The third and final volume of Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy is a satisfying but emotionally agonizing end to the series.
The movie is quite dark, covering topics like animal abuse and genocide. The main antagonist, The High Evolutionary, experiments with animals to ruthlessly create and destroy entire civilizations. While there are not too many graphic scenes, the implications were heart-wrenching. There are many horrifying and distressing scenes that prompt intense emotional reactions.
All of The High Evolutionary’s inhumane actions are in pursuit of his vision of a perfect world, a classic villain trope that is especially overused in Marvel movies. This cliché seems to have a lot of precedent in Marvel movies when they try to justify the antagonist’s actions and has grown extremely boring. However, Chukwudi Iwuji, who plays The High Evolutionary, did an excellent job even if his character is not unique.
For fans of the series, “Vol. 3” is an entertaining if emotionally strenuous watch. There are, however, many aspects of the film that are humorous, maintaining the series’ comical tone.
The entire film is very action-packed, as most Marvel movies are. I was impressed by the incredibly creative cinematography in many of the action scenes. The camera angles change constantly and have a lot of fast movement to create a more engaging fight.
The plot jumps around a lot, with confusing changes in setting that often feel unnecessary. That said, the secondary plot line about the backstory of Rocket Raccoon is emotionally captivating and more interesting than the main story. Without the addition of this plot line, I would not have been engaged.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is one of the more intriguing offshoots of the Marvel franchise, with great character development and a resolution that circles back to the franchise’s first volume. “Vol. 3” is a wonderful, touching close to a beloved trilogy that fans have come to love so much.
