Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Review: James Gunn’s Threequel Is Wacky Yet An Emotional Ride

'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' is a triumphing farewell to some of the treasured heroes.

New Delhi: 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' is a triumphant farewell to some of the treasured heroes, almost like an ode to the franchise. It's safe to say that Gunn's poignant send-off is one of the absolute finest of the most recent Marvel films. Although the movie is unlikely to attract the same fanfare as 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' did, it is nevertheless a refreshing break from the drab storylines that a few new movies gave us.

There was no better way to wrap up the saga than with this movie, which premiered its first part over nine years ago. As opposed to other MCU movies, where Captain America bravely defends mankind and the mighty Hulk crushes everyone and anything in his path, Guardians of the Galaxy boasts slightly distinct heroes. Far from perfect, but the heroes that their flawed world was looking for. 

Rocket, along with his comrades from before the Guardians, are the protagonists in the current installment. The protagonist of the movie, played by Bradley Cooper, is brutally turned into a genetically altered super-raccoon by a wacko scientist, The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). He comes close to realising his hopes and dreams, but he runs into hurdles with his own design. And he escapes from them to carry out another trial. The Guardians make the choice to rob High Evolutionary, who now has a grudge against Rocket, of a code. The horrifying experiments Evolutionary performs to create the ideal world are inexcusable. It is hard to brush them off by arguing that the movie is only fiction because such things do occur in the real world. Undoubtedly, behind the seemingly flawless world is a bleak reality that rumbles.

The gigantic planet, Knowhere, built of a dead God's head, that we initially learned about in the first installment is where the Guardians now reside. While still grieving over Gamora (Zoe Saldana), who died in 'Avengers: Infinity War', Quill spends his days intoxicated. Gamora, who showed up in 'Avengers: Endgame' was a former version of the character who had never encountered the Guardians. She now works with the Ravagers, led by Stakar Ogord (Sylvester Stallone), and has absolutely no memory of her prior relationship.

Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Drax (Dave Bautista), Nebula (Karen Gillian), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) are driven to a space station that resembles the gooey interior of a large space creature by a quest to protect Rocket from near-death. Will Poulter's Adam Warlock, an enigmatic golden figure, flies in and makes a fruitless attempt to grab Rocket. Since healing him might trigger a kill switch, the Guardians have no way to deal with his fatal wounds from Adam's attack.

With lengthy sequences, several subplots, and gloomy scenarios, 'Guardians Vol. 3' is two and a half hours long. It could seem excessively prolonged at one point. But every other scene is brought to life by the thoughtfully chosen melodies, which is a relief. 

The trajectory and narratives of the characters are seamlessly woven together by Gunn. As every MCU film always has comedic relief around the next bend, even this chapter doesn't fall short in that regard. The flick's compelling premise and emotional scenes are what really shines. Since the beginning of time, Marvel has been driving countless grownups to get teary-eyed. I'm convinced I overheard some sniffles in the theatre in a few moments. With the shot of Baby Rocket's pure eyes, the VFX crew certainly did us dirty. 

However, while being the most chaotic and over-the-top of the trilogy, this one is heartbreakingly sweet as a movie. Furthermore, Rocket's rebirth as a hero is the movie's most dependable and compelling theme. As much as he trains his characters for raw feelings, Gunn also prepares them for ridiculousness. He has yet again accomplished the feat of getting around Marvel's inner circle to present viewers with something fresh. Sidenote: Don't be afraid to catch feels.