Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: A Marvel Movie Done Right
A delightful space odyssey
It’s no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has its issues. With an ever growing list of cinematic installments, it’s grown into something so sprawling that it’s difficult to contain. With each new movie, it grows harder and harder to avoid plot holes, inconsistencies and contrivances. There are few plot devices in these movies that haven’t yet been used; and as this network of superheroes and villains continues to expand and expand, originality can often fall by the wayside.
With over thirty movies that Marvel can call its own, it’s true that, at worst, they can be quite formulaic in nature. When new films come along at this late stage in the franchise, novelty isn’t always something that can be expected. Each movie in the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ series, though, has felt like a breath of fresh air in an increasingly stale universe.
Though upon its initial 2014 release expectations hadn't been high for the movie following this misfit group of universe-traveling, B-list heroes, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ has ultimately proven to be one of the staples of the MCU. Each movie has brought with it a prodigious blend of action, humor, creativity, visual spectacle and audio personality. Its sound signature is perhaps one of the series’ most unique features.
Each Guardians iteration has delivered an expertly incorporated blend of pop, R&B and soul hits from the 1960s onward. They’re the only films in the sprawling franchise that truly leave fans curious what songs might make their way into the next installment and accompany the crew as they comically careen through the cosmos. From ‘Come and Get Your Love’ and ‘The Chain’ to ‘O-o-h Child’, ‘Creep’, ‘I Want You Back’, and ‘The Dog Days Are Over’, the films can be duly credited with turning new generations of people on to timeless hits that they would likely never have discovered.
‘The Guardians of the Galaxy’ movies have been more adventurous than standard Marvel releases in their departures from formula. From the opening scene in the first movie, they didn’t shy away from emotional territory like some of their tamer, by-the-books cousins. With this latest release though, Marvel breaks new grounds with the emotional depth it’s able to explore.
Even going so far as to elicit warnings from animal lovers about some of the realistic cruelty witnessed within the film, it’s clear that ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ may not be for children. Delving into the backstory of Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper, offered what was almost inarguably some of the most tragic storytelling delivered within a Marvel film yet. It was an impressive achievement for a cinematic enterprise that so rarely seems willing to stray even slightly off course from its most basic of narratives.
Often within these films, their intrigue can depend largely upon the villains that they’re able to create. Josh Brolin’s Thanos was so memorable for viewers that it elevated the supervillain to near household name status. The character was so impactful largely because he had nuance. And while the villain of the latest Guardians saga lacked much of Thanos’ nuance, his cruel and maniacal nature rivaled the Mad Titan’s in a way that will likely stick with viewers for years to come.
One of the Guardians’ most remarkable achievements is its ability to remain accessible to Marvel’s less studious fans, while still providing no shortage of fan service for those who’ve done their meticulous note taking since the very first ‘Ironman’. For its less devoted fans, it’s a loveable and surprisingly emotional space odyssey with an enjoyable, rag tag group of characters. For its more devoted fans, it can be an almost gut-wrenching story that draws so well on its previous iterations that it leaves them captivated and grinning from ear to ear in its most well-crafted moments.
Films like ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ and ‘Spiderman: No Way Home’ depend so heavily on what came before them that they would likely be a challenge for many to enjoy without having seen the lead-up yet. But the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ films do well in towing a line between being rooted in a convoluted past and appealing to the more casual viewers.
However, the film isn’t quite perfect. In truth, I’m not sure a Marvel movie can be. There are moments in which the bulk of the franchise before it can appear to weigh heavily on the story being told. The plot surrounding the newly unveiled Adam Warlock, played by William Poulter, does quite a bit of meandering. Being the third film in the franchise and the fifth and sixth film for many of the actors in the MCU at large, the oddities and intricacies of the plot are easily excused. The few faults that can certainly still be found in the writing are justified.
A Marvel movie should never shoot to be fully rooted in logic anymore than ‘Spongebob Squarepants’ should rationalize the merits of sentient sponges in underwater pineapples. Its plots are exaggerated enough that cohesion should never be the aim. While a little consistency and some semblance of in-universe rules can go a long way to ground one in the world being built, it’s hardly what drives fans to see these movies. Some holes here and there are to be expected.
To look for narrative perfection in a Marvel movie is to be disappointed with each new release. There are enough superhero movies now within this burgeoning subset of action films, though, that I don’t think it’s fully fair to compare them to so much else of what’s being released. They’ve carved out a category of their own.
Marvel films are unique in the escapism they offer and their continued box office success is proof of it. They’re not trying to do the same thing as other action films. They’re trying to breathe life, relatability and intrigue into a world that’s spent so much of its tenure on earth reserved only for “dorks” and “nerds.”
They’re turning a versatile world of cartoonish comics into something even hardened adults can enjoy while still paying homage to those who spent their childhood obsessing over these heroes. To simply tell those stories as they were told then would negate the value that an entirely new audience has found in these characters. Though I never grew up reading these comics myself, I have a hard time now not loving these movies. What mindless pastime I originally found in them has gradually snowballed into a truly rewarding cinematic escape.
Though these movies will never be my favorite films of all-time, I’ll still eagerly await each new installment.