Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) - My Thoughts Real Quick

(Minor Spoilers ahead)

After the Marvel movie "Avengers: Endgame" (2019) - the 22nd movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) - I lost a lot of interest in the MCU. Too much of a good thing simply loses its savor after a while. I'll still watch Marvel movies when they cross my path if I'm interested enough, but I don't make a lot of effort to see whatever the latest movie in the franchise happens to be. 

Before "Avengers: Endgame" I was just as excited as anyone else when new Marvel movies were coming out. And once "Avengers: Endgame" hit screens, it felt like a grand finale of sorts. The novelty of these stories simply wore off. That's not to say recent Marvel movies are boring or dull. Many of them, though, seem too similar to previous ones. Others continue to feel like nothing more than build-ups to future movies. 

I love the "Ant-Man" films. I hated the "Dr. Strange" films along with the pretentious and dull 2019 movie "Capt. Marvel." The "Thor" movies are hit or miss - more hits than misses. But the ones I really love above all else are the "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies, starting with the first of the three from 2014. Wow! Has it been that long? 

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" (2017) is even better than the first. It's among the most entertaining of the MCU movies out there. The humor and style in both films are great. The atmosphere is bright and brilliant. The pacing is spot-on. Overall, the characters are memorable and easy to get invested in. They're among the best comic book-based films. 

"The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special," which aired on the streaming service Disney+ in November 2022, is a fun and entertaining film to cleanse the palate until a new theatrical release would come about. 

So, I was a little more Marvel-excited than usual (post "Endgame") when "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3" hit theaters on May 5, 2023.

While this third installment is enjoyable, overall entertaining and satisfyingly full of action, it feels just a bit (and I do mean just a bit) more mundane than the previous two. 

I wasn't as excited as before while sitting through it, though maybe that's because I've sat through two other movies plus a "holiday special." Still, I wouldn't hesitate in saying this is definitely one of the better Marvel movies in a while after "Endgame." 

To the movie's credit, the storyline shifts focus onto the character Rocket's (voiced by Bradley Cooper) origin story. 

Rocket, the anthropomorphic racoon, is a likeable character in the films. This story of his in part three really helps solidify his role in the overall storyline. 

Rocket affirms who exactly he is, and not what he perceives himself to be. It's a message I can get behind. 

There's a lot more emotion within volume three than in the previous two films. It's heavier in that regard, giving the movie a darker tone. That dark tone pushes the humorous parts out of its way to make room for itself.

I appreciate Rocket's backstory though it's not what I was expecting. I don't want to say the movie is a letdown. I wasn't let down. I sat through the movie expecting that familiar humor I've seen in the previous movies. But it wasn't quite the same the third time around. 

The entire experience is more nuanced compared the other flicks. The vibe overall feels different. It's a little weaker. The movie's strongest aspect is the story.

There are a few surprises thrown in that made the audience I was a part of gasp - literally.

Volume three has flare but not to the extent as the previous movies. It's not lacking but it's facing that direction. 

There's a running joke which begins when Kraglin (Sean Gunn) calls Cosmo a bad dog. Throughout the rest of the movie, Cosmo protests and begs him to take it back. It's a corny gag. 

The juke box soundtrack has songs that I enjoy more than the previous soundtrack for volume two. It includes songs like "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" by the Beastie Boys, "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" by Alice Cooper, and "Badlands" by Bruce Springsteen. It's a decent mix. 

Honestly, if Marvel actually ends the series with volume three as they claim they will, it wouldn't be a bad decision. 

"My Thoughts Real Quick"

I tend to put in more effort on my site 1000daysofhorror.com while this blog gets much less traffic. In an attempt to remedy that, and write more posts especially on new releases, I plan to jot down my thoughts rather than write up lengthy reviews.

Oh, there will still be lengthy reviews on older films. But for newer releases, they'll be quick.