grapples with this awkward complication in his once-flourishing romantic life, back at Knowhere, Rocket lies near death. While in a comatose state, he experiences a series of flashbacks to his youth.

These reveal that young Rocket was among the victims of a villain called The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) who used his hyper-intelligent prisoner as experimental fodder in a drive toward creating an ideal world populated by perfect beings. The torturous tinkering Rocket underwent included installing the technology that’s currently keeping him from healing.

Along with its implicitly pro-life warning about the dangers of interfering with nature, Gunn’s script satirizes the urge to resort to needless mayhem and highlights heroism and friendship. But the grim backstory to which much of the running time is devoted reinforces the movie’s inappropriateness for kids.

Grown-ups, by contrast, will appreciate that the combat, although at times intense, is kept bloodless. They may also feel that even the weakest installment of a series rich in charm and wit is worth patronizing. If nothing else, they’ll get one more chance to hum along with Redbone’s 1970s hit, “Come and Get Your Love” – and who doesn’t enjoy that?

The film contains much stylized but sometimes harsh violence, a torture theme, brief sexual humor, at least one mild oath, a single rough term and occasional crude and crass language. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 – parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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• DVD & Streaming

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

• Action/Adventure , Comedy , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

• May 5, 2023
• Chris Pratt as Peter Quill; Zoe Saldana as Gamora; Dave Bautista as Drax; Vin Diesel as Groot (voice); Bradley Cooper as Rocket (voice); Karen Gillan as Nebula; Pom Klementieff as Mantis; Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha; Sean Gunn as Kraglin; Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord; Will Poulter as Adam Warlock; Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary

Home Release Date

• July 7, 2023

Distributor

• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Movie Review

Everyone seems so mystified that Gamora is alive.

After all, Thanos did chuck her off that cliff (as chronicled in Avengers: Infinity War ). The fact that she showed back up (in Avengers: Endgame ) would be enough to confuse even the most seasoned of scenario-hopping time-travelers.

But for Gamora, the real mystery is how a previous version of herself wound up with such … losers.

This Gamora never fell in with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and she certainly never fell in love with Peter Quill, aka Star Lord. She wonders what sort of madness would’ve ever compelled her to do either. I mean, look at these guys! Quill’s so goofy , so sincere —not the tall, green and lethal fellow perhaps Gamora would’ve envisioned herself with. (If she was romantically inclined, that is. Which she’s not. Too much of the galaxy to plunder.)

And the rest of the Guardians? Well, they’re an equally strange bunch. Drax calls himself The Destroyer, but he seems to do precious little destroying. Mantis seems about as dangerous as a Pomeranian puppy. The tree guy is certainly big , but his vocabulary could stand some improvement. What Nebula—Gamora’s adopted sister—sees in these lunks is beyond her. Clearly, Nebula’s gone soft. In the head.

And we’ve not even mentioned the raccoon.

Why, that little critter is the whole reason that the Guardians got in touch with Gamora and her band of Ravagers in the first place.

Apparently, the thing is dying or something. Some big gold guy shot the raccoon full in the chest with his energy hands, and now the beast needs medical attention. But here’s the thing: The raccoon has a mysterious killswitch lodged in its innards. Any tampering with the animal (as in, giving it medical attention) will kill it, too.

The Guardians need the code to turn off that kill switch and save the raccoon. To do that , they need to fly to a weird organic-planet-thing. And to access that planet, they needed Gamora’s help.

Gamora thinks that’s a whole lotta work (and given her staggering fee, a lotta money) for just a pet . In fact, it’s a lot of work for a person . Gamora wouldn’t put in a tenth of that effort to save anyone in her life. All this talk about friendship and love … those are just other words for weakness.

But they paid well, so she helped.

Unfortunately, the plan didn’t go quite as expected. And now Gamora’s stuck with these losers for at least a while. She’ll have to hear Drax laugh and Quill cry and Groot say the only three words he knows over and over and over . She’ll have to hear about love and friendship and family . Ugh.

Hope none of it rubs off on her.

Positive Elements

Much to Gamora’s initial dismay, the Guardians of the Galaxy are all about love and friendship and family. And our discussion of all three begins with the character that this new/old version of Gamora cares the least about: Rocket Raccoon.

We learn quite a bit about Rocket’s backstory here—how he got to be the tech-gifted mammalian he is. But we also learn that in his old life, he had another quasi-family. Even in the horrific conditions they lived in and the terrors they were all subjected to, we discover that their bonds of affection were enough to make the place bearable. Love endures anything, as the Apostle Paul tells us—but love also helps us to endure.

Rocket’s new family is no less loving, and we see the tremendous lengths to which they’ll go to save their friend, risking their own lives for any chance to bring him back. It’s mystifying to Gamora, especially at first. But love is a powerful thing—more powerful than Gamora would’ve ever expected. Indeed, throughout the film we witness “weaknesses” that prove to be strengths. Drax’s goofy levity turns out to be much more impactful than his ability to destroy. Mantis’ empathy turns dangerous adversaries into assets. A character offers unexpected mercy to someone who doesn’t deserve it, and so on.

Quill is also forced to think about family—specifically the family he left behind when he was abducted from Earth ever so many years ago. While Quill at first shows little interest in reuniting with his grandfather (remembering him, essentially, as a mean old man), Mantis reminds Quill that when Quill last saw his grandpa, they were all in the midst of deep grief.

We see lots of heroism and sacrifice, as you’d expect. Innocent lives are saved. A telekinetic dog proves her worth. Characters gain new confidence and understanding. And the galaxy is, mostly, guarded.

Spiritual Elements

We’ve noted in past reviews that movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe are getting more spiritual—and often not in a good way. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 puts a lot on the spiritual menu—and much of it is surprisingly positive.

The main antagonist here, the High Evolutionary, believes that creation is woefully imperfect, and he aims to “correct” that perceived fault. His track record is dismal, but that doesn’t stop him from trying. He’s created several galactic races in his quest to design a more “perfect” universe. We should note that he also reserves the right to destroy his creations—be they people or planets—and he’s beholden to no one else but himself. “There is no God!” He tells someone. “That’s why I stepped in!”

But the High Evolutionary, the movie suggests, is wrong.

[ Spoiler Warning ] We see a sort of afterlife here—one in which old friends are reunited and where the sky never ends. Rocket is himself is the product/victim of experimentation. But he’s reminded that “there are hands that guide the hands.” Clearly, the implication is that there’s an intelligence far beyond that of those who experimented on him.

As you might expect, we encounter a lot of talk about evolution here: Some creatures go through millions of years of that process (as the film imagines it here) in a matter of seconds. Guardians of the Galaxy does not attempt to debunk evolution as secular biologists would teach it. But it does suggest that however the universe was created, a great and loving consciousness was behind it—and that it is hubris to think that we could do any better.

A new character is named Warlock (though his powers are not particularly occult). We briefly see the spirit of someone who died.

Sexual Content

Quill tries to remind Gamora of their past relationship (or rather his relationship with a past/future Gamora): He’s clearly still smitten with her. When she tells Quill that the woman he used to love sounds more like her sister, Nebula, Quill briefly looks at her in a whole new way. (He compliments Nebula on her eyes—telling her that after Thanos ripped out her original pair, he chose a good set of replacements.)

Mantis, who has the ability to plant thoughts in people’s minds, makes a male planetary gatekeeper fall madly in love with Drax. The gatekeeper playfully but chastely flirts with Drax, much to his annoyance and Mantis’ amusement, and we learn it’s far from the first time that Mantis has pulled the same trick.

Female characters wear formfitting outfits on occasion.

Violent Content

As one would expect from an MCU movie, violence is absolutely an inescapable part of the action here. It’s likely not necessary to tell you that people are shot and blasted and hit and kicked and thrown around and occasionally blown up. But Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 feels like it takes the mayhem and, yes, carnage up a notch. So a few special warnings.

First, the blood. While there’s very little of it technically, many of the alien creatures instead bleed a sort of yellowish-clear ooze—and it goes everywhere . If that ooze had been crimson, this likely would’ve earned an R-rating.

Some characters, good and bad, suffer some really terrible injuries. One suffers a grotesquely broken neck, but continues to fight as it snaps back into place. Arms and legs are broken and bend in unnatural positions. A face is ripped off (largely out of view of the camera), and we later see the bloody, semi-skeletal structure that was left.

We see the handiwork of the High Evolutionary: grotesque and torturous half-animal, half-metal constructs that look as if they were pulled right from a horror movie. (Think Sid’s creations in Toy Story and multiply those by a factor of three or four.) Other creations are painfully forced to “evolve,” and many are immediately destroyed. When Nebula learns about what Rocket went through, she says that it’s worse than anything Thanos did to her.

An entire planet is destroyed, presumably killing its millions or billions of inhabitants.

Crude or Profane Language

One f-word ( the first we’ve heard in the MCU ) and plenty of other euphemisms for it (“friggin’” and “freakin’” are the most common). We also hear an s-word and other profanities, including “a–,” “b–ch,” “d–n,” “h—,” “d–k” and “p-ss.” God’s name is misused thrice.

Drug and Alcohol Content

When the movie begins, Quill is still deeply despondent over his lost love (even though she’s technically alive), and we’re introduced to him when he’s very drunk and quite bellicose. When Drax learns that his friend has passed out, he says, “Again?”, suggesting this has become a very common occurrence.

Other Negative Elements

Drax tells several people how skilled he is at metaphor and allegory, including one such verbal description that involves a description of his excrement. A dog-like creature urinates and, later, licks its privates.

The orgo-planet visited by the Guardians can be goopy and slimy.

We should note that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 can also be extremely dark. Creatures are clearly terrified of their captors, and torturous experiments seem to be commonplace. While those experiments mainly take place off camera, younger and sensitive kids may well be pretty bothered by what they see here.

Marvel movies have always been a mixed bag, and this one may be the most mixed of all.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is fast paced and frenetic. It’s a little more violent than your average, baseline superhero film, and some of the resulting grotesqueries might draw a wince … or several. Deaths are commonplace. And the wholesale annihilation (albeit mostly offscreen) is in some quarters is truly catastrophic. And literal bombs aren’t the only things that are exploding: One f-bomb does, too.

And it’d be difficult to underestimate how dark the movie can feel in places. Guardians of the Galaxy films have always managed to blend rollicking comedy with a lot of heart. But this movie’s heart sometimes feels as though it’s breaking.

But what a heart it has.

Gamora plays a critical role in Vol. 3 , because it’s through her eyes that we’re able to see so freshly the squabbling, deeply loving dynamics of the Guardians. Through her, we can better appreciate their sacrifice, their character, their foibles, their love. When Gamora essentially demands that Nebula should help her leave this pack of misfit superheroes, Gamora pulls the ultimate card. “We’re family!” she says.

“So are they,” Nebula tells her. And she means it.

Vol. 3 is as much a story of belonging as it is superheroing, and what it means to love and care for difficult people in difficult times. As such, we find that we can relate to these people—even if the “people” are cynical raccoons and walking trees. Our own struggles do not involve space travel or fighting aliens on literally living planets, but the Guardians feel, paradoxically, down to earth. They feel like us. They feel like home.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has plenty of problems, and I’d urge parents interested in taking their kids to this to use plenty of caution. This is will be a difficult movie for many. But it’s also the best MCU film since Endgame and perhaps the best Guardians movie yet made.

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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James Gunn loves his outcasts. One of the most interesting things about his “ Guardians of the Galaxy ” movies has been watching the tug-of-war between Gunn’s outsider instincts and a franchise-generating machine that’s as insider as it gets. He's one of the few filmmakers who has operated in the massive system of the biggest movie money-making factory in the world without sacrificing his voice. Watching his “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is to see a director who knows how to balance corporate needs with personal blockbuster filmmaking. Mostly. This sci-fi/action/comedy still succumbs to a few of the MCU issues of late—bloated runtime, things-go-boom finale, too many characters—but there’s a creativity to the filmmaking, dialogue, and performances that modern superhero movies often lack. Much of the recent talk has been about the potential for AI-generated blockbusters , and I like when “GoTG 3” is at its messiest. Gunn is like that kid who is not only playing with his action figures; he’s pulling them apart and smashing them back together to make them into new creations. He doesn’t just love these losers, he wants to see them save the universe again. You will too.

“Vol. 3” opens with Rocket Racoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper ) listening to “Creep” by Radiohead. In another film filled with clever needle drops, it’s a tone-setter. Rocket sees himself as the weirdo, the creep, but the movie will teach him that he’s so f-ing special, of course. 

It all starts with an attack. The golden-hued Adam Warlock ( Will Poulter ) comes speeding into Knowhere, pummeling everything in sight with strength that would impress Superman. Rocket takes the worst beating and hovers near death for most of the movie, putting the film on two tracks—a flashback to Rocket’s origin story and the present-day tale of the Guardians trying to save him. The mission leads them to the High Evolutionary ( Chukwudi Iwuji ), a mad scientist who tried to speed up the evolutionary process for a utopia called Counter-Earth and created Rocket all those years ago.

Of course, the Guardians bring baggage on their quest. Peter ( Chris Pratt ) is emotionally unstable over what happened with Gamora ( Zoe Saldaña ), who was killed by Thanos but has returned as an alternate timeline version of the character who doesn’t remember her time with the GotG. Gamora gets involved with the Rocket mission, but the love story between her and Star-Lord doesn’t drive the narrative like the first two. Many filmmakers would have made “Vol. 3” about reuniting Peter and Gamora, but it’s more about a background to Rocket’s story, which allows for different chemistry between Pratt and Saldaña. She’s particularly good here, looking at the rest of the Guardians skeptically, especially the one who claims to love a different version of her.

As for the rest of the gang, it’s gotten a little too big for one movie to hold. Dave Bautista is fun again, but Drax has little to do. Same with Karen Gillan as Nebula, who has become a functional part of the team but lacks actual development. Mantis ( Pom Klementieff ) is back for comic relief, and Groot ( Vin Diesel ) does his thing, but it’s hard to shake how this “Guardians” is overcrowded. I didn’t even mention the talking dog (voiced by Maria Bakalova ), Elizabeth Debicki as Adam’s creator Ayesha, or Sylvester Stallone ’s return.

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is most appealing when it defies a “product over art” aesthetic by being clunky and weird. It might sound silly to say a film is at its best when it’s less refined, but many recent blockbusters lack the human touch. It's thrilling to see Gunn push through some of his genuinely unsettling creature designs, or settings that feel like they’re taking place in actual physical spaces instead of the bland CGI that makes superhero movies look like watching someone else playing a video game. There’s a version of “Vol. 3” that’s even more chaotic and personal—the final act especially feels like it’s knocking off prerequisites on an MCU checklist—but every time this blockbuster felt like it was edging more to content than art, it won me back.

It's in the small choices made by Gunn and an ensemble that would clearly follow him into battle at this point. 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.

While the villain is a bit underwritten—most characters are simply due to the cast's sheer size—something interesting here unfolds on a thematic level beyond the basic hero/villain narrative. Without spoiling all the details of Rocket’s origin, his arc shifted when he solved a problem in the High Evolutionary’s experiments on his own, sending the villain off into a spiral of insecurity and sociopathology. In a sense, this is a story of a vengeful God, someone who lashes out when his creation not only proves himself independent but arguably more intelligent than its creator. Tales of creations who turn on their wicked creators are as old as myth, but Gunn weaves that idea through a Marvel vision with just enough clever subtlety to give his film more depth than a lot of its peers. Gunn reckons with the idea of a wicked God, one who sees his creations as experiments more than actual beings. It’s a story that fits Gunn perfectly as he tries to defy the Hollywood machine by bringing his imagination to life. He's the creator who wants his creations to outshine him. 

The flashback/mission structure of “Vol. 3” sometimes drains the film of momentum, and everyone who has seen a Marvel movie knows that this will end with many team-ups and explosions. And yet even when the film is checking those items off the list, it does so with Gunn’s personality intact, whether it’s in his music choices or intense imagery that could startle younger viewers. So much of the recent MCU has felt cravenly desperate to do just enough to turn a profit. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is a reminder that the best blockbusters don’t just sing along to a well-known tune like “Creep”; they make the song their own. After all, we’re all the weirdos. And Gunn would say that makes us all pretty f-ing special too.

In theaters on May 5 th .

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

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Film Credits

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 (2023)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, strong language, suggestive/drug references and thematic elements.

150 minutes

Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord

Zoe Saldaña as Gamora

Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer

Karen Gillan as Nebula

Pom Klementieff as Mantis

Vin Diesel as Groot (voice)

Bradley Cooper as Rocket (voice)

Sean Gunn as Kraglin / On-Set Rocket

Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary

Will Poulter as Adam Warlock

Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha

Maria Bakalova as Cosmo the Dog (voice)

Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord

Daniela Melchior as Ura

Writer (comic book)

• Andy Lanning
• Greg D'Auria
• Fred Raskin
• John Murphy

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'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' sends off its heroes with a mawkish mixtape

Glen Weldon

L to R: Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Drax (Dave Bautista), Quill (Chris Pratt) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) go for a walk in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Marvel Studios hide caption

L to R: Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Drax (Dave Bautista), Quill (Chris Pratt) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) go for a walk in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

What, in your mind, is the Marvel Cinematic Universe still missing?

We're neck-deep into Phase 5 now, after all; we've had dozens of movies and streaming series and one-off specials. And while critics can and do bemoan the surface similarities these disparate properties tend to share, the strength of the MCU remains how much variation it manages to offer up in tone, scope, stakes and subject matter. Looking for street-level angst ? Cosmic sweep ? Paranoid thrillers ? Mystic mumbo-jumbo ? Sitcom satires ? Gods and monsters ? Coming-of-age dramas ? Subatomic shenanigans ? Afro-futurist utopias ? Whatever the hell Eternals was supposed to be ? The MCU has something for you.

But maybe, after all these years, you find that your own very particular Marvel itch remains somehow unscratched. So I say this to a vanishingly small subset of you: If you've ever found yourself walking out of an Marvel movie and said to yourself, "I liked it. It was fine. But I don't know. I can't help thinking it could have used...just you know a lot more vivisection," then rest assured your tastes have finally been catered to, you sicko freak.

The gang's all here, sort of

But first: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is pitched as a sendoff to the rag-tag gang of misfits first introduced in James Gunn's 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy , who've since cropped up in several corners of the MCU. As a team, they've always leaned more into mercenary violence and bro-ish banter than anything so hopelessly quaint as heroism, though they do tend to wind up saving the day, despite themselves. They've added some new faces to their roster, one of which is technically an old face. (Zoe Saldana here plays an alternate-timeline version of her character Gamora, whom we met back in the first film; long story.)

There's dim but headstrong Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), dim but strong-strong Drax (Dave Bautista), gruff Nebula (Karen Gillan), empathic Mantis (Pom Klementieff), laconic space-Ent Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) and tough but fuzzy raccoon Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper).

Also along for the ride: Kraglin (Sean Gunn) a space-pirate struggling with performance issues, Cosmo (Maria Bakalova) a telekinetic space-dog, and a brand new antagonist, Will Poulter's Adam Warlock, a genetically-engineered super-being with the mind of a petulant child in the body of an Instagram fitness influencer.

They're all up against a powerful being known as The High Evolutionary, played with gratifyingly over-the-top, scenery-devouring brio by Chukwudi Iwuji.

The High Evolutionary's nefarious plan? To engineer a perfect species to live in a perfect society of his creation. Which, alas, is where All! That! Vivisection! TM comes in.

Doing Moreau with less

Look, if you're trying to come up with a villain for audiences to dutifully, even reflexively hiss, eugenicists are a pretty good place to start; I get that. And if said eugenicist should also happen to go about their evil business by conducting unholy cybernetic experimentations on cute fuzzy animals like Rocket (in flashbacks) and innocent, adorable, wet-eyed toddlers (in the present day)? Sure. Fair enough. Bad guys do bad things, after all. It's in the job description.

The problem at the core of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 isn't the mere depiction of said animal experimentation, which created not only Rocket but a cadre of twee furry cyborg pals we get to (briefly) meet. It's the fact that writer/director James Gunn approaches those scenes without trusting his audience to naturally recoil at the idea of animal cruelty.

There is violent imagery, yes. But what makes those scenes profoundly unpleasant to sit through is not their violence itself, but Gunn's mawkish, maudlin, manipulative approach to it. Using every cinematic tool at his disposal, he so feverishly attempts to crank up the horror of those scenes that he only succeeds in exposing their cynical, plot-driven artifice. And by juxtaposing them with moments in which the experiments' animal subjects spout platitudes about the joy of friendship and their dreams of escape, Gunn's unbearable, ham-handed execution aims for pathos but achieves only bathos, its laughably inept evil twin.

Baby Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), one of the film's subtle, understated appeals to emotion. Marvel Studios hide caption

Baby Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), one of the film's subtle, understated appeals to emotion.

You can only tug on the audience's heartstrings for so long before they start to snap off in your hands. To watch Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is to watch a filmmaker under the wildly mistaken belief that the best way to get you to absorb what he's saying is by screaming it directly into your ear.

There's more to the film than Rocket's trauma narrative (in those flashbacks, Sean Gunn attempts to personify a younger Rocket by pitching Bradley Cooper's dese-and-dose Brooklyn accent up an octave or two, so we the audience get to experience some trauma ourselves).

Game, cassette and match

The central metaphor of Gunn's Guardians films has been the mixtape. Peter Quill's beloved, long-lost mother made him one filled with classic rock jams that supplied the soundtrack to his life (and to the first Guardians film).

Nowadays, Peter's updated his old cassette with a playlist that provides this third film with a more eclectic collection of needle drops (Beastie Boys, The The, The Replacements, Florence + the Machine).

And like any mixtape/playlist, Guardians Vol. 3 includes some real gems. At one point the team visits a space station that's entirely organic, and the production designers go to town creating doorways like heart valves and airlocks like open wounds. There's an extended slow-motion fight in a corridor featuring digital camerawork that swoops around the characters as they trade punches and kicks and laser blasts in a physics-defying manner. It's visually stunning if viscerally inert, like an extended videogame cutscene.

But some of the other songs in this cinematic mix don't hit as hard as they could. Poulter's Adam Warlock feels shoehorned into the overstuffed proceedings, and while Klementieff's Mantis gets more to do than she ever has, both the character and actor still feel underused.

The Guardians, as a team, have never adopted the usual superhero admonitions against the taking of lives. Even so, a scene in which one of our heroes casually instructs another one of our heroes to "Kill them all," still can't help but rankle.

Barbs and insults get well and truly traded — a Gunn hallmark — and most of them land. Mostly, though, a weirdly somber mood pervades the film. Maybe it's that the scenes of animal abuse linger longer, and cast a deeper pall, than the filmmaker has accounted for. If Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a mixtape, it's the one that your ex sends you after you break up with him, full of syrupy, sentimental tunes meant to reignite any last lingering sparks of feeling you may have once shared. It's "Seasons in the Sun" followed by "Alone Again (Naturally)" followed by "Everybody Hurts" followed by "The Christmas Shoes," and it serves only to remind you how right you were to dump the sappy chump when you did.

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‘guardians of the galaxy vol. 3’ review: james gunn’s overstuffed but satisfying trilogy capper.

The interstellar gang is back in the third installment of the hugely popular Marvel franchise starring Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista and Zoe Saldaña.

By Frank Scheck

Frank Scheck

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Cinematic superheroes have been going through a rough patch lately. Already this year, both Shazam and Ant-Man proved a bit at sea in their latest adventures. So it comes as a relief to report the trilogy-capping Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. achieves what it sets out to do, which is provide a stirring and audience-pleasing finale for a franchise that has proven to be one of Marvel ’s biggest and most unlikely success stories. Well, at least until the next iteration of the Guardians comes along.

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Not long afterward, Quill is reunited with Gamora. Of course, she’s an alternate version, since the Gamora he loved was killed by that pesky Thanos in one of those Avengers movies. The new, younger Gamora has little use for Quill, which doesn’t exactly improve his mood as he vainly struggles, like a depressed high school student, to remind her of what they once had.

He doesn’t have much time for moping, however, as the Guardians must rally themselves to save their beloved Rocket ( Bradley Cooper ), who’s at death’s door. This leads to flashbacks involving the fan-beloved raccoon’s backstory and his relationship with the film’s villain, the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji, using his Shakespearean acting background to excellent imposing effect), who wants to create a new, higher evolved master race. As with most Marvel villains, he doesn’t really think he’s bad, merely misunderstood.

Nonetheless, this edition largely succeeds like the other ones, thanks to the chemistry of the main ensemble, who have grown into their characters with relaxed ease. The interplay among them is frequently delightful, especially between the mind-controlling Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and the big doofus Drax ( Dave Bautista ), who come across like alien versions of Laurel and Hardy. Karen Gillan ’s Nebula is more acerbic than ever, and Vin Diesel ’s Groot has grown up to be a much bigger tree, although his vocabulary hasn’t improved very much. And Kraglin, played by Sean Gunn (the director’s brother), well, he’s still there.

Among the many antagonists on hand is Adam Warlock, the artificial being created to destroy the Guardians, who clearly has mommy issues with the villainess Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki, who looks even more striking in gold face paint). Will Poulter plays the role with an enjoyable mixture of physical menace and baby-like befuddlement, but he ultimately fails to make a lasting impression.

It’s but one of many comic moments that have become a particular trademark of the Guardians series, some of which are so stupidly silly that you feel like a kid laughing at them. I’m still chuckling at the ridiculous exchange among the Guardians over which buttons to press on their spacesuits to properly communicate with each other, with Quill’s confusion resulting in everyone overhearing his pathetic attempt to win back Gamora. (Don’t you hate when that happens?)

The film’s wildly imaginative visuals are another plus, with the proceedings feeling so bizarrely trippy at times it’s as if Gunn is aiming to create a midnight cult classic rather than a blockbuster superhero film. His distinctively anarchic style is on full display here, which makes you wonder how he’s going to tone it down when he tackles such iconic characters less suitable for irreverent humor as Superman.

The action sequences are also stunners, especially an epic climactic battle accompanied by the propulsive Beastie Boys classic “No Sleep Till Brooklyn,” a typical example of the filmmaker’s uncanny knack for providing fantastic playlists. This one is no exception, straying from the first two installments’ nostalgic ‘70s-era soundtracks to encompass several decades worth of terrific cuts and featuring artists including Alice Cooper, Spacehog, The Flaming Lips, The The and The Replacements. It’s no wonder the Guardians love to dance.

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 review: James Gunn bids an emotional goodbye to the MCU

The finale to this sci-fi superhero trilogy is a welcome pivot from a recent run of Marvel disappointments.

Christian Holub is a writer covering comics and other geeky pop culture. He's still mad about 'Firefly' getting canceled.

It's been almost a decade since the first Guardians of the Galaxy film debuted, and a lot has changed since then — both for viewers and for the characters. While we've watched Chris Pratt become a movie star and the MCU take chances on more colorful characters in the wake of Guardians ' success, these space-traveling heroes have run the emotional gamut: Pratt's Star-Lord killed his biological father and lost his surrogate one; Gamora ( Zoe Saldaña ) died and was replaced by a younger version of herself; Groot ( Vin Diesel ) has lived an entirely new life cycle as a baby, willful teenager, and now buff young man since his near-death at the end of the first film; Drax ( Dave Bautista ) has pivoted from seeking revenge for his lost wife and daughter to being an important emotional pillar of his found family; Nebula ( Karen Gillan ) has built a purpose for herself as a supportive teammate rather than her despotic father's custom-built weapon; and Mantis ( Pom Klementieff ) has learned that empathy is more about meeting people where they are than forcibly changing their mind.

That leaves Rocket ( Bradley Cooper ), who finally takes center stage in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for an emotional arc of his own. The previous films have only hinted at how an average raccoon became such a loud-mouthed pilot and skilled engineer, but now we are treated to flashbacks that show how he was a weapon experiment at the hands of an intergalactic geneticist called the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) who is trying to engineer the perfect species for a perfect society. Though Rocket was only meant as a test subject on the way to that greater plan, the little guy's cleverness surpassed even his creator, who will stop at nothing to get him back after so many years apart. Rocket, meanwhile, wants to ensure that no other innocent animals or children have to suffer the same horrors that he did.

(Note: These origin flashbacks are probably the most lively that CGI animals have ever looked; Disney's 2019 The Lion King remake pales in comparison. That could be a double-edged sword for younger viewers, though. Proceed with caution if you plan on bringing kids who might blanch at seeing pain inflicted on cute animal characters.)

In standing against the High Evolutionary's exclusionary eugenics and celebrating the unique humanity of every misfit and outcast, GotG 3 comes closer to being an X-Men movie than any other MCU installment to date, and that's a high compliment. It's always nice when superhero movies remember that they're supposed to be about saving lives rather than taking them, and GotG 3 often plays like a celebration of life — even for animals that can't talk or fly spaceships. Unfortunately, sometimes this morality feels inconsistent. In one early scene of banter, Star-Lord chides Drax for even considering killing people to accomplish their mission; later, in the film's centerpiece action sequence (which is indeed awesome), the heroes drop one body after another. Sure, those are "bad guys," but either stand behind your principles or don't espouse them so proudly.

This might not be the last time we see the Guardians on screen, but it is the last time we'll see them directed by James Gunn now that he's moved into a more powerful role at rival superhero studio DC Films. In addition to turning formerly C-list Marvel characters like Drax the Destroyer into global icons, Gunn is one of the few filmmakers who were able to imprint his own distinct style and tastes into this massive franchise that can too often feel (especially lately) a bit impersonal. That personal touch includes the rockin' mixtape soundtracks, the trippy cosmic flourishes, even Star-Lord's upbringing in Missouri…all of which, rest assured, come into play in this finale to Gunn's sci-fi trilogy.

But the new movie also introduces a few new elements into the mix. Adam Warlock ( Will Poulter ) finally arrives after he was first teased at the end of 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 . He comes off like a mix of the Zack Snyder/Henry Cavill Superman (an overwhelmingly powerful ubermensch who blasts across the screen and beats everyone else to a pulp) and Kid Miracleman (whose overwhelming power is fused to an adolescent naivete). Originally created by Marvel masterminds Stan Lee and Jack Kirby but most notably characterized by Jim Starlin, Adam Warlock is the reason we have Infinity Stones in the first place. He used to run around with the Soul Stone on his forehead, and the other five eventually followed.

Arriving as he does into a post-Infinity Saga MCU, Poulter's Adam still has an unexplained gem on his forehead but ends up feeling a little rudderless. His boyish innocence and try-hard quips are a far cry from the brooding, existentialist cosmic wanderer of Starlin's comics, and though it's fine for adaptations to riff on their source material, it doesn't seem like Gunn or producers knew exactly what they wanted from their version of the character. Adam is stuck grasping for screen time in the margins of bigger emotional arcs for characters we've known much longer, playing both antagonist and potential future hero from one scene to the next as if they were trying to squeeze the Rock's Fast Five arc into 15 minutes.

More successful is Iwuji's debut as the High Evolutionary, the intergalactic geneticist who originally experimented on Rocket to change him from a normal raccoon to the wise-cracking pilot and engineer we recognize. While so many Marvel villains are defined by their relatable motivation, the High Evolutionary is a straight-up megalomaniac willing to do anything to achieve his aims. Unlike Jonathan Majors ' Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania , Iwuji isn't burdened by the daunting task of having to be the MCU's main villain for the next decade. Instead, the Shakespearean actor focuses all his energy on showing us a character who refuses to recognize the futility of his own worldview and keeps raging through failure after failure in pursuit of an impossible goal.

What GotG 3 shares with Quantumania is a clear influence from Rick & Morty in its use of non-human alien characters with gibberish names. However, that kind of spacey wackiness plays better in the mini-franchise already known for out-there adventures rather than the one known for down-to-earth heists. Perhaps due to Gunn's mounting responsibilities, GotG 3 does lack some of the visual flair of the preceding films. There's a lot of walking-and-talking, and the main group of characters walk towards the viewer in slow-motion enough times that you can't help but get a little tired of it. Though nothing quite matches the sequence from GotG 2 where Yondu (Michael Rooker) massacred an entire mutinous spaceship crew with his handy red needle, the aforementioned battle scene does have to be seen.

GotG 3 definitely marks the end of an era, though viewers shouldn't necessarily expect a repeat of beats from 2019's similarly climactic Avengers: Endgame . The MCU has been stumbling a bit since it bid goodbye to Captain America and Iron Man, and by reuniting us with characters we've known and loved for years, GotG 3 marks a welcome pivot from a recent run of unimpressive experiments and disappointing debuts. It'll be a long time, if ever, before we feel this kind of emotional payoff from this franchise again. Grade: B+

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Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 review: James Gunn's trilogy ends with a big, brash blaze of glory

For his final outing with marvel's intergalactic misfits, gunn delivers a thrilling if sometimes overstuffed capper.

A lot has happened in the world of Guardians of the Galaxy since the last time they had their own movie. Within the Marvel Cinematic Universe , they’ve battled Thanos, lost one of their own, watched half of their number blip out of existence for five years, and ended up buying the headquarters of Knowhere in the Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special . Back in the real world, Guardians writer, director, and mastermind James Gunn was fired by Marvel, then rehired, then busy with two separate DC projects for Warner Bros., all while his cast went off and did many other projects of their own. And that’s just the abbreviated version.

Now, after all that and then some, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is finally here, and it carries with it the weight not just of the six years it took to get it made, but of a certain sense of finality in a fictional universe that’s seriously lacking in endings lately. Longtime MCU viewers know by now that nothing in that world ever really ends. Characters die sometimes, villains are defeated, and storylines wrap up, but they’re all cogs in a larger machine, threads in an ever-growing tapestry designed to link to the next thing. Yet here’s Gunn and his cast, doing their best to create some kind of satisfying conclusion to a story they started nearly a decade ago, back when a lot of people thought a movie co-starring a talking raccoon and a sentient tree had no chance at the box office.

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The gravity of that intention, of Gunn’s effort to conclude his story with his original team of actors, is laced through even the most irreverent moments in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 , a film that, like its predecessors, has no shortage of irreverence. It’s a juxtaposition that gives the film a different tone than its predecessors, making it the darkest in the series so far, but there’s also something else you’ll notice right away, something arguably more important. In a franchise full of earnestness and unrestrained energy, this feels like a cast and a crew who are ready to throw everything they have at us one last time. It’s not just a film, it’s a blaze of glory, and that sense of daring is both the best thing about Vol. 3 and, occasionally, the worst.

Picking up in the wake of the Holiday Special that hit Disney+ last year, Vol. 3 finds the Guardians at a crossroads. They’re all trying their best to build a new community on Knowhere, but the team’s not holding together like it used to, in part because Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) can’t stop drinking himself into a stupor over the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldana). But the team members have to set their other concerns aside when two things happen almost simultaneously: A new superpowered being named Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) quite literally blows up their enclave, and one of their own is mortally wounded. Racing against time to save their friend, the Guardians must journey to parts unknown, face a tyrannical mad scientist known as the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), and stare down their own potential ending in more ways than one.

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In a bare bones narrative scaffolding way, the film is basically laid out like a series of quests to retrieve certain objects and information that can solve the team’s problems, but Gunn is too canny to let those old rhythms overshadow what he’s really after with this installment. The urgent, adrenaline pumping way that the film sets up its stakes in the opening minutes ensures that the Guardians faithful are hooked right away, and therefore the searching around for solutions isn’t just something for the team to do. It’s a backdrop upon which they can each explore certain emotional depths. Rocket (Bradley Cooper) carries the brunt of this exploration with a number of flashbacks to his creation, and the darkness he left behind, but he’s not alone. Peter must contend with the emotional damage he’s been avoiding for years, Drax (Dave Bautista) must face the idea of losing his family for a second time, Mantis (Pom Klementieff) must explore the idea of independence for herself, Nebula (Karen Gillan) must learn to look past her own anger, and so on. It’s heavy stuff, which imbues this installment with a greater sense of potential emotional devastation than even the daddy issues-laden Vol. 2 , and that’s before Gunn digs even deeper into the life-or-death choices upon which his plot hangs.

But that heaviness is buoyed by the sense that, first and foremost, it’s just good to see everyone back in top form again. Gunn directs with the same sense of action-comedy bravado that made him a blockbuster filmmaker in the first place, sprinkling entertaining needle drops and fun camera angles through the film with impish delight. His cast, led this time by standout work from Bautista and Klementieff, feels like they’ve just been hanging out together for six years, waiting for the day the cameras will roll. It’s all comfortable and familiar and even joyful, which makes it easier to pull off the film’s delicate balance of many, many elements.

Which isn’t to say that balance is always just right. Even by Guardians movie standards, Vol. 3 feels overstuffed with setpieces and creatures and big new environments designed to show the scale of the cosmic world the characters inhabit. Even within individual scenes, as the Guardians are trying to juggle the High Evolutionary, Adam Warlock, a bunch of nameless monster creations and their own insecurities and hang-ups, the film feels like too much at times, like Gunn couldn’t help but keep throwing every idea into the mix as though it’s his last chance. At its best, this exuberant sense that the film is bursting at the seams works in its favor, giving it the explosive shine of something that just can’t help being this big, this bold. At its worst, it makes us gasp for intellectual breath, wishing the narrative would refocus.

But these moments are ultimately few and far between, and the overall impression of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is one of a refusal to leave anything unsaid, to abandon any opportunity to offer just one more narrative trick or clever visual. If the first film was about finding a purpose, and the second film about finding a family, then the third is about finding a legacy, and deciding what to leave behind. In true Guardians fashion, Gunn and his intrepid crew decide their legacy is to go down swinging to the very end, and that will always be both intensely entertaining and unforgettably endearing.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5.

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Reviews

Gunn really knows how to bring out the magic in this group of actors, and their charm and love of the material bring this movie home.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 19, 2024

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is probably the final triumph of Marvel Studios...There is vision and ambition behind the third film in the trilogy, a personal sincerity that these superhero movies have lost.

Full Review | Jul 7, 2024

An effects-laden spectacle propped up by an out-of-this-world ensemble whose charm carries the film through expository back story, narrative set-up, dizzying fight scenes and enough platitudes about friends and family to fill a “Fast and Furious” movie.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Jul 7, 2024

If this is the end, I couldn’t wish for a better one. It’s everything I want from a Marvel film, but it’s also a reminder that very few of them have the heart and vision of Gunn’s trilogy.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Jul 3, 2024

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is about Rocket finally getting to heal those wounds and do what he could never do before when he was just becoming aware—stopping this madman. This part of the MCU has always been about healing childhood trauma.

Full Review | May 25, 2024

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 manages to be more than honest-to-god entertainment, one that has the liberated weirdness of material (like a stealth We3 adaptation) that was never expected to find a mass audiences.

Full Review | Dec 9, 2023

This is the last time we see the beloved guardians. The film is laced with emotional and entertaining bits that make the swan song a thrilling ride at the movies this week.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Nov 27, 2023

For me, it was an unsatisfying conclusion as the wear and tear had begun to be exposed, caused mostly by a scrambled storyline and wayward storytelling.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 27, 2023

Now that nearly every other cinematic release reads like a holding pattern until they finally get around to mutants, Guardians Vol. 3 is the first sign in a while that Marvel might actually have some genuine enjoyment left in the tank.

Full Review | Oct 16, 2023

GotG3 has no real tie-in to the larger MCU. There are a few references to Thanos, the Snap, and the Infinity Stones, but that's about it. This tracks with the trilogy as a whole, which has always stood outside the larger Marvel narratives.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 8, 2023

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a surprisingly risky blend of dark tones and sinister villainy with great visuals, tasty music, and the emotionality we expect.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 7, 2023

While the fun, laughter, and quips, set to jukebox favourites that made this ragtag MCU family a joy to hang with are all present and correct, there are some problems with the Guardians’ third outing

Full Review | Aug 27, 2023

The strongest material is perhaps the most unexpected: the backstory of Rocket Raccoon, which is involving and even touching in ways that the rest of the picture is not.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Aug 27, 2023

It’s hopeful and poignant, filled with moments of empathy and integrity. Equal time is given to spectacle, with lots of stunning action sequences and psychedelic space weirdness.

Full Review | Aug 23, 2023

While not as engaging or fresh as the first two films Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 still had the usual James Gunn combination of dazzling CG environments, enjoyable action and great dialogue, so it was still a fun way to spend an evening.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 17, 2023

A gut punch of a film that had me in tears as much as it had me smiling.

Full Review | Aug 16, 2023

Gunn weaves a story with Rocket that is as horrifying as it is heartwarming.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Aug 8, 2023

…all just feels like indulgence of foppish creatives who don’t have much in the way of new or relatable ideas….

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 5, 2023

Rocket's origin story is great and the only highlight of the movie. Tonally it's all over the place and the runtime is about 25 minutes too long. After the brilliance of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 we're left wondering what happened to this series.

Full Review | Original Score: D | Aug 2, 2023

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is an emotionally powerful, tear-inducing "farewell" to James Gunn and his Guardians. Rocket's bittersweet storyline is the soul, heart, and engine running the best MCU film since Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Jul 25, 2023

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Review

05 May 2023

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

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.

This time, the danger is not some amorphous threat to life all across the galaxy but a personal crisis: one of the Guardians’ own is put into serious peril after a disastrous attack on their Knowhere home. The rest must find the key to saving Rocket ( Bradley Cooper ), with the clock ticking and their own emotions at the limit. The resulting quest involves teaming up once again with Gamora ( Zoë Saldaña ), who has no memory of their time together, and facing a new and terrifying adversary in Chukwudi Iwuji ’s High Evolutionary. To say he has a god complex undersells it; having found the universe lacking, he seeks to remake entire civilisations to his own design – including, it turns out, the Sovereign we saw last time, and their immature creation Adam Warlock ( Will Poulter , excellent despite limited screentime). The Evolutionary is also tied to Rocket’s origins, which it turns out are every bit as painful as Mantis ( Pom Klementieff ) once suggested.

Iwuji’s Evolutionary is not Marvel’s showiest villain, but he’s a great adversary for the Guardians, a gang of imperfect, damaged people driven by their own grief and pain to save others from both. What could be more at odds with their outlook on the world than someone obsessive about the perfection of all things? The strength of this cast has always been in their weaknesses, the failures and emotional scarring that meant they relied on one another just to get through the day, never mind guard the galaxy.

This film allows the Guardians of the Galaxy to face their fears and abandon the status quo, even if that means saying some painful goodbyes.

Having established that his heroes are in this surrogate family for a reason, Gunn smartly looks at what might happen if they dared to look beyond it and actually deal with their trauma rather than hiding from it in the acceptance of one another. So, we get flashbacks to Rocket’s genesis, witness Gamora’s anger as she struggles to reconcile the person she is with the stranger everyone else seems to remember, and see Star-Lord trying and mostly failing to imagine life without her. If Nebula ( Karen Gillan ), Mantis, Groot and Dave Bautista ’s superb Drax remain much as ever, that’s only because they were perfectly formed to begin with. But all their attempts to move forward result in a dramatically satisfying and remarkably grown-up approach to a comic book movie, especially one with this film’s wild visuals (giant organic space stations! Bat people! A Ravager merman who communicates with emojis!) and blinding colours.

This isn’t perfect. There’s bagginess around the middle, thanks to a welter of new characters and a laudable determination to give each member of the ensemble something worthy of their considerable talents, plus a couple of fight scenes are cut so fast as to be little more than brightly-coloured blurs. Then there’s the all-too-common superhero thing where monumentally horrible things happen only to be brushed aside for another quip, another scrap, another heart-to-heart. But the love that Gunn has for these characters is overwhelming, and that carries it through the rougher and slower patches. He successfully balances his tendency towards occasional snark by letting that love shine through every frame, to often heartbreaking effect.

That’s why it feels right that this film allows the Guardians of the Galaxy to face their fears and abandon the status quo, even if that means saying some painful goodbyes. The High Evolutionary succeeded better than he knew. He forced our favourite bunch of A-holes to grow, and become, perhaps, slightly better people, and that should give us all hope.

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 First Reviews: A Satisfying Finale for Gunn and the Gang

Critics say the presumably final outing for the guardians packs an emotional punch, enhanced by dazzling visuals and wild set pieces, even if its villains don't quite hit the mark..

TAGGED AS: First Reviews , marvel cinematic universe , movies

Here’s what critics are saying about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 :

Does it live up to expectations?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has everything you would expect from James Gunn and Marvel Studios. –  Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 achieves what it sets out to do, which is provide a stirring and audience-pleasing finale. –  Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 offers a rare thing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: a satisfying ending to a trilogy. –  Joshua Yehl, IGN Movies

I didn’t expect to feel so sad while watching this movie. –  Mike Ryan, Uproxx

How does it compare to the first two Guardians movies?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the weirdest, grimmest, most emotional entry in Gunn’s MCU franchise, but it’s also the strongest. –  Molly Freeman, Screen Rant

This edition largely succeeds like the other ones, thanks to the chemistry of the main ensemble. – Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

Like its two predecessors, the film is refreshing in the context of its own cinematic universe. –  Greg Nussen, Slant Magazine

Given how almost the entirety of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 feels like a superficial, snarky, and sarcastic deviation, Vol. 3 will evoke similar frustrations. –  Patrick Cavanagh, ComicBook.com

(Photo by ©Marvel/©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Where does it fit in the MCU?

Leave it to James Gunn to rescue Marvel from its self-inflicted woes with the best MCU film since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame . –  David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel

It’s the best MCU film in years, and a reminder of how much fun and moving the Marvel Cinematic Universe can actually be. –  Ross Bonaime, Collider

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 feels ripped out of an older phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe… a return to form. –  Sheraz Farooqi, Cinema Debate

A blockbuster that is perfectly suited to its time, and offers a much-needed win for the MCU. – Molly Freeman, Screen Rant

The impact of Rocket’s emotional arc is one of the most powerful we’ve seen in the entire MCU. – Patrick Cavanagh, ComicBook.com

James Gunn’s soulful style remain unlike anything else in the MCU. – Joshua Yehl, IGN Movies

In a funny way, it makes sense that Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 is more grounded than the other Phase Four movies. – William Bibbiani, The Wrap

How are the visuals?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has some of the most stunning visuals of any Marvel Studios film. –  Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

So bizarrely trippy at times it’s as if Gunn is aiming to create a midnight cult classic rather than a blockbuster superhero film. – Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

Gunn ushers us into uncharted new realms of wackadoo production design and outlandish costumes, reminding us that he’s never been shy about letting his stylistic freak flag fly. –  Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times

This insane adventure looks so good… Gunn and his team deliver a real sense of place to his various environments. –  Kate Erbland, IndieWire

A breath of fresh air following multiple MCU productions full of muted tones. – Patrick Cavanagh, ComicBook.com

One major aspect where Guardians 3 sets itself apart from Quantumania is the visual effects, which are vivid and spectacular. – Joshua Yehl, IGN Movies

Gunn’s preferred aesthetic is stomach-churning. –  Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post

What about the action?

The action sequences are also stunners, especially an epic climactic battle accompanied by the propulsive Beastie Boys classic “No Sleep Till Brooklyn.” – Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

The action sequences feel experimental but never showy, as Gunn aimed to showcase these characters in new and compelling ways. – Patrick Cavanagh, ComicBook.com

Unlike many contemporary action films… [it] allows audiences to take in the fight choreography in all its glory. –  Caitlin Chappell, CBR.com

There is a hallway fight scene that will no doubt wow audiences. – Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

Is it funny?

Often funny… The scene stealer turns out to be the good-natured, beefy Drax, with Bautista showing us his comedy chops. –  Peter Bradshaw, Guardian

I’m still chuckling at the ridiculous exchange among the Guardians over which buttons to press on their spacesuits to properly communicate with each other. – Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

The misfit team’s constant punchlines and I’m-just-busting-your-chops dynamic have grown exhausting. – Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post

Is it also kind of dark?

Vol. 3 is perhaps also the darkest Marvel Studios has gone… There are some moments that are not for the faint of heart. –  Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

The darkest contained MCU entry, Gunn’s examination of exploration, PTSD, and family bonds is fully engaging and tear-inducing. – David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel

At times, Vol. 3 can be unsettling… Abounds in intense depictions of animal torture. – Greg Nussen, Slant Magazine

This will be a difficult watch for some viewers. – Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post

This is a movie that will probably traumatize some kids and maybe a few adults. – William Bibbiani, The Wrap

How is the soundtrack?

The soundtrack is once again top-notch. –  Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

Gunn, who might be the master of the needle drop for his perfect soundtracks, is at the top of his game here… His use of songs from Radiohead, Earth Wind & Fire, Rainbow, and The Beastie Boys creates a beautiful goodbye anthem. –  Travis Hopson, Punch Drunk Critics

Songs like The Flaming Lips’ “Do You Realize?” and Faith No More’s “We Care a Lot” feel more like an opportunity for Gunn to showcase his own musical taste than elevating a sequence. – Patrick Cavanagh, ComicBook.com

What about the villain?

One of the MCU’s most memorable and twisted villains. – Caitlin Chappell, CBR.com

Chukwudi Iwuji is great as the High Evolutionary… His outbursts are terrifying, and Iwuji wonderfully captures the ferocity and anger of a man who is committed to his beliefs. –  Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

It is refreshing to face off with a Marvel villain whose existence doesn’t threaten literally every other being in the MCU. – Kate Erbland, IndieWire

Iwuji is also perhaps the strongest of the Guardians movie villains, turning in a multifaceted performance as the High Evolutionary. – Molly Freeman, Screen Rant

The High Evolutionary is an especially effective villain during the flashbacks… but he feels far less threatening in the present. – Joshua Yehl, IGN Movies

The High Evolutionary’s machinations, despite an intense, shout-to-the-sky performance of the old school from Iwuji, are all extremely melodramatic and Iowa-flat. – Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post

Iwuji bellows in a performance of Al Pacino-level over-the-top-itude. –  Peter Debruge, Variety

The High Evolutionary’s inclusion is as forgettable as a majority of other Marvel villains. – Patrick Cavanagh, ComicBook.com

How is the introduction of Adam Warlock?

Poulter is extremely funny as the character. – Kate Erbland, IndieWire

Poulter does a good job with the material he is given, but it isn’t much, unfortunately. –  Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

He ultimately fails to make a lasting impression. – Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

He never quite meshes with the rest of the narrative in a practical way. – Ross Bonaime, Collider

His scenes regularly grind the narrative momentum to a halt, and we can’t help but wish his entire plot was excised. – Patrick Cavanagh, ComicBook.com

Unfortunately, he feels like he’s only in this film out of obligation, and it’s sad to say Volume 3 wouldn’t have been much different if he were cut out. – Joshua Yehl, IGN Movies

Is the movie too long?

It’s wildly self-indulgent. – Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post

At a jam-packed, planet-hopping 150 minutes, it also feels less like a conventional moviegoing experience than the endorphin rush that comes from waiting years for the next season of your favorite TV series, then binge-watching all the new episodes in a single sitting. – Peter Debruge, Variety

This one is too damn long — but I’ll confess you likely won’t notice the bloated runtime simply because Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 almost never slows down. –  Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm

Is there too much going on?

Gunn has to juggle a lot with this finale, but once again, he shows he’s a master at knowing exactly how to work with a large ensemble. – Ross Bonaime, Collider

The story is a bit messy, though. Gunn has a lot of story he wants to tell and he tells every bit of it. – Travis Hopson, Punch Drunk Critics

There are simply too many characters here, and while they all get their own mini-arcs, most of them feel hollow. – Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm

How does it leave us feeling about the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

The success of Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 proves that it’s still possible for Marvel movies to hit and hit hard after more than 30 films. –  William Bibbiani, The Wrap

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a reminder that with the right cast, crew, and story, superheroes can still deliver. –  Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

When I think of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and the MCU, I think of Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part III , “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.” – David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens in theaters everywhere on May 5, 2023.

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4 Things Parents Should Know about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

• Michael Foust Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
• Updated May 05, 2023

Peter Quill is a superhero with a long list of accomplishments.

He's rescued his friends from death. He's rescued strangers from death. He's even saved the universe.

But there is a hole in Quill's soul. His mom died. His girlfriend died. And now, his good friend, Rocket, is seriously injured.

"Everyone around me dies," he says.

Quill – also known as Star Lord – is determined to save Rocket. That, though, will require Quill and his superhero friends to travel to the other side of the universe, where the secret to Rocket's health lies. It also will require Quill to confront ghosts from his past.

Will Rocket survive?

The new film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (PG-13) follows the story of Quill, Rocket and their motley gang of good guys. It stars Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana and Pom Klementieff.

Here are four things parents should know:

Photo courtesy: ©Disney, used with permission.

1. It's the End of an Era

The franchise began nearly a decade ago with 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, which told the story of a man from Earth named Peter Quill (Star-Lord) who fights to save the universe alongside his quirky group of friends: a talking raccoon (Rocket), a tree-like humanoid (Groot), a muscular ex-prisoner (Drax the Destroyer), a green-skinned alien (Gamora), an alien with antenna (Mantis) and an alien that's half-machine (Nebula). That was followed by 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is, apparently, the end of the road for a few major characters, although a mid-credit scene leaves the door open for another film with a different lineup.

2. It's Rocket's Backstory

If you've ever wondered how a raccoon learned to talk and fly a spaceship, then this is your film. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens with Rocket suffering a major wound that requires an operation. However, due to a mechanized "kill switch" embedded within Rocket, surgery is not an option. (Surgery would trigger the kill switch, ending his life.) For the remainder of the film, Rocket is on life support while Quill and the Guardians search for a solution.

Eventually, the Guardians learn about Rocket's origins: He received his human-like abilities at Orgocorp, a biotech company headed by an evil genius known as The High Evolutionary (portrayed by Chukwudi Iwuji), who has created a machine that "speeds up" evolution so that animals can become intelligent within seconds. Rocket was the company's biggest success story. Due to his kind and compassionate nature, Rocket also was its biggest threat.

Quill and the gang travel to Orgocorp, where they confront The High Evolutionary. They also learn of his plan to conquer the universe.

Much of the film spotlights the relationship between Quill and his former romantic interest Gamora, who died in Infinity War but was brought back to life in Endgame when time was reversed. Unfortunately, the new version of Gamora does not remember Quill.

"It wasn't me," she says of their former relationship.

3. It's Another Utopian Story

Like Infinity War and Endgame, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 gives us an antagonist whose goal is to create a better universe that will first require much destruction. The High Evolutionary didn't like Earth – it was full of "ignorance and bigotry" – so he creates a Counter-Earth planet populated by intelligent animals. Unfortunately, that experiment went awry (the octopuses were selling meth, among other problems), so he's going to destroy it and start over.

"I'm not trying to conquer the universe. I'm perfecting it," he tells Quill.

Quill and the Guardians simultaneously try to save Rocket while stopping The High Evolutionary from killing millions.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 includes plenty of fodder for a worldview discussion.

Yet the film leaves no doubt about the existence of an afterlife when Rocket has a near-death experience. We see him ready to cross over into heaven when a friend tells him: Your time's not over.

4. It's Hilarious, But …

Fortunately, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 avoids the sex-themed jokes that littered the first movie. The humor mostly stays in family-friendly territory – and is truly funny.

That doesn't mean the film is kid-friendly, though. It contains quite a bit of coarse language (details below). It contains an LGBT joke when Mantis uses her powers to make a man fall "hopelessly in love" with Drax. (He eyes Drax and smiles at him.)

It also contains a significant amount of violent and disturbing content. A man is stabbed with a sword through the abdomen. (It's bloody.) Another man is essentially burned to death with a laser beam. (We see his skull and his skeleton.) A pig-like creature is decapitated. In the film's most grotesque moment, a man's face is peeled off, revealing blood and muscle as he continues to talk. Monsters and creatures – and of course, punches and explosions – litter the film.

But if you can stomach that, the film has great lessons on selflessness, friendship, love and patience. Rocket reminds us that heroes don't seek vengeance. Mantis delivers one of the movie's best messages: Everyone has a purpose in life.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is fun, smart and hilarious, even if the plot – like most superhero films – seems recycled. And if that's not enough, the film also has a few scenes with the legendary Sylvester Stallone.

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, strong language, suggestive/drug references and thematic elements. Language details: H-ll (11), a-- (5), f-word (1), d--k (4), OMG (2), SOB (1), s--t (2).

Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Family-friendly rating: 2 out of 5 stars.

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

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‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Review: James Gunn's Tearful Goodbye to the MCU and Marvel’s Scrappiest Heroes

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We rarely get to say goodbye at the movies anymore—especially in superhero films. In a world full of multiverses, quantum realms, and Infinity Stones that can make literally anything happen, anything is possible, everything is reversible, and goodbye is only temporary. If Deadpool wants to crack some jokes with Wolverine, despite a perfectly satisfying ending in Logan , there’s a way to make him come back from the dead, no problem. Almost immediately after Tony Stark snapped himself to death, the audience was wondering how Robert Downey Jr. could return to the MCU.

But the Guardians of the Galaxy have always stood out from the crowd and played by their own rules. While the MCU was still stuck on Earth, the Guardians, a little-known ragtag group of misfits that came together to create an odd but lovely family, were out patrolling the skies. James Gunn took a fringe Marvel team-up, and made them the most interesting segment of the Marvel universe, more often than not telling their own self-contained narrative, away from the larger MCU puzzle pieces, and was far better for it. Guardians of the Galaxy has always been Gunn’s baby, and so with Gunn heading out to run DC, it’s time for him to say goodbye to this crew, and he does so in a satisfying way with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 , which is full of heart, humor, and action that feels like a creation only Gunn could come up with. Will we likely see some of these characters again down the line? Almost definitely. But with Gunn gone as captain, Vol. 3 feels like the last time we’ll see these characters in this way again, and Gunn gives them a wonderful sendoff.

We pick back up with the Guardians on Knowhere, which they have made into their home base, and quite a comfy community. When the team is attacked by Adam Warlock ( Will Poulter ), the Guardians set out on a new mission that runs them into The High Evolutionary ( Chukwudi Iwuji ), a man with a god complex who experiments with living creatures to make a perfect society. The High Evolutionary is also the man behind Rocket Raccoon’s (voiced by Bradley Cooper ) evolution into what he is today—a past that Rocket has avoided throughout this entire series, and which Vol. 3 finally delves into.

RELATED: How the MCU Was Made: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and Marvel’s Big Gamble

Rocket is in many ways the star of the show in this third film, and his backstory is a heartbreaking tale that Gunn manages to make effective despite it being between a raccoon and his animal friends (voiced by Linda Cardellini , Asim Chaudhry , and Mikaela Hoover ). This is a story that Guardians has been hinting at for the past decade, and Gunn manages to make it one of the most emotional stories ever told in the MCU.

In addition to Rocket’s history, we also have the one-sided love story between Peter Quill ( Chris Pratt ) and Gamora ( Zoe Saldaña ), who still doesn’t remember her romantic past with the Star-Lord. Gunn’s handling of this dynamic is wonderfully tender, and a type of relationship we don’t see too often on screen, where a person loves another, but that person that they loved isn’t the same person anymore. While, yes, relationships often end this way over time, and not because one person’s power-hungry father knocked them off a magical mountain, but Gunn makes these emotions really resonate, and to his credit, Pratt plays these moments with honesty and deep pain that takes you by surprise.

As the culmination of this group’s story, and with the Guardians now larger than ever, James Gunn has to balance quite a bit, but for the most part handles this challenge well. While Vol. 3 focuses primarily on Rocket and Quill, the larger journey allows for each character to have their own big moments, even if there’s no time to give them their own individual arcs. But this structure works well, especially with such a large cast. Drax ( Dave Bautista ), Mantis ( Pom Klementieff ), and Nebula ( Karen Gillan ) are often put together in hilarious combinations that also speak to their greater gifts within the group, and we also get just the right amount of the newer additions in Kraglin ( Sean Gunn ) and the adorable good dog Cosmo (voiced by Maria Bakalova ). Gunn has to juggle a lot with this finale, but once again, he shows he’s a master at knowing exactly how to work with a large ensemble.

Gunn finds the perfect way to end each of these character’s stories in a way that feels right in line with the direction they’ve been going this entire time. While the editing of Vol. 3 can often be a bit of a mess, with the film flying back-and-forth between Rocket’s history and the Guardians’ latest mission without any real rhyme or reason, it’s only a bit distracting and still manages to make for an overall successful combination of stories.

And yet, there still might be a bit too much on Gunn’s plate with this one. Even with a two-and-a-half hour runtime—which flies by—Poulter’s Adam Warlock gets a bit lost in the mix. Gunn has teased Warlock throughout this trilogy, and his inclusion here feels like a now-or-never scenario. Warlock largely sets the story in motion, and while he’s part of the journey throughout, he never quite meshes with the rest of the narrative in a practical way. Poulter is fun in a role that places him as powerful, but kind of a dummy (a dynamic which the film itself notes this universe already has plenty of), but considering how many spinning plates Gunn has going, it’s more impressive that this golden one is the only one that falters.

However, the same can’t be said about Iwuji’s High Evolutionary, a menacing villain that does away with Marvel’s recent trend of understandable antagonists, as Iwuji goes full-on monster here. The High Evolutionary’s goal is perfection, and the means to which he goes after that desire is often disturbing and strange, and fits right into the darker instincts of Gunn’s filmography—as The High Evolutionary has a face that seems stretched onto his scalp, and a penchant for making strange animal hybrid machines that look like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle rejects made by Toy Story ’s maniac child Sid Phillips.

But while it’s hard to say goodbye, it’s also refreshing to do so. Despite this crew having seemingly nothing in common, over the last decade, Gunn has written this group in a way that makes them truly feel like a family that loves and cares for each other. This isn’t cynical in the way the previous films could be at times, but rather, Vol. 3 really leans into the deep adoration each member of this team has for each other. No matter what combination of characters we get, that friendship flows through it, and we know that each of these teammates would risk their lives for any of the others. It’s that passion and devotion that makes the Guardians the best superhero team up in the MCU—and therefore, maybe ever?—and wonderful that this team gets to conclude their time together on their own terms with an ending as fitting and satisfying as this one is.

Yet even more of a loss than this team is Gunn, who Marvel took a chance with, allowing the writer-director who had only made weirdo films like Super and Slither , and allowed him to take a rarely-known team of characters and turn them into one of the most beloved segments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In many ways, Gunn brought humor to the MCU, a love between characters, and he actually cared about the music being used in these films—all elements that have permeated throughout the rest of the MCU. It’s nothing short of astonishing what he’s done with the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, taking characters no one knew and turning them into the best part of this world.

After a fairly disappointing Phase Four, and an underwhelming beginning to Phase Five with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania , Gunn leaves the MCU by showing Marvel what lessons they should learn from his work in this trilogy. These films should be led by the heart, not by the inevitable third-act fight sequence, or the attempts to set up the next decade of content. Vol. 3 shows how much better the MCU is when Marvel lets a creator see out their vision, instead of placing their vision on the creator. If anything, the most painful loss of Vol. 3 is of Gunn. Even after three films in this universe, he managed to make all of these films feel fresh and unique, never watering down our love for this group, and got out before he was left spinning his wheels. The MCU has had plenty of great directors in this universe, but no one has taken full advantage of the freedoms and potential of this universe quite like Gunn, and that ambition, vision, and sense of heart and humor will be missed in this world.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 isn’t just the ideal sendoff for this group, it’s the best MCU film in years, and a reminder of how much fun and moving the Marvel Cinematic Universe can actually be after film-after-film of recent disappointments. The Guardians of the Galaxy were the best corner of the MCU, and Gunn has created the perfect goodbye to this gang of misfits.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 comes to theaters on May 5.

• Movie Reviews
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own - a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians if not successful. Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own - a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians if not successful. Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own - a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians if not successful.

• Jim Starlin
• Chris Pratt
• Chukwudi Iwuji
• Bradley Cooper
• 1.5K User reviews
• 355 Critic reviews
• 64 Metascore
• 11 wins & 87 nominations total

Top cast 99+

• Peter Quill …

• The High Evolutionary

• On-Set Groot …

• Steemie Blueliver

• Xlomo Smeth

• Ssssaralami

• Orloni Peddler

• Adam Warlock

• Recorder Theel

• Recorder Vim
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia (at around 23 mins) In this film, Drax refuses to share his zarg nuts with Mantis. This is because in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022) , she ate all of his without permission.
• Goofs In the closing credits for Special Thanks, Bobcat Goldthwait 's last name is misspelled as "Goldthwaite."

Rocket : Someday I'm gonna make great machines that fly. And me and my friends are gonna go flying together, into the forever and beautiful sky.

• Crazy credits SPOILER: There is a scene in the closing credits: a new roster of the Guardians of the Galaxy goes to work.
• Connections Featured in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: One Giant Iago Ahead (2019)
• Soundtracks Creep (Acoustic Version) Written by Jonny Greenwood (as Jonathan Greenwood), Ed O'Brien (as Edward John O'Brien), Colin Greenwood (as Colin Charles Greenwood), Thom Yorke (as Thomas Edward Yorke), Phil Selway (as Philip James Selway), Albert Hammond , and Mike Hazlewood Performed by Radiohead Courtesy of XL Recordings

User reviews 1.5K

• georgewhittingham1
• May 2, 2023
• How long is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3? Powered by Alexa
• Why is Gamora still alive in this film when her 'alternate self' should no longer exist with the death of Thanos and her present self sacrificed herself to ensure that. According to Bruce Banner and The Ancient one, these alternate selves should no longer exist. Other characters who died the same way have stayed dead.
• The past version (2014) of Gamora should have turned to dust after the Endgame snap to reverse what Thanos had done in Infinity War - is (past) Gamora alive or dead? How?
• May 5, 2023 (United States)
• United States
• New Zealand
• Official Marvel
• Guardianes De La Galaxia Vol. 3
• Atlanta, Georgia, USA
• Marvel Studios
• Film New Zealand
• Marvel Entertainment
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $250,000,000 (estimated)
• $358,995,815
• $118,414,021
• May 7, 2023
• $845,555,777

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 30 minutes
• Dolby Surround 7.1
• Dolby Atmos
• Dolby Digital
• IMAX 6-Track

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‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Review: Raccoon Tears and a Final Mixtape

This dour, visually off-putting two-and-a-half-hour A.S.P.C.A. nightmare of a film may only be for completionist fans.

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By Maya Phillips

Animal lovers, comic book fans and unofficial adjudicators of narrative continuity, action and style in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Lend me your ears. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is not the movie for you.

Perhaps this dour, visually off-putting two-and-a-half-hour A.S.P.C.A. nightmare of a film is only for completionist fans like myself, arriving at the theater armed with overpriced popcorn and the hope that the director James Gunn’s latest could replicate the romp and anti-gravity gambol of the first .

For those who need help getting their multiversal timeline untangled, “Guardians” is the second film of the so far ecstatically bad Phase Five of the M.C.U., after the, to quote my colleague, “thoroughly uninspired” “ Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. ” We last caught our whole team of lovable riffraff together in “ Avengers: Infinity War ,” when Thanos (Josh Brolin) threw his adopted daughter and galaxy guardian, Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), into an abyss to get one of the Infinity Stones, which he used to snap away half of the universe. (There were some dancing Groots and a cute holiday special about abducting Kevin Bacon, but — sorry, Kev — they were irrelevant.)

Now the Guardians are settling in at Knowhere, a community in the severed head of a celestial that serves as their home base. With Gamora gone, Peter (Chris Pratt), a.k.a. Star-Lord, is still grieving, unaware of the fact that somehow Gamora — or, rather, a variant — is alive, sans her memories of him and the Guardians. When, a few minutes into the film, Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) becomes victim to a deadly attack, the team is reunited with a hostile, partially amnesiac Gamora, who is reluctantly dragged into their plot to save him.

While Rocket is in critical condition, Peter and company do some risky snooping through Rocket’s traumatic back story to figure out how to save his life and stop the man pursuing him, the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). A powerful god-figure, the High Evolutionary has genetically altered Rocket, other animals and even children to create a perfect race to inhabit his imagined utopia. (Yes, that’s another Nazi-coded villain for your Bingo card.)

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