Let me just say that I think GUARDIANS VOL. 1 is one of the MCU's gem and in the MCU's Top 10. It ranks within the higher tier films like the first IRON MAN, the CAPTAIN AMERICA sequels, INFINITY WAR and the first AVENGERS. It felt like STAR WARS without it being STAR WARS as Gunn eloquently put it. I thought VOL. 2 was a massive "recycled" step backwards with an overload of humor. Yondu is the only thing worthy about VOL.2
So I walked into this one with some low expectations due to how I felt about VOL. 2 and the quality of MCU films as of late. While it is a step above VOL. 2, I did feel like the film yanked along the way with so many moments that just tried way too hard to make me feel emotional.
This is probably a me thing, but because I'm not particularly an animal lover, I felt Rocket's backstory tried too hard to make me feel sad. It did provide a lot of depth for him and Bradley Cooper does a great job voicing him. I would argue this is probably is his best outing as Rocket so far.
In contrast though, respect to Gunn for including animal cruelty and child abduction. I loved that he went there and played around in that dark arena. I absolutely respect the move because I love when the MCU makes an effort to include mature themes and dark elements from time to time. Humor was more tame compared to VOL. 2 and I didn't particularly mind it this time around. Some of the jokes landed and I did find myself chuckling once or twice.
Pratt's Star-Lord feels more evolved and not the same go-lucky/quipping thief, and of course he wouldn't as he's mourning the loss of his girlfriend, but there is another version of her that isn't the version he fell in love with. Another move I respect was that he and Gamora did not get back together. It felt real and made bigger impact mirroring the fact that this iteration of the Guardians is finished. Saldana does a good job playing Gamora a bit more savage and merciless.
Bautista has good chemistry with Klementieff as shown in the Holiday Special and I'm happy Bautista got more action sequences showcasing Drax's strength. Groot is used to good effect as well. Not as awesome as the first Groot but way better than baby/teenage Groot. Kraglin played by Gunn's brother Sean and Cosmo voiced by Maria Bakalova are also involved in a meaningful way. Again kudos to James Gunn for this juggling act.
Will Poulter's Adam Warlock I felt got the short end of the stick. I thought he could have been utilized a little bit better, but I did quite like his portrayal. As for Chukwudi Iwuji, he does a great job being unhinged as the High Evolutionary. Very threatening, menacing and just all out crazy.
I did feel the length. I felt the whole part at Orgoscope was unnecessary and dragged the film. I felt they could have just went straight to the High Evolutionary. Again, while the flashbacks provided some depth for Rocket, it felt choppy to me primarily because I'm trying to engage with the overall plot in motion and then I'm watching something where I felt tried too hard to make me care. Rocket in "animal heaven" reunited with his friends also felt extremely cheesy. Another example of that was when the film plays with the idea of Star-Lord dying at the end. What bothered me about that was how does he not have his helmet and his jetpack on his ankles that he's known for having? He's flown in space before and yeah I know he was asked to not have weapons in the High Evolutionary's HQ, but he gave his blasters to Groot who hid a bunch of guns, he couldn't have given him his ankle jetpacks or his helmet? This is why I felt like the film is deliberately trying to make me feel emotional.
Also this is a minor, comic-book geek nitpick that doesn't really effect the film, but the visual development team gave them the classic comic-book accurate blue and red striped suits and they couldn't give Star-Lord his mask with the accurate helmet from the comics? LOL.
Anyways, I respected the darker themes, I respected that if felt like the end with a whole new team assembled and there were some fine performances, but it felt long and wasn't particularly subtle at tugging my heart strings.
5/10.
So I walked into this one with some low expectations due to how I felt about VOL. 2 and the quality of MCU films as of late. While it is a step above VOL. 2, I did feel like the film yanked along the way with so many moments that just tried way too hard to make me feel emotional.
This is probably a me thing, but because I'm not particularly an animal lover, I felt Rocket's backstory tried too hard to make me feel sad. It did provide a lot of depth for him and Bradley Cooper does a great job voicing him. I would argue this is probably is his best outing as Rocket so far.
In contrast though, respect to Gunn for including animal cruelty and child abduction. I loved that he went there and played around in that dark arena. I absolutely respect the move because I love when the MCU makes an effort to include mature themes and dark elements from time to time. Humor was more tame compared to VOL. 2 and I didn't particularly mind it this time around. Some of the jokes landed and I did find myself chuckling once or twice.
Pratt's Star-Lord feels more evolved and not the same go-lucky/quipping thief, and of course he wouldn't as he's mourning the loss of his girlfriend, but there is another version of her that isn't the version he fell in love with. Another move I respect was that he and Gamora did not get back together. It felt real and made bigger impact mirroring the fact that this iteration of the Guardians is finished. Saldana does a good job playing Gamora a bit more savage and merciless.
Bautista has good chemistry with Klementieff as shown in the Holiday Special and I'm happy Bautista got more action sequences showcasing Drax's strength. Groot is used to good effect as well. Not as awesome as the first Groot but way better than baby/teenage Groot. Kraglin played by Gunn's brother Sean and Cosmo voiced by Maria Bakalova are also involved in a meaningful way. Again kudos to James Gunn for this juggling act.
Will Poulter's Adam Warlock I felt got the short end of the stick. I thought he could have been utilized a little bit better, but I did quite like his portrayal. As for Chukwudi Iwuji, he does a great job being unhinged as the High Evolutionary. Very threatening, menacing and just all out crazy.
I did feel the length. I felt the whole part at Orgoscope was unnecessary and dragged the film. I felt they could have just went straight to the High Evolutionary. Again, while the flashbacks provided some depth for Rocket, it felt choppy to me primarily because I'm trying to engage with the overall plot in motion and then I'm watching something where I felt tried too hard to make me care. Rocket in "animal heaven" reunited with his friends also felt extremely cheesy. Another example of that was when the film plays with the idea of Star-Lord dying at the end. What bothered me about that was how does he not have his helmet and his jetpack on his ankles that he's known for having? He's flown in space before and yeah I know he was asked to not have weapons in the High Evolutionary's HQ, but he gave his blasters to Groot who hid a bunch of guns, he couldn't have given him his ankle jetpacks or his helmet? This is why I felt like the film is deliberately trying to make me feel emotional.
Also this is a minor, comic-book geek nitpick that doesn't really effect the film, but the visual development team gave them the classic comic-book accurate blue and red striped suits and they couldn't give Star-Lord his mask with the accurate helmet from the comics? LOL.
Anyways, I respected the darker themes, I respected that if felt like the end with a whole new team assembled and there were some fine performances, but it felt long and wasn't particularly subtle at tugging my heart strings.
5/10.