Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 3 (2023)

And you know what? No. Don't compare the two. That sets unreasonable standards for this film. It's purely enjoyable. For Marvel movies' quality tier it's basically Endgame, and then everything else. Not everything has to be Endgame to have value. This was nowhere NEAR as great as Endgame and I still thought it was awesome.

What kills me is I think perhaps the movie is getting a bit overpraised simply because enjoyable Marvel movies have become so rare. They used to be common, but the only other Marvel film since Endgame I truly liked was the last Spider-Man film, and that one had a garbage ending. There is something to be said for James Gunn always ending the Guardians movies on a nice point instead of a gutwrenching funeral. That's sort of why I resisted the games Infinity War and Endgame were playing with Gamora. It was outside of the franchise and I can't imagine James Gunn was happy either.

Despite Peter and Gamora not ending up together at the end, the tag insisting Starlord WILL return means their story isn't necessarily over either.

Peter going home to his grandfather was the right ending. And I saw the Kevin Bacon newpaper headline in the tag. I see what the movie did there.

It was interesting to center the main drama of the movie around Rocket. I love that he learned he IS a raccoon and embraced it as the part of his name by the end. I thought the flashbacks were brutal. Honestly, a little TOO brutal. I'm thinking the dude from Black Widow might have been more loathsome than the High Evolutionary when all is said and done. But he actually might not be.

I think the thing I hate most about the High Evolutionary is a problem all loathsome villains tend to have, and is something I strive to stay away from in my writing, no matter how loathsome the villain is. He does irrational, cruel, scummy crap simply to demonstrate to the audience what an evil bastard he is. Like basically arming Rocket to go out and escape and later empowering his friends to destroy everything he ever wanted. If he had simply let Rocket and his three animal friends live on that nice planet, none of this would have happened. Hell, he probably could have done the genocide he planned in this movie with zero problems then. Him rubbing his face into Rocket over what a bastard he is just created extra problems that don't occur for rational, diplomatic villains. And I don't like it when hubris and buttmunchery is the villain's actual undoing. I believe that ought to be the hero. Exceptions can be made here and there, but I'm tired of villains having no redeeming virtues simply so they will be easier for the heroes to beat.

I also don't like the genocide in the film. I think it was treated too lightly.

First f-bomb in the MCU which shocked me a bit. But really, it's not the f-bomb. I thought the entire last fight scene on the station was super gory. And if the MPAA was NOT so unfathomably corrupt it would have handed the film an R rating for it. It totally deserved it for that. MPAA ratings are entirely unhelpful and bogus for the soul reason that money must change hands. If an Indie film did a scene with a similar level of gore, it would get an R, no question. It's only because of Disney's deep pockets that this movie gets the rating it needs to maximize ticket sales, and that it doesn't actually deserve.

I mentioned in my review for The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special that Mantis has weirdly stolen the show, and yeah, her stuff with Drax is indeed a highlight. I also love that Nebula has become more ethical and grounded than Gamora is. What's great is Nebula insisting that this was their dynamic growing up. And that sounds true based on what we saw here, so it will probably make me see their dynamic in the first movie in a different light when I see it again.

Cosmo is a good dog. Kraglin isn't fooling anyone.

Howard the Duck again. He needs a new movie. Where are you, Lea Thompson?

I seem to recall complaining about Nick Fury kissing a Skrull in the Secret Invasion finale, and yeah, Rocket kissing a cyborg otter looks similarly ridiculous. The bad thing is I WAS actually invested in their relationship. I just didn't really see the point or value in suggesting it was actually a romance.

If you ask me Mantis has the most useful superpowers of anyone in the MCU. They aren't powers I'D want if I could pick them, but if I were setting a Marvel team roster, she'd be my first pick.

It broke my heart that Drax was hurt that she thought he was stupid. And he IS stupid. And she made him forget. Another reason her powers are so damn useful.

I thought it was great, and I think people comparing it to Endgame were doing this movie a disservice. Not every Marvel movie needs to be Endgame. And if fans think they all should be, I think fans are giving producers a bad note there. I will take a movie this great quite happily. Endgame should NOT be the bar. That's not reasonable. 5 stars.