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Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Mike Tyrkus

The latest in the series, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is ultimately more of the best elements of the formula that proved so successful in the previous entries in the series, even though it may be the third best film of the series.

In this installment in the saga of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and his friends must again rally together to save one of their own in an adventure that portends not only certain doom for the Guardians, but for the universe as well.

The production is once again helmed by writer/director James Gunn; and he delivers more of the entertaining Marvel filmmaking that the previous entries in the series have provided. Although there are a few fresh nuances here and there, this is largely more of the same that was present in the previous films, and that works well as a send-off of sorts for the current slate of Guardians.

As Quill/Star-Lord, Pratt is, again, pitch-perfect as the wise-cracking hero. Only this time, he is still mourning the loss of his paramour – Gamora (Zoe Salanda), at the hands of Thanos – and doesn’t seem to be completely himself. Then, through a series of misadventures, the Guardians are again aligned with Gamora on a mission to, well, save the galaxy, and all of Quill’s anxieties start to exacerbate. But persevere our hero must if the job is to get done. So, with the help of his compatriots, he manages to put aside his inner turmoil to perform as the hero his friends need him to be.

Along with Pratt and Saldana, other returning Guardians – Drax (Dave Bautista), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Rocket (Bradley Cooper) – all deliver their performances with the same bravado and enthusiasm as before, making this outing just as entertaining as the previous two in that regard.

Bradley Cooper in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” © cedricdumler ©️ MarvelStudios.

Other charming performances are given courtesy of the likes of Sean Gunn (Kraglin), Chukwudi Iwuji (The High Evolutionary), Will Poulter (Adam Warlock), Maria Bakalova (Cosmo the Spacedog), Sylvester Stallone (Stakar Ogord), and Elizabeth Debicki (Ayesha).

Even though Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 may not reach the heights of its predecessors, it still manages to deliver a fair amount of solid entertainment value and enough solid character development to make it yet another welcome addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com
An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

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