James Gunn came back to write and direct this finale to the Guardians’ adventures, but has left out his power to provide the rollicking fun of the first films. The first Marvel Guardians’ iterations were full of rapid fire quips and comebacks. But now, Rocket’s backstory is so dark and sad that by the conclusion, we were ready for the whole thing to be over. Within a few minutes of the opening, Rocket is near death and Star Lord (Chris Pratt) has to find out what really happened in his past to save his friend.
This is another mis-fire in the latest Marvel phase of the MCU, coming on the heels of the less-than-well-received Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, despite raking in the big bucks. Marvel villains are supposed to be bad dudes bent on world domination, destruction and annihilating the heroes. But in this case, the High Evolutionary, played with utter maniacal evil and rage by Chukwudi Iwuji, is just a difficult character to watch.
Rocket, (voiced by Bradley Cooper) is central to the entire movie. This spunky raccoon goes way beyond the snarky sarcasm Rocket is known for and, by the end, Cooper ends up delivering some searing, emotion packed lines. Rocket has been genetically altered by the High Evolutionary along with some other animals and even children in the quest create his vision of Utopia. The High Evolutionary yearns to make this society by creating a Master Race. Nazi references seem to find a way into so many Marvel stories.
The special effects team created a menagerie of bizarre animal pals for Rocket. They’re the results of the High Evolutionary’s experimentation. With creepy capabilities, but soulful eyes, they are supposed to be cute but are simply heartbreaking and disturbing. Gunn seeks compassion for these poor creatures, yet their scenes feel more like a gut wrenching plea from the Anti-Cruelty Society to stop their suffering. The visual effects for the High Evolutionary’s ship with eerie laboratories seem to feel like the inside of a cavern of pulsating, living organs with oozing, squishy bodily fluid sound effects that aren’t very effective, just weird.
Gunn plays with Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) emotions in ways that are also hurtful. He’s dealing with losing the love of his life, Gamora (Zoe Saldana) who was eliminated by her dear old Dad, Thanos (Josh Brolin) in Avengers: Infinity War. Here, Gamora still plays a big role in Vol.3, but she is so sullen. She has completely forgotten how much she loved Star Lord (Pratt) and his loyal crew.
The Guardians themselves have moments to shine. Dave Bautista, as Drax, is still delightful, even though mentally a beat behind. His interaction with the adorable Mantis (Pom Klementieff) are reminiscent of the halcyon days of the Guardians. When Vin Diesel announces his “I am Groot,” lines they seem to be more understood, but he looks so different. Blue-skinned Nebula (Karen Gillan) is as indestructible as ever which produces some uneasy visuals.
Zoe Saldana’s Gamora just seems to come out of nowhere. Not quite sure how she escaped from the abyss Thanos tossed her. This is yet another instance of the convenient convention of playing with the timeline. While she gets to play a large part in the Guardians exploits, she’s not even sure if she cares.
The most problematic character in this production is the confusing demon, Iwuji. His attempt to play play “God” doesn’t work. Then Gunn places Will Pouter as a bronze-skinned secondary bad guy, who has his own problems. He’s having a hard time deciding what he should be. Maria Bakalova is underused as the voice of Cosmo the Space Dog. She only seems to pop up to draw an occasional laugh. She and her character could have been used more effectively. And Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha is wasted in her too brief role. role.
Just as in the first two installments, the best aspect of Vol. 3 is the music playlist. Star Lord’s most prized possession are his tunes and Gunn curates another eclectic selection of hits with everything from Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love” to Bruce Springsteen’s “Badlands” and Heart’s “Crazy on You.” Come for the music and the visual effects, not so much for the disjointed depressing story. While The Guardians work to save the world, it’s too bad that James Gunn and the crew couldn’t save this movie.
Marvel/Walt Disney Studios 2 hours 30 minutes PG-13
Related posts:
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2
MAIKA: The Girl from Another Galaxy
The Suicide Squad
Knives Out Writer/Director Rian Johnson talks about having the whole cast on the set
Ford v Ferrari Stunt Coordinator, Robert Nagle
Interview with Waves stars Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Taylor Russell and Writer/Director Trey Edward Shults talking teen angst, family and sound design.
