By Christian
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 3, 2023. We give you our opinion in this review.
Don’t worry: we debrief the film without spoilers!
Synopsis :
While Star-Lord is still reeling from the loss of Gamora. The Guardians must unite in a perilous mission to rescue Rocket from his past.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3: Our opinion
James Gunn ends his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy in a very nice, emotional way. It’s a family film, not a family film (the director had a freer hand with the violence and language), with a goodbye feel to the cast.
Viewers who came for the saga’s red thread will bemoan the lack of connection to Phase 4 and 5, while viewers who are not very receptive to the Multiverse stories will find more to like. Until the end of his contract, the director will have remained on his dynamic: his team, his stories, in parallel with the MCU saga. Note that a viewing of the very funny Guardians Of The Galaxy – Holiday Special will be necessary to understand an information dropped very early in the film.
Rocket, at the centre of the story
The central character, as James Gunn announced in Vol.2, is Rocket. The younger years are explored throughout the film and the traumas previously only mentioned.
However, there is a limit to how many characters can be involved, and while all are given a “conclusion”, not all are given equal treatment.
Comic book fans will once again cringe at the portrayal of Adam Warlock, in keeping with the director’s very “first degree” characters. The main antagonist, the Master of Evolution, is quite original, reiterating the “intimate enemy” that was Ego for Peter or Nebula for Gamora. His motivations are very personal, very well staged, without falling into an overkill typical of the third and final opus.
The dialogues, if they are surprisingly more braying than usual, remain funny, sincere, and less “pee-pee” than in the second opus.
A well-made film
Where the latest Marvel films have drawn the wrath of the public for their invasive, poorly finished digital effects, of which Quantumania was the apotheosis. In this film, particular care has been taken with the make-up, costumes and sets. Some designs are very burlesque. The balance between digital and practical effects is generally well managed in the film, except in the last quarter, which is closer to current blockbusters with swarms of digital enemies.
In the end, the Guardians trilogy is the most inventive and technically impeccable visual part of the entire MCU.
The soundtrack is once again impeccable in its choice of titles, but it seemed to me to be implemented in a more “automatic” way.
The last lap for the Guardians
The third installments are rarely successful, and have the unfortunate tendency to collapse under pressure. This is not the case with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3; it is less divisive than 2, and does not fall into either overkill or mawkishness. The most heroic team of Andromeda’s broken arms offers itself a last mission that is rhythmic, funny and moving, and confirms its status as the most successful arc of the MCU. Thank you Mr Gunn, see you soon ‘in the infinity of this wonderful sky’.