My relationship with Marvel has been a rocky one. From the awe-inspiring Avengers franchise that had us all queuing up outside theatres to the latest projects being borderline sacrilege to the late Stan Lee’s legacy, my hope has finally been restored. Venturing out with fingers crossed to see the final instalment of the Guardians trilogy, my initial doubts were blasted into space as the amazingly choreographed scenes that Marvel is so often renowned for took my breath away.
The plot follows the team trying to save Rocket as his past horrors resurface, bringing to light how he became the mouthy mammal that all of us love. Though the first instalment will always be the greatest, the adventures of Peter (Chris Pratt), Drax (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Groot (Vin Diesel), Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) and Rocket (Bradley Cooper) never fail to bring a rollercoaster of emotions as they battle against a new foe, the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) .
we see current issues highlighted throughout, with genetic modification and animal testing being most prominent
Coming in at two and a half hours, the fast-moving action keeps viewers entertained until the end as the unlikely bunch give a new meaning to the word family. Without giving away too many spoilers, we see current issues highlighted throughout, with genetic modification and animal testing being most prominent, making hearts throb and tears flow as we get to know multiple CGI animals who, I must add, show more emotion than the various wooden performances within the other recent Marvel movies.
With various golden oldies making up the soundtrack, Gunn has gone out with a bang before he moves over to DC, a controversial switch between the rival studios, with Quill’s musical influence commanding most of the scenes. While the out of this world special effects and script keep us on our toes, certain storylines are barely visited, such as newcomer Will Poulter’s genetically engineered Adam Warlock, hindering the full development of certain aspects of the film. Due to this, some points feel a little rushed and focus is taken away from the main story, with a few random jumps leaving strange gaps in certain scenes. These are minor hiccups when you consider the well-deserved development of the arguably more minor members of the Guardians. Drax and Mantis receive more of the spotlight as they carry the comedy, with Groot continuing to be a formidable force of nature.
Without getting into too much detail, we aren’t fed with too many clichés and a couple of plot twists help keep the audience invested as we are whisked away to unfamiliar planets within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though Marvel sequels have been getting a bad rep recently, I must say that I would gladly stick up for this trilogy as, unlike most other franchises of the movie giant, it has come to a well-timed end. Unfortunately, I predict that a variety of money-making spin off series will materialise in the next few years; however, it is undeniable that GotG vol.3 is worth the watch.
Marvel is back 8/10
