'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' Movie Review: A Fun and Solid Ending to the Franchise

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The Guardians first came into the hearts of fans in 2014 with the first film of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Now, nearly ten years later, the third and final movie of the series has been released. Does it provide a satisfying conclusion? It’s just as wild and fun as the previous two films. In short, yes. However, there are still some issues.

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, our beloved band of misfits is settling into life on Knowhere. But it doesn’t take long before trouble shows up, and they find their lives in danger as they set out on a quest to save Rocket.

While the audience gets a fair amount of backstory with Rocket’s past, we also see everything that Peter Quill is still working through as he’s still reeling from the loss of Gamora. Quill, aka Star-Lord, will have to rally the guardians together if they will have a chance of saving Rocket.

And if the mission isn’t successful, it will end the Guardians as we know them. So high stakes are on the line as we close out the trilogy.

Check out the film’s trailer below.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Movie Trailer

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Movie Review: What I Did and Didn’t Like

With its thrilling action sequences and heartfelt character moments between our core cast of heroes (and villains), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 not only provides fans with closure to this beloved series but also establishes itself as the first summer blockbuster of 2023. But there are some issues here.

With a run time of 2 hours and 29 minutes, it’s not the longest MCU movie by any stretch. But it feels it. The pacing is a bit off, it feels messy at points, and some scenes could have been trimmed down. There’s just too much packed into the film, as it is the finale. That’s really my only complaint that doesn’t involve spoilers. But I will say that I wished for something a bit different with the movie’s ending.

The visuals are pretty spectacular, as expected from a Marvel movie. From the vibrant colors to the impressive CGI, this film looks stunning. The soundtrack is also fantastic, bringing back many of the classic songs from the first two films and some new tunes.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Cast — Photo Credit: Marvel

Acting

By this point, these cast members know these characters inside and out. And that comfort and familiarity are evident on screen as you lose the actor with each of these characters as the adventure kicks off.

Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana nail their respective roles of Peter Quill/Star-Lord and Gamora. Bradley Cooper also shines as Rocket, setting the tone for what initially feels like a dark and sad film. Thankfully, that tone shifts, but it does take a while.

Dave Bautista’s Drax provides some of the film’s best laughs, and Karen Gillan’s Nebula, while still remaining the strong character that she is, continues to soften a tiny bit in her relationship with Guardians. Vin Diesel’s Groot has a pretty significant moment towards the film’s end that will leave fans feeling truly satisfied with his character arc throughout the franchise. And Pom Klementieff and Sean Gunn also deliver strong performances as Mantis and Kraglin, respectively.

Story

While the whole Guardians gang is present, the story here really revolves around Rocket. We learn his backstory through a series of flashbacks, and it creates a really dark and depressing atmosphere for a good chunk of the movie. At least, it did for me.

Some of the film’s more lighthearted moments of humor felt off to me due to being alongside Rocket’s more emotional journey. And that’s also where I think the pacing gets somewhat off track. Dealing with such a serious and depressing narrative next to the comical banter with the Guardians just didn’t hit right for me at multiple points. That being said, a shift does occur towards the last third of the film, which returns us to a tale that feels more like the Guardians of the Galaxy we know and love.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Rocket — Photo Credit: Marvel

Overall

All in all, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is an entertaining summer blockbuster and a satisfying conclusion to one of Marvel’s most beloved trilogies. It’s just a bit of a bumpy ride to get us to the emotional payoff we were all hoping for in the end.