I am Groot. Sorry, let me translate that for those who haven’t seen Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 yet. With recent Marvel movies containing negative reviews, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is expected to change the outlook of the Marvel universe leaving us to the question: Is this movie as good as everyone says?

Spoilers Warning!

Plot

Mo says: With the previous two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, they contained a nostalgic and feel-good energy that this finale did not carry through. I think the plot was very dark and sorrowful and I was expecting more of a happy conclusion rather than a tragic one. Much like a roller coaster, the plot had a balance of ups and downs and I found myself going through a mix of emotions while watching the film. I did feel like the movie was a little dragged out with a running time of two hours of thirty minutes. All in all, I was expecting the plot to be more light-hearted but I am pleased with the overall result.

Nick says: The plot basically covered Rocket’s backstory. I think Rocket deserved a movie about his backstory because up until now, he was a mysterious character that we didn’t know a lot about. I agree that there was a very dark and sad feel to this movie, which was unexpected and not totally enjoyable. I’m not sure what movie Mo was watching, because while there were some funny moments, there were no “ups” in the plot, only “downs.” The “downs” definitely dictated the mood of the movie. 

Ending

Mo says: I left the theater with tears rolling down my face because the ending really grabbed every emotion inside of me. I am happy that each character was able to go off and fulfill with what they’re meant to do but it made me really sad that they were all going separate ways. The character’s conclusion I loved the most was that Drax was able to become the father figure he always missed out on. I just wish they ended up working together rather than splitting up but at least they are all doing something that benefits them in a positive way. 

Nick says: The ending was good. I liked how the original Guardians split up and a new group of Guardians formed with Rocket as the leader which I thought was very fitting. It’s safe to say the Guardians are in good hands with Rocket as leader because he’s very smart and tactical. Starlord went back to Earth to see his grandfather. Drax and Nebula stayed to rebuild the city of Knowhere. Mantis took off to discover what she wants out of life, so all the original Guardians were in a good place at the end. Of all of the Guardians endings, I liked Starlord’s the most because since the beginning of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, I wondered what happened to his grandfather, so I was happy to see that revisited.

Characters

Mo says: In this chaotic finale, I believe that each member of the guardians of the galaxy got the closure that they needed. Volume three focused on the hardships of Rocket’s childhood which was very depressing. I am really glad that we got to see the origin story of Rocket and it was really touching to see his only friends die right in front of him. I really enjoyed Drax’s humor and seeing the relationships of this tight group continue to grow stronger. I wish Groot had more of a purpose and I did not like that they brought Gamora back and made her so hateful and slowly warm up to the people that were once her closest friends. Overall, I really enjoyed seeing these characters on the screen one last time and will miss them in future Marvel movies. 

Nicks says: Many of the characters were carried over from the previous Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Since this movie covered Rocket’s backstory, some characters that were a part of his earlier years were introduced. I liked the animals that were in the lab with Rocket, Teefs, Floor, and Lyla. It was depressing when they were killed, and I wish the movie had more of them in it. I liked the character of Adam Warlock. He was bad in the beginning but turned good through the course of the movie and became one of the new Guardians. I do wish, as a character that powerful, that he didn’t just act as a puppet for his mother, although I do think he underwent great character development. Finally, I thought the High Evolutionary was a phenomenal villain, and the movie did a great job of making us hate him. For me, he is a top 3 Marvel villain.

Overall Impression 

Mo says: Although I really enjoyed the conclusion to this series, it is nothing like how I was expecting it to end. I was not expecting the gore and devastating plot of animal abuse but I am glad we got a look at Rocket’s backstory, a reconnection between Peter Quill and Gamora, Drax finding his purpose to be a father figure, and coming all together one last time to fight as the guardians of the galaxy. 

Nick says: The movie was a little too gory and a little too sad for a Marvel movie. I generally found the movie to have a lot of disturbing parts when I was watching it. Now that it’s been a few days, I can look back on it and say that it was actually a fantastic movie. It’s just a bit of a tough watch at some parts. I would say that this is a top 5 Marvel movie for me which I was not expecting going into the movie theater, and I thought that Marvel wrapped up this trilogy really well.