So first of all, everything to do with Rocket in this movie is absolutely incredible and heartfelt. I'd even argue that his flashbacks are some of the best scenes we've seen in any Marvel film to date. On top of that, I really appreciated just how much this whole movie pushes the boundaries of its PG13 rating. We get the first Marvel f-bomb as well as some pretty gory moments by MCU standards. It can clearly be seen that James Gunn was given a lot of leeway to make the movie he wanted and so he was able to get away with a lot more and make callbacks to his horror roots. Additionally, the whole Guardians team has great chemistry together as always and it's great to just be able to see them interact with each other again. I liked the way the movie dealt with Gamora returning and her relationship with Peter Quill. On top of that, I loved the moment when the movie jokingly hinted that we might get something between Star Lord and Nebula which oddly enough I wish we did get, it would've been a great subversion of expectations.
Now onto the stuff I liked less and I'll start with the comedy. This was already beginning to be an issue for me with the 2nd movie and it's a problem that all modern Marvel movies have. The comedy in GOTG 3 often felt forced and the jokes were drawn out for too long. I realize that this series is known for being very comedic but maybe the jokes just needed to be placed more naturally, instead of being forced in so much. However, it's just my opinion though and I at least appreciate that there weren't any jokes in the moments that were supposed to be serious. Furthermore, the soundtrack was less appealing to me this time around but it might just be due to my preference for 70s soft rock and this entry expanding into a different musical era. On top of that, it does what all Marvel projects do which is have a massive CGI battle at the end. And yes, some moments are great in this battle like the one-take corridor sequence but I was still left switching off and thinking about something else when the bloated action sequences were happening. What did keep me engaged for the most part however was the genuine tension that I felt as I was sure that one or more of the Guardians will be dead by the end. The tension however was unwarranted as no characters died and this was a major disappointment.
The lack of character deaths prevented this film from feeling like the finale it was intended to be. If one or two Guardians bit the bullet in a definitive way I would've probably raised my rating to an 8. If Rocket wasn't laid out for most of the film and instead was kidnapped, he could've died during the final battle. The heaven scene could've then actually ended with him following Lylla and thus maximizing the emotional impact. Additionally, I feel like Star Lord perishing would've really been a great way to end it all but maybe in a better manner than with him trying to save his Zune. Also, the Guardians splitting up doesn't feel satisfying at all to me. It's the classic trope of a group of people splitting up only to realize they were the happiest when they were together. This is all just my opinion but the lack of finality and the setup for all of these characters returning in future Marvel movies lessened the supposed impact of this being the last time we see the Guardians together. We might not get Guardians of the Galaxy 4, although I wouldn't be surprised if we do but I bet we will see them team up again together in Avengers or another project, even if briefly. It all just doesn't feel like the epic conclusion that we were promised but rather a setup for how these characters will feature in the MCU going forward. I guess comic book movies can never have proper endings and even something great like Logan proves it with Hugh Jackman set to return for Deadpool 3. Maybe I shouldn't expect these films to provide conclusions because the studios will always try to get more from these characters and actors if there is money to be made. However, overall, even though a lot of this review might've seemed negative I did very much enjoy the movie but it just didn't wow me like it seemed to do most people and it simply lacked the finality that I personally desired from it.
Now onto the stuff I liked less and I'll start with the comedy. This was already beginning to be an issue for me with the 2nd movie and it's a problem that all modern Marvel movies have. The comedy in GOTG 3 often felt forced and the jokes were drawn out for too long. I realize that this series is known for being very comedic but maybe the jokes just needed to be placed more naturally, instead of being forced in so much. However, it's just my opinion though and I at least appreciate that there weren't any jokes in the moments that were supposed to be serious. Furthermore, the soundtrack was less appealing to me this time around but it might just be due to my preference for 70s soft rock and this entry expanding into a different musical era. On top of that, it does what all Marvel projects do which is have a massive CGI battle at the end. And yes, some moments are great in this battle like the one-take corridor sequence but I was still left switching off and thinking about something else when the bloated action sequences were happening. What did keep me engaged for the most part however was the genuine tension that I felt as I was sure that one or more of the Guardians will be dead by the end. The tension however was unwarranted as no characters died and this was a major disappointment.
The lack of character deaths prevented this film from feeling like the finale it was intended to be. If one or two Guardians bit the bullet in a definitive way I would've probably raised my rating to an 8. If Rocket wasn't laid out for most of the film and instead was kidnapped, he could've died during the final battle. The heaven scene could've then actually ended with him following Lylla and thus maximizing the emotional impact. Additionally, I feel like Star Lord perishing would've really been a great way to end it all but maybe in a better manner than with him trying to save his Zune. Also, the Guardians splitting up doesn't feel satisfying at all to me. It's the classic trope of a group of people splitting up only to realize they were the happiest when they were together. This is all just my opinion but the lack of finality and the setup for all of these characters returning in future Marvel movies lessened the supposed impact of this being the last time we see the Guardians together. We might not get Guardians of the Galaxy 4, although I wouldn't be surprised if we do but I bet we will see them team up again together in Avengers or another project, even if briefly. It all just doesn't feel like the epic conclusion that we were promised but rather a setup for how these characters will feature in the MCU going forward. I guess comic book movies can never have proper endings and even something great like Logan proves it with Hugh Jackman set to return for Deadpool 3. Maybe I shouldn't expect these films to provide conclusions because the studios will always try to get more from these characters and actors if there is money to be made. However, overall, even though a lot of this review might've seemed negative I did very much enjoy the movie but it just didn't wow me like it seemed to do most people and it simply lacked the finality that I personally desired from it.