NUNN'S THEATER HABIT
Gunn aims to end the Guardians of the Galaxy with volume three
Fri. April 28, 2023 12:00 AM
by Jerry Nunn
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has the quirky team on a final mission together to battle The High Evolutionary and his hairy minions.
From the first note of Radiohead's classic track “Creep,” a furry friend returns to the world of superheroes voiced again by Bradley Cooper. This space jam is recycling some tunes to propel the scenes forward just like in previous space capers as audiences learn the backstory of Rocket “Don't call me a” Raccoon!
Cover your eyes animal lovers as this third endeavor could be triggering for some and has a few graphic moments.
Guardians of the Galaxy began in 2014 and a great deal has happened since then as the Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown in leaps and bounds.
There are a multitude of superheroes and villains to see on the big screen with many lost in the crossfire. The High Evolutionary really missed the mark as Chukwudi Iwuji doesn't seem to understand the mad scientist who is crucial in the development of Scarlet Witch on Wundagore Mountain.
He crossed over from the Peacemaker TV series and displays how Gunn likes to use a regular troupe of actors in his projects including his younger brother Sean as Kraglin.
Will Poulter doesn't hit the target unfortunately for his important role of Adam Warlock in this film. He seemed a bit lost instead of being the golden boy he should be. Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha was completely clueless in navigating her contribution with the part. Some have speculated that a fresh Guardians team with debut in the future, so Poulter will really need to step up and stand out from the crowd with the next installment.
Some of the main characters fared much better as Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff and Dave Bautista were clearly given the best lines. Zoe Saldana not only forgets her past but is fairly forgettable in the role and has since bowed out forever as Gamora publicly with a lackluster goodbye.
Time will tell if Star-Lord soars again with future guest appearances in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Avengers: Secret Wars. Most of these performers have planned to move on and will only return for brief stints to snap up a paycheck.
Good luck to new viewers who want to try out Volume Three because there is a great deal of homework required to follow what is going on. There's the first live-action Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume Two and a Holiday Special to all watch beforehand. Don't forget Thor: Love and Thunder, Avengers: Endgame and a Disney+ What If…T'Challa Became a Star-Lord? episode.
This creates the same problem that Marvel comic books suffered from in the past to enthrall new readers. It was almost impossible to follow a long storyline full of back issues so instead the company tried several reboots over the years.
If the MCU isn't careful they are going to alienate anyone wanting to jump aboard and see a Marvel movie as a standalone piece. Vol. 3 doesn't even attempt to do that in phase five as Gunn is ready to run over to DC Studios and see what can be done. These Guardians can be admired as they don't take off in a predictable way, but deserve a better exit story in the final countdown.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 blasts into theaters on May 5, 2023.