Movies

Movie Review: “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”

Denise ,  ,  , 

Hi everyone!

We were invited to preview “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”, which we did on an IMAX screen in Orlando.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is a hard movie for me to review. I really wanted to like it, I am a big fan of the characters. The previous movies have sometimes been a little over-the-top for me in terms of violence, but there has also been levity and camaraderie between the characters. And there is certainly both in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” but it was way overridden for me with the animal cruelty aspect.

Baby Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the last film in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy, and it includes the backstory of Rocket, which also fuels the present day. And the film moves between the two, which can make it feel more intense. Rocket is shown as part of animal experimentation prior to his Guardians of the Galaxy days, even making several friends with other animals who are also being experimented upon. These for me are some of the most poignant moments in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and it makes it even more difficult as the story progresses. I never cried while watching the film like I have read others did, but I did have to look away quite a few times. Rocket spends a lot of time with villain The High Evolutionary, who is played by Chukwudi Iwuji (who is excellent in the role, although I didn’t like the character).

Floor (voiced by Mikela Hoover) in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

Almost everyone around me loved the film. But for those of us who are sensitive to animal cruelty and/or violence, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” can be an extremely hard movie to watch. And if you are unsure if you should watch it because of what you’ve heard or read, then maybe being able to watch it on a smaller screen would be better (on home video when it releases there).

(L-R): Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Dave Bautista as Drax, Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, and Karen Gillan as Nebula in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo by Jessica Miglio. © 2023 MARVEL.

The official synopsis: 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 Vol. 3” runs for about 2 1/2 hours, which is a very long film with this much intensity. There are certainly moments of humor (especially with Drax and Mantis) but the balance was off for me. And this is the first of the three “Guardians of the Galaxy” films where I probably won’t listen much to the soundtrack.

Not every movie is for every person, and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” isn’t one that is for me.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot and Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter and Maria Bakalova.