Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3: Disney+ Review

Cast: Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Will Poulter, Chukwudi Iwuji, Vin Diesel
Director: James Gunn

If writer/ director James Gunn's swansong to the ragtag dysfunctional family of the Guardians feels a little bloated and indulgent in this latest outing, it's probably because it is.

With a gigantic cast and a need to satiate many arcs as well as accommodate guest actors in the movie, Gunn set himself an insurmountable task of ensuring the finale hits all the right spots.

But smartly, what Gunn has also done has kept the story to the core characters, even if an enormous number of flashbacks somewhat cripple the flow of the Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 movie. 

When Rocket's badly injured after an attack from Will Poulter's Warlock, Peter Quill and the gang are forced into a mission to do whatever it takes to save their pal from the ultimate final curtain. However, that means going up against Chukwudi Iwuji's Dr Moreau-like High Evolutionary, who's set his sights on Rocket and won't stop.

If Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 is anything, it's Rocket's story and it's also a vicious condemnation of animal vivisection, experimentation and those with god complexes. It's also a movie that will leave audiences traumatised as it explores the consequences of being broken and dealing with trauma. And despite a lot of the colourful visuals on display, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 is also astoundingly bleak in parts.

But it's also overstuffed, with a second act feeling like a weight around the narrative's neck, rather than propelling the film into its conclusion - and unlike most of the previous films where the squabbling felt based in love, a lot of the fighting this time feels rooted in anger, and bitterness - and results in an overload of shouting throughout as the family tries to come back together.

A Mod-inspired 70s trippy space visuals interlude aside, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 concentrates most of its efforts on tying together an inordinate amount of loose ends as it plays on its Ark-like storylines and harrowing flashbacks. Yet it also seems to lack confidence in some of its execution, with potential deaths and emotional moments almost hampered by the necessity to make every moment redundant with a quip - some of the tonal missteps are jarring here and question your ability to let them slide.

Perhaps more successful due to its previous 3 outings, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 works hard to tie it all up. Maybe an occasional amount of exorcism from the script would have seen a few more moments soar in this emotional rollercoaster - but when it pops, it reminds you why this ragtag bunch of misfits work. 

At its core, the emotional disarray reminds us all of our own family's failings and successes, and while it may be the end for this version of the Guardians, it seems like it's an excessive exit worthy of them, but yet somehow beneath them at the same time.