REVIEW: ‘Guardians 3’ is a bit of good, a bit of bad, and a bit of both

Director James Gunn has given us one last ride with the “Guardians” before he ships off from Marvel to DC.

It may not be on the level of the first two, but it’s nice to see these characters again.

This time around, the crew is setting up a new shop on the world Knowhere. Well, most of the crew is. The captain of the Guardians, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), is in a rough spot. While it’s been some time, he’s still mourning the death of Gamora (Zoe Saldana), who was killed in the Infinity War.

Peter is thrust into action quickly, though, when an unknown being attacks, specifically targeting crew-member Rocket (Bradley Cooper). Rocket is severely injured and to save him, the Guardians have to take on a powerful foe who is connected to the raccoon’s history. As part of the mission, the Guardians get help from an alternate Gamora, who came from a different timeline.

While the first two “Guardian” movies were centered on Peter, Vol. 3 is much more focused on Rocket. A good portion of the film contain flashbacks to how Rocket became who he is, and it’s a rather tragic experience to watch unfold. A viewer definitely gains a greater understanding of the character and the source of his trauma that he hides behind anger and cynicism .

There’s no doubt that Rocket’s whole experience in the picture provides the emotional core for the movie, it’s what really keeps a person engaged. However, Rocket’s background and character arc is tied to what ultimately weakens the picture.

It’s uncovered early on that the individual who experimented on Rocket, The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), is also responsible for other cruelties and all of this leads him into conflict with the Guardians. There are two problems with the movie’s conflict revolving around High Evolutionary’s actions.

First, he doesn’t seem like the type of threat to have for the finale to the “Guardians” trilogy. This film was meant to be a big send off, but it’s hard to get that impression when the Evolutionary seems more like a secondary villain who the Guardians would have to deal with first before uncovering a greater threat.

Secondly, the Evolutionary is unfortunately a weak antagonist in general. He has this odd, manic persona that doesn’t work well with what he has done and has planned. With a character that does such dastardly acts, it would be well suited to have the villain be more cold, calculating and direct. the Evolutionary, though often acts in an exaggerated fashion.

There’s also the fact that his objective seems kind of random. He just seems to want to evolve animals into thinking beings, for reasons? He says he wants to create the perfect society, but his way of doing so doesn’t seem to have as much reasoning as, say, Thanos’ plan to conserve the universe’s finite resources.

In turn, the whole adventure by the Guardians revolving around the High Evolutionary felt kind of dull and even random. But with all that said, the audience can still appreciate the movie because it offers a chance to spend time with these lovable space travelers.

Right from the start, the Guardians have been immensely fun, likable, entertaining and endearing, and viewers have been able to get to know them well over four previous movies. Seeing them again and watching where they’re at now, especially Nebula, is a satisfying experience.

There’s such a great chemistry between the group that their banter and support with each other is enough to keep a viewer invested. At least that’s true for most of the group.

On top of being the closing to this trilogy, “Guardians 3” had the role of handling the Gamora character, with the one in this movie being from a different timeline than the woman we came to know in the first two.

One can understand what Gunn was trying to do with the character’s arc this time around, but her now being a ravager and not a lone wolf, and also not having any curiosity about her other self, didn’t shake out well.

It was also strange how Peter was written to regularly ask Gamora about her not remembering anything when he knows she’s from a different timeline. The whole dynamic felt off, and left a person wanting a better set up and payoff.

There definitely is payoff in terms of the action, though. There are some thrilling set-pieces in the film, including an exceptionally great one that’s done in an extended take that includes a solid needle drop. Like the other Guardian films, the action scenes are also a chance to see each character’s unique skills and abilities, giving the moments personality.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is a mixed bag. Rocket’s story is a powerful emotional hook and it’s easy for an audience to stay-on-board with the familiar characters on this journey. However, the main conflict and lead villain are a letdown, and how Gamora was handled seemed to be lacking. 3.25 out of 5.