Review: Guardians of the Galaxy 3
While not quite reaching the bar set by the first two films, the third installment does a good job with the themes those first two films explored.
When I watched the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, I knew little about the Marvel Comics characters and what they were all about. The first film did a good job of introducing the characters and getting people to understand their motivations.
What was good about the Guardians film is that James Gunn portrayed the characters so viewers could relate to them. You not only empathize with Peter Quill, but with Gamora and Drax, plus Rocket and Groot were fun characters.
I found the second film to be more enjoyable than the first, because it explored the idea about what family is all about (bond more than blood). It was going to be tough for the third film to deliver, given the bar Gunn set in the first two films.
After watching the third film, he came pretty close to that bar again.
The third film explores Rocket's character in depth. We learn that he is, indeed, an Earth raccoon who was enhanced by the High Evolutionary, who sought to create the perfect beings. Rocket demonstrated intelligence to a high degree, but to the point that it may have exceeded the High Evolutionary's intelligence.
Rocket also formed a bond with other animals who were subject to the High Evolutionary's experiments. This has raised the question by some about cruelty to animals, but that's an issue that should be raised when asking the question about whether you should try to create the perfect beings.
What makes the third Guardians film work so well is it continues the theme about bonds between individuals. This is not only explored through Rocket's backstory, but through Peter Quill. The man known as Star Lord not only yearns for a relationship with Gamora (the one who fell in love with him died, while the current Gamora is from another timeline, stemming from events in Avengers Endgame), he is determined not to lose his friend Rocket when he is seriously injured.
The film does feature a lot of snark, but it's not unusual to see people who bond with one another sometimes exchange snarky remarks. In the end, though, the people who do engage in such exchanges will recognize the strengths of those they bond with and appreciate them.
We see this in the relationship between Drax and Nebula, the former who can be dense and slow to wits and the latter who can be stubborn and abrasive. However, Drax demonstrates he can be a good father, which Nebula appreciates, to the point she wants him to be by her side in raising rescued children.
And while Gamora (who is now a member of the Ravagers) never forms the same bond that the one before her had with Peter, she does recognize that Peter cares for his fellow Guardians and realizes that, while he has faults, he is still a good man.
The events at the end of the film imply that "Star Lord will return," which makes you wonder if they will explore Peter Quill's time now that he has returned to Earth. That story point does raise an important question about whether or not Peter has been running away from his past life for too long and that it may be time to embrace it, even if it means leaving the family he's formed with the Guardians.
There are a few elements that don't work as well as they should. We don't get to explore Adam's character that much and, thus, it may be harder for viewers to understand his motivations behind decisions he makes.
But while Guardians 3 isn't quite at the level of the first two films, it's still a strong overall effort. Gunn's films serve as a reminder that exploring characters in depth are what really make for quality work, plus they stress the importance of the bonds between individuals and why they matter -- while showing there's nothing wrong with adding a little snark along the way.