Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is James Gunn’s swan song for the beloved franchise. Although the characters will continue in some way, James Gunn’s involvement will likely not be the same, especially now that he’s been trusted with leading the DCEU into a new age. Still, if ever there was a swan song, Vol. 3 was the perfect one.

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James Gunn has always been an incredible talent as director and writer of the franchise. Like a fine wine, he’s only improved with age, showcasing the lessons he’s learned handling such a blockbuster franchise. While he’s already shown how good he was before, Vol. 3 is the culmination of how great the franchise has become.

10 Dark Comedy

A screenshot from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in which Star-Lord's mouth is covered by mosaic pixelation.

There’s always been a level of dark comedy in the Guardians franchise, even as early as the first movie, but Vol. 3 takes it to a whole new level. Although it’s far from near Troma levels, Gunn has let a bit of that darkness seep into his humor while writing this movie. A lot of no-name characters die for the sake of a joke.

Still, these moments are never at the expense of character growth. James Gunn may be a master of the “Mood Whiplash” trope, but he never abuses it. Instead, it’s organically sequenced into the movie, never at the expense of the audience’s disbelief.

9 Serious Moments

Lylla the otter laying down in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

James Gunn took the criticisms of the MCU’s worst tendency to make light of serious moments to heart. Whenever a character opens up, it’s not played for laughs. Even when they make jokes, there’s no “beat” telling audiences to laugh. So while there may be jokes, it’s not at the expense of character development.

For example, the scene where Rocket’s life is saved is treated with sincerity. Nebula, one of the most deadpan characters in the entire franchise, finally breaks and cries with relief. The rest of the characters also breathe easy, even as Rocket tries to downplay his miraculous recovery.

8 Body Horror

Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary holding his finger up in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Despite its PG rating, Vol. 3 showcases a disturbing amount of body horror. While it’s certainly no Slither, Gunn manages to get away with a lot of faux-gore in this movie. The completely organic space station, the horrible experiments of the High Evolutionary, and a whole host of grisly deaths.

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Perhaps most surprising is how often Nebula gets brutalized in this movie. Although there’s never permanent damage, Gunn relishes in reminding the audience that Nebula is a cyborg, and her body gets mangled in ways that she wouldn’t have survived if not for her cybernetic enhancements.

7 Diegetic Music

Rocket firing a weapon on Groot's shoulder in Guardians of the Galaxy 3.

Diegetic soundtracks are synonymous with the Guardians franchise. The third installment is no different, but it’s the best the series has ever been. The music is no longer just something heard through Star-Lord’s headphones. Instead, there are multiple scenes where the music is creatively integrated into the background.

The introduction is the best example of this. The haunting cover of Creep by Radiohead as Rocket starts off the movie foreshadows Rocket’s survivor’s guilt and self-hatred. As an honorary mention, the brilliant use of the Beastie Boys during that awesome hallway fight is another case of music-enhancing scenes.

6 Action Scenes

Adam Warlock preparing to fight in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3

While the Guardians franchise has always been action-packed, the third installment ramps up the scale and choreography to the maximum. Obviously, the Kingsman-like hallway fight set to the hyperactive Beastie Boys track is a standout, but several other action scenes deserve mention.

Mantis’ creative ways of using her powers during combat, Groot and Star-Lord’s massacre of the High Evolutionary’s goons, the brutality of Rocket’s rage against the High Evolutionary in the flashback, and of course, the tag-team takedown of the High Evolutionary in the climax are a showcase of how dynamic James Gunn has gotten with his action scenes.

5 Avoiding MCU References

The High Evolutionary and the Guardians of the Galaxy pose.

This has never been too huge of a problem with the franchise, but Vol. 3 is laser-focused on its narrative, far more than any other recent MCU movie. There’s no mention of the Avengers, Kang, or the Marvels during the 2-hour and 30-minute run time. The dedication to keeping itself isolated from the rest of the MCU has always been a positive for the Guardians franchise.

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In the first movie, Thanos had to be worked in somehow and make vague references to the Infinity Gauntlet, with Ronan being nothing more than a lackey. The entire scene stuck out like a sore thumb when contrasted with the silliness of the rest of the movie. Here in Vol. 3, the villain is not only a personal foe of Rocket; he is an active menace who pushes the gang to its limit.

4 Interesting Villains

The High Evolutionary with recorders Vim and Theel in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

The High Evolutionary is, without a doubt, the best villain the MCU has had in a while. The High Evolutionary is a deliciously sinister and hammy villain with so many reasons to hate him. Not only does he have a personal grudge against Rocket, but he’s also shown callously ending the lives of even his most loyal followers.

Such a character breeds nothing but contempt, and Chukwudi Iwuji brilliantly plays the part. Even the side villains have their fair share of personality thrown into the mix, a far cry from the vanilla big bads that the first movie had.

3 Side Character Spotlights

Warlock and Cosmo from Guardians of the Galaxy 3

Characters outside the main cast get plenty of time to shine in this movie. Cameos from Nathan Filion and Sylvester Stallone aren’t just there to make audiences point and get hyped. They actually stick around for a scene or two and showcase their acting chops.

There are also the more serious side characters, such as Lylla, Teefs, and Floor, who are given plenty of personality and time to grow. Although they were fated to die, Gunn didn’t hold back in giving them the proper development. This makes the purgatory scene even more painful yet wonderfully written.

2 Emotional Acting

Split Image of Rocket Raccoon looking sad and the Star-Lord exiting the Guardians ship

While Groot’s first death in Guardians of the Galaxy was emotional, and so was Peter’s backstory, Vol. 3 is just a trauma conga line. Rocket’s entire backstory gives so much nuance to his character, and Bradley Cooper’s voice acting makes that shine in the most painful way during his escape scene.

The rest of the cast are no slouches, either. Chris Pratt does a great job of portraying Star-Lord as a hopelessly depressed drunk, too consumed by his grief to act as a leader. Nebula’s struggles to tone down her harsher sides, Mantis’ attempts to be her own person, and Gamora’s angst are also honorable mentions. Groot and Drax being the group's most well-adjusted team members is also a great touch.

1 Character Growth

Split Image of Chris Pratt as Owen Grady in Jurassic World and Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy

Fittingly for the potentially final installment of the trilogy, as fans know it, every single one of the Guardians has grown as a person. Rocket has gone from reluctant renegade to leading a whole new team of Guardians. Nebula broke free of her trauma with Thanos and now leads a peaceful community.

Mantis stopped letting other people dictate her actions and went out on her own. Even Adam Warlock, still in his “infancy,” absorbed the kindness of those around him to become a better man. Finally, Star-Lord has stopped running from his past and maturely ended his obsession with Gamora before meeting his grandfather – a fitting end for a fantastic trilogy.

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