“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” 4K Digital Review

Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own – a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians if not successful. (from IMDB.com)

After many delays, the final entry in the Guardians of the Galaxy saga is here, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It’s actually been six solid years since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hit the big screen (To the day, actually. It was May 5, 2017). A lot has changed for these characters in the time that elapsed, too. Although Guardians 2 was six years ago, we’ve seen these characters in two Avengers films and last year’s Christmas special. To fully appreciate – and understand – everything in Vol. 3, you definitely will have needed to have seen all of these movies. The Christmas special revealed one nugget about the relationship between two characters, and also established that the Guardians had purchased the alien-head-turned-spaceport Knowhere and made it their homebase. But if you missed Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, you missed a very crucial plot point for this trilogy. In Infinity War, Thanos sacrificed Gamora in order to get the Soul Stone. All of the Guardians except for Rocket and Nebula were also dusted with Thanos’ galaxy-altering finger snap. In Endgame, the Avengers fought to bring back those who Thanos erased, but five years had passed since the initial snap-heard-’round-the-cosmos. So when everyone who’d been erased returned (Except for those lost in the Soul Stone sacrifice), they came back five years later. But it was at that time that Thanos from 2014 time-traveled to the future to try to get the stones back from the Avengers, and 2014 Gamora had traveled with him. When Iron Man sacrificed himself to defeat Thanos’ army, 2014 Gamora was spared, and went off on her own… not to be seen again. It’s important to realize that this version of Gamora never experienced the events of the Guardians films and didn’t even know them. At the end of Endgame, the Guardians head back out into space, with Thor in tow, to continue their adventures. At the beginning of last year’s Thor: Love and Thunder, we saw that the Guardians had spent some time with Thor, before leaving him to go back out on their own. From there, we don’t see the gang again until the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

The first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies heavily revolved around Chris Pratt’s Peter “Star-Lord” Quill. The first movie opened with a flashback to his childhood when Yondu abducted him into space and made him one of the Ravagers. The second film opened with a flashback of his alien father, Ego, courting his mother. For Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the focus is primarily on a different member of the Guardians’ team. For the sake of not spoiling anything, I won’t divulge who, but if you’ve seen any of the trailers for this movie, it’s easy to guess who that might be. But Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is largely known to be the swan song for this group of the Guardians, and controversial film director James Gunn returns to close the book on this chapter. Some loose threads from Vol. 2 do get picked up, so if you wondered when those setups might be getting payoffs, they’re all in this movie. We also get some answers to the Gamora drama, as well as a satisfying conclusion to the arc of this team of characters. It’s clear that Gunn knows this is the end, so he makes sure to go all-out one last time. It’s another deeply personal story for the Guardians – not unlike Vol. 2 – so it adds very much to the emotional weight of the story.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a pretty big movie. Gunn flexes his creative muscles to give the audience a very, very weird movie yet again. But it seems as though he kicked the weirdness factor up to eleven this time around. We see all kinds of creatures and aliens and environments that are definitely out of the ordinary. Although we live in an age where many moviegoers probably feel like they’ve seen it all, Gunn does his best to make sure we haven’t. One of the most bizarre sequences takes place on a biologically-constructed space station. It’s super unusual, and maybe a little gross, but it works for giving audiences something different than what we’re used to. All of Gunn’s creative explorations just further expand the world of Marvel and the MCU, and even when some things start to feel a bit too convenient, which shrinks the world a bit (like certain characters conveniently running into other characters), Gunn still manages to surprise us.

The stakes are high for the Guardians in Vol. 3, with nearly every character coming face-to-face with their mortality at some point, keeping the fans holding their breath for fear of these characters’ safety. If you thought Vol. 2 was dark, Vol. 3 gives it a run for its money. Granted, Gunn still keeps the party fun and super funny at times, but the story is a heavy one for sure. Substantial stretches of the movie are quite serious and weighty, so if you’re particularly invested in these characters, Gunn’s certainly going to make you feel it. The instrumental score even matches the tone differently this time around. Sure, the Awesome Mix of popular songs is still carefully selected and fitting, but this time the movie opens with Radiohead’s “Creep” instead of the boisterous sounds of Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love” (the first movie) and E.L.O.’s “Mr. Blue Sky” (Vol. 2). It’s clear we’re in for a different Guardians here. Composer Tyler Bates sits this one out, with John Murphy stepping in instead. Honestly, this is arguably a stronger and more memorable score, which does reprise Bates’ Guardians of the Galaxy theme song at just the right moments. I always thought Bates’ scores were a bit vanilla, and even overused the theme a bit too much. Murphy’s entry seems to hit all the right notes emotionally and thematically.

The content of the movie unfortunately matches the heavier tone. Pratt even drops the MCU’s first-ever “F-bomb” when you least expect it. It’s done to be a shock – and funny – but I found it extremely distracting in the moment, actually. At this point, we have over 30 movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 breaks the streak to include it. Instead of being in the moment in the movie, it’s easier to get distracted thinking, “He just said that! Did I hear that right? That’s the first time, right?” which isn’t the thing you want your audience to be focusing on in a movie like this. (Yet, reportedly, producer Kevin Feige suggested to Gunn that he doesn’t want to be known for having the first F-bomb in an MCU movie and supposedly Gunn ensured him that he in fact does.) Other than that frustrating content choice, there’s surprisingly only one noticeable use of the “S” word (from Gamora), and a handful of other swear words, with “h*ll” and “d*mn” being the most common. Other than language, the violence definitely pushes the PG-13 envelope quite a bit. In addition to several scenes of animal cruelty and torture, there are quite a few action scenes with creatures getting cut up or dismembered, characters on the verge of death, characters threatening death on others, etc. There’s even a short scene that shows a disfigured face up close that brings to mind some serious gruesome Two-Face imagery from The Dark Knight. This is one heavy MCU entry, gang. One of the movie’s many subplots involves creatures who are basically cyborgs, and it kind of feels like a live action version of Sid’s creepy bedroom from Toy Story. We then see other half-machine-half-animal creatures that meet some graphic demises (with a humanoid character even nonchalantly carrying a decapitated animal head under his arm at one point). We also see a character floating in space as their face balloons and swells as they freeze to death. The Guardians movies have never been “light,” but Vol. 3 feels like Gunn off the leash. I know DC let him go nuts with his version of the Suicide Squad two years ago, and it seems to just have made him bolder with Marvel.

Overall, how does Vol. 3 compare to the other two movies? I’ve only seen this one once so far, but I think it sits between the 2014 original and Vol. 2. The first sequel has its merits (after all, it introduces us to the wonderful Mantis), but the first entry was just something really special. Gunn seemed to strike the perfect balance between humor and sci-fi action, and I don’t think he’s been able to recapture it quite the same since. Actually, I’d probably prefer the Guardians scenes in Avengers: Infinity War over either of the direct Guardians sequels, but they’re still pretty good sequels. I have to hand it to Gunn for not retreading familiar territory in any of his follow-ups, which is something sequels are often guilty of. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 feels quite fresh, with lots of new things to offer, and plenty of significant character beats for all of the main characters. If you like the Guardians, Vol. 3 will probably only make you love them more.

The MCU has been extremely spotty since the first major run concluded with Avengers: Endgame. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is quite easily the best MCU movie since Spider-Man: No Way Home, but that might not be saying much given the studio’s track record as of late (The higher points being Black Widow and Shang-Chi, the lowest being Eternals and Thor: Love and Thunder). Vol. 3 is emotional, entertaining, funny, heartbreaking, imaginative, and memorable. It may not be the best of the series, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a nice way to kick off the 2023 summer movie season.

If you’re wondering about post-credits scenes, there are a couple, including one after the credits finish that actually makes an intriguing promise of a returning Guardian in future movies…

– John DiBiase (reviewed: 5/7/23)

 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now available via digital retailers and will be releasing on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD on August 1st. The movie looks pretty solid in digital 4K. I’m still partial to 4K on disc over streaming (it just always seems a smidge crisper to me), but the clarity and color is definitely noticeable. The iTunes digital copy, and the disc release of the latest MCU entry, features the following few extras:

The Imperfect, Perfect Family (11:08) – This is a great little retrospective about the “Guardians of the Galaxy” family that spans the three films (not including the two Avengers movies and the Christmas special). There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes footage from the first movie, surprisingly. And director James Gunn talks about how the three movies fit together and relate to each other thematically. This featurette covers each character – Peter, Drax, Gamora, Mantis, Rocket, Groot, Kraglin and Nebula – and their growth from the first film to the third. The actors also talk about their love for one another and how blessed they feel to be a part of this series. (We even see some cool in-studio audio recording from Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper.) (1 “S” word, 1 “d*mn,” 1 “*ssh*le,” 1 “Oh my G-d,” 1 middle finger from Peter from the first movie)

Creating Rocket Raccoon (9:26) – Gunn reiterates that the first movie was about “the mother” (Peter’s), the second was about “the father” (Peter’s) and this movie is about “the self,” which James relates to himself, saying Rocket has a lot of himself in the character. James’ brother Sean Gunn (who also plays Kraglin) stood in for Rocket on set and actually would perform the character so other actors had something to act off of. James tells some stories about how they designed Rocket for the first movie, and how he befriended a real raccoon they used for reference, named Oreo. He also used his own dog as reference for Rocket’s mouth, so it could be more expressive than a normal raccoon’s. For Rocket’s voice, they apparently tried lots of different actors before they found Bradley Cooper, and we see some great in-studio footage of Bradley and James working together. (1 “a” word, 1 “d*mn,” 1 “d*uche”)

Gag Reel (6:00) – As you can imagine, a Gag Reel for a Guardians movie is pretty fun. I’m actually surprised there’s a whopping 6 minutes of silliness here (although, there’s probably a lot more that wasn’t released). This is mostly your usual line flubs, laughing, dancing and such, but it all adds up to a pretty heartwarming little collection of bloopers. (1 incomplete “mother–“, 1 “d*ckhead,” 7 bleeps)

Deleted Scenes (8:28) – There are 8 short deleted or alternate scenes offered here. Very little adds to the movie, except we see in “Knowhere After the Battle” that the High Evolutionary actually survived and was being kept at Knowhere in a prison. I’m surprised that wasn’t kept in…

1. A Bit Much (0:46) – Adam is talking with his mother about how he’s going to do violent and vile things to his enemies for revenge. (1 “p*ss”)
2. A Lending Hand (0:24) – At the alternate Earth planet, Peter offers a handkerchief to a woman with a bloody knee. But here, it’s followed with Mantis saying to Nebula that she saw Peter blow his nose into it minutes earlier.
3. Drax’s Analogies and Metaphors (1:48) – This is an extended version of the exchange between Peter and Drax, but I think the final cut of the scene is much better.
4. The Perfect Society (1:15) – The High Evolutionary responds to Peter’s insult by saying his “bits” were removed because they were a distraction, and his mother didn’t show him enough attention. It’s a silly moment, but kind of funny (coupled with Peter’s surprised reaction).
5. The Search for 89P13 (0:27) – The decapitated and charred head of the dead War Pig is delivered at the feet of the High Evolutionary.
6. Annoyed Peter (0:45) – While trying to hotwire the enemy ship’s force field, Peter is being distracted by one of the Evolutionary’s minion. (1 “d*mn”)
7. A Burning Escape (1:20) – We see more footage of Peter running and falling and jumping through the ship burning around him.
8. Knowhere After the Battle (1:16) – Back at their headquarters, we see Rocket locking up the High Evolutionary in a cage. (1 “s*cks”)

Director’s Commentary (2:30:03) – Lastly, fans can watch the movie in its entirety with an audio track commentary from the movie’s director, James Gunn.

– John DiBiase, (reviewed: 7/8/23)

 

 Sex/Nudity: While talking amongst themselves on how they can help Peter, who’s depressed, someone suggests that they “touch” him (kind of like how Mantis has empathic abilities). Drax is confused by this and comments that he wouldn’t want to “touch” him, which is played for laughs in a suggestive way; Mantis distracts a guard by touching him and using her powers to tell him he’s in love with Drax. The man then flirts with Drax, who is uncomfortable by it (Mantis is delightfully entertained)
 Vulgarity/Language: 1 “F” word, 1 “S” word, 9 “h*ll,” 5 “*ss,” 1 “*ssh*le,” 1 “d*ck,” 2 “d*ckhead,” 4 “d*mn,” 1 “S.O.B,” 2 “Oh my G-d,” 1 “Good G-d,” 1 “Oh G-d,” 2 “p*ss off,” 1 “d*uche,” 1 “d*uchebag,” 1 “jack-ss,” 1 “A-holes” written during the opening Marvel credits.
 Alcohol/Drugs: Quill is stumbling around drunk at the beginning of the film; Peter sees some aliens that appear to be dealing drugs in the street. He later makes a remark about there being meth dealing on the streets.
 Blood/Gore: Rocket removes his shirt and we see the metal implants in his skin; We see a young raccoon that has been operated on. We see metal implants in its skin. Its head was shaved bald and we see an incision scar. A cloth touches it and we see it soak up blood; Other test animals are mutilated. A white bunny has a metal piece covering its mouth and nose and metal spider legs. An otter is missing arms and has skinny metal arms. Another animal has wheels for legs and it looks as though the skin is stretched around its eyes; We see several animals get altered in large tubes so they turn into humanoid creatures. At one point, one of them is destroyed and reduced to a goo state; An alien is fried by a power beam from another alien. We then see its fried remains smoking. Part of its arm falls off; Drax’s face is very bloody after he is punched several times in the face; A character is shot and we see a good amount of blood on their chest. Another person puts their hands on the character’s chest and we see some blood bubbling up; A woman is shot in the leg and we see some blood there as she’s screaming and being dragged away; Gamora shoots a random alien and we briefly see some blood splatter when he is hit; Master Karja has some blood on the side of his mouth; A man grabs a woman’s arm and breaks it. We see it bent drastically. She soon puts a device on her arm that fixes the break; A few scenes show Nebula bending and being twisted in gruesome ways. She always is able to snap herself back into place. At one point her head gets struck and we see it bend backwards at the neck; A cyborg pig’s head is torn off and a man briefly carries it around with him; Some cyborg animals are stabbed and sliced and we see yellow goop for blood. At one point, an animal is separated from its robot legs and we see yellow blood on its lower portion; A couple animals are killed and there is a little blood; A character dying on a table foams at the mouth and convulses; A man has skin stretched across his face. Another character pulls at it and they realize it’s a mask. We see their face is red, raw, and bloody, with skin missing around one of their eyes, part of their lips and mouth missing, revealing their teeth underneath. It’s disturbing, gory and gross; A character gets caught floating in space. They start to freeze and their face swells up as this happens (it’s very dramatic). We later see their face swollen again.
 Violence: Very, very violent. We see animals being worked on in a lab. Many of them have implants and mechanical limbs; We see several animals get altered in large tubes so they turn into humanoid creatures. We watch as they mutate, which is kind of disturbing. At one point, one of them is very violent so it is destroyed and reduced to a goo state; A character attacks the Guardians inside Knowhere and breaks Mantis’ arm while nearly killing another character, leaving them bloodied and near death; We see a young raccoon that has been operated on. We see metal implants in its skin. Its head was shaved bald and we see an incision scar. A cloth touches it and we see it soak up blood; Other test animals are mutilated. A white bunny has a metal piece covering its mouth and nose and metal spider legs. An otter is missing arms and has skinny metal arms. Another animal has wheels for legs and it looks as though the skin is stretched around its eyes; An animal is shot and killed while talking to another animal. After a fight between two characters, we see two other animals were killed while in their cages; A fight breaks out on a space station and a character is shot in the front and back, although they seem to be fine in the next scene; An alien is fried by a power beam from another alien. We then see its fried remains smoking. Part of its arm falls off; There’s quite a bit of shooting and beating up in the space station scene; A woman shoots another woman in the leg; An animal uses its claws to tear up a person’s face. We don’t see the aftermath, but we hear them screaming in pain; A few scenes show Nebula bending and being twisted in gruesome ways. She always is able to snap herself back into place. At one point her head gets struck and we see it bend backwards at the neck; A cyborg pig’s head is torn off and a man briefly carries it around with him; Drax hits a little kid with a dodgeball playfully and it falls backward. The townspeople then start pelting the Guardians with rocks; Two characters shoot up a room with bad guys, killing almost all of them; A planet starts exploding, with many of its inhabitants getting killed; A man is pushed out a window at great height. Another character positions the victim under himself as they fall and uses their body to break their fall, bouncing them across the ground and into water where a knife is used to pry a metal plate on their head open; A ship crash lands on the ground, nearly crushing a couple characters; A character uses their powers to obliterate everyone else in a room; A big fight with the Guardians moving through a hallway is shown in one long shot, with shooting, stabbing, slicing and all sorts of action violence. In the process, some cyborg animals are sliced up; A character uses a flying arrow to kill a bunch of attacking aliens; A character dying on a table foams at the mouth and convulses; A man has skin stretched across his face. Another character pulls at it and they realize it’s a mask. We see their face is red, raw, and bloody, with skin missing around one of their eyes, part of their lips and mouth missing, revealing their teeth underneath. It’s disturbing, gory and gross; A character gets caught floating in space. They start to freeze and their face swells up as this happens (it’s very dramatic); and lots of other comic book action violence.