Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Director: James Gunn
Screenwriter: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, Elizabeth Debicki, Maria Bakalova, Sylvester Stallone, Nathan Fillion, Linda Cardellini, Asim Chaudhry, Mikaela Hoover

How many trilogies really stick the landing?

In 2018, writer-director James Gunn was unceremoniously fired by Disney after some bad taste jokes from his early days as a comedian were unearthed on Twitter by right-wing trolls who objected to Gunn’s outspoken political views. Following a passionate campaign from fans and Gunn’s friends and colleagues, a year later he was brought back on board at Marvel to finish what he started. If you love this particular bunch of a-holes, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is going to be an emotional one.

Scoundrel-turned-superhero Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is in a dark place after making a mistake that doomed half the universe and lost him the love of his life, Gamora (Zoë Saldaña). The Guardians were restored following the defeat of Thanos, but a different Gamora – one who doesn’t even like Peter let alone love him – now stands in his paramour’s place. When an attack on the Guardian home base of Knowhere leaves one of their number mortally injured, the team set out on a quest that brings them into conflict with mad scientist the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) and causes Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) to confront his traumatic past.

What James Gunn has been hiding in plain sight up to now is that the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy is really about Rocket above anyone else. This is his journey, one that takes him from a bad start in life to being a full and happy person with people in his life he can trust and rely upon.

Much like Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, if Rocket didn’t work as a VFX creation, then nothing else in this instalment (where he’s driving pretty much all the action) would either. Thankfully, the time-lapse transition between a terrified caged raccoon and Rocket’s older, cynically twitching nose that opens the film puts those doubts immediately to rest. Gunn’s empathy for all living things, but particularly those who have been mistreated, is what gives this story its power, and Bradley Cooper’s pitch-perfect vocal performance has the strength to make you feel all the feelings. Just as a raccoon crying over his lost tree friend made us shed tears in 2014, his relationship with his fellow abused creatures brings on the waterworks all over again here with some almost unbearably intense scenes in captivity. We don’t get to spend all that long with young Rocket’s animal experiment friends Lylla the otter (Linda Cardellini), Teefs the walrus (Asim Chaudhry) and Floor the rabbit (Mikaela Hoover), but we quickly grow to love them just as deeply he did.

This does have the feel of a victory lap, bringing everything full circle and giving everyone their time to shine. Everyone loves the literal-thinking lunk Drax (Dave Bautista) and towering tree-man Groot (Vin Diesel) but it is stoic cyborg Nebula (Karen Gillan) and eager-to-please empath Mantis (Pom Klementief), previously both pretty one-note, who end up being the undisputed highlights here. The former’s gruff and tough personality has gradually been eroded over her time with the Guardians, and the rare occasion when she lets down her guard and lets emotion overwhelm her really hits hard. The latter is the heart of the team, gets most of the funniest lines, and her unique power helps her and her friends out of a few tough spots in some unexpected ways.

Newcomers to this universe include Borat 2‘s Maria Bakalova as Cosmo the talking psychic cosmonaut dog who has an adorable film-long argument with space pirate Kraglin (Sean Gunn), Will Poulter as genetically engineered gold man-child Adam Warlock, and Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary, arguably the most evil and irredeemable bastard in the galaxy who will mutilate, torture and thoughtlessly dispose of countless living things all in service of his delusional mission to create a “perfect society”.

The action is all very polished and exciting, and because this is the team’s last ride it all feels a lot more dangerous for our heroes somehow. A fight in a corridor in the final act might be the finest couple of minutes of action in the MCU to date – not only is it meticulously choreographed, ludicrously entertaining and set to a killer Beastie Boys track, but it lets the team work in violent harmony and gives every member of the team a chance to showcase their special abilities, each getting their own big character moment at the same time.

James Gunn has always happily leaned into the sillier visual and conceptual aspects of space opera, and rarely have such strange ideas been more convincingly brought to life as here. From a bio-formed space station seemingly made of meat to learning that the city of Knowhere (built inside the skull of a dead space god) can actually be driven to a new location, and even to a mirror image “Counter-Earth” populated by humanoids forcefully evolved from lower lifeforms, big swings are taken. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is an epic, galaxy-spanning quest, but all this imagination vitally remains in service of a very intimate story. 

A minor criticism that could be levelled at this particular Guardians iteration is that the soundtrack isn’t as memorable or pitch-perfect as in the previous two films, with John Murphy’s (Sunshine, The Suicide Squad) original score extensively incorporating choral singing provoking a stronger reaction than the vast majority of the needle-drops. Similarly, the final act of the film, after over two hours of putting every Guardian through one life-threatening incident after another, keeps piling on the jeopardy to an almost absurd degree even when it is already fit to burst.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 brings this unlikely team’s journey to an immensely satisfying and appropriately epic conclusion. It is spectacular to look at and really funny, but it is also easily one of the darkest stories in the Marvel universe and does not pull its punches to make its pretty explicit discussion of abuse and animal testing any more palatable. We may see some of these characters again down the road, but for now it’s a fond farewell to them all, especially the acerbic Racoon who just wanted to be loved.

Score: 21/24

Recommended for you: MCU Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies Ranked

THR | Deadline – 20th Nov 2019

Henry Cavill has told Men’s Health that while “the outfit is in the closet”, he is still very much the DC/Warner Bros Superman.

Men’s Health – 19th Nov 2019

The Mission: Impossible franchise has added Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 star Pom Klementieff to its cast for the upcoming 7th and 8th instalments. The director of the upcoming films, Christopher McQuarrie, announced the talent acquisition via Twitter on Tuesday.

.@PomKlementieff, How do you spell femme fatale? #MI78 pic.twitter.com/OYnPYxGOZM

— Christopher McQuarrie (@chrismcquarrie) November 19, 2019

Josh Brolin, Don Cheadle and Sebastian Stan are in talks to join new Steven Soderbergh project Kill Switch. If hired, the trio will play criminals in 1950s Detroit who are hired to carry out a home invasion. The story was written by Men in Black and Bill & Ted scribe Ed Solomon.

Collider – 19th Nov 2019

Noah Hawley, the creator of the ‘Fargo’ and ‘Legion’ TV series and the director of 2019 sci-fi film Lucy in the Sky starring Natalie Portman, will write and direct the next Star Trek movie for Paramount. The film is set to feature returns for all central cast members and will retain the involvement of JJ Abrams as an executive producer via his Bad Robot label.

Deadline – 19th Nov 2019

The cast of The Batman continues to grow, with director Matt Reeves tweeting to confirm reports that The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Transformers actor John Turturro will be playing the role of Gotham crime lord Carmine Falcone.

🦇 I said… #CarmineFalcone pic.twitter.com/wa5zNuVwPg

— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) November 22, 2019

Idris Elba is set to star in an upcoming Western from They Die By Dawn director Jeymes Samuel (also known as The Bullitts in music circles) for Netflix; a role that will see Elba play a man fresh out of jail following a murder from over 2 decades ago. The Last Black Man in San Francisco star Jonathan Majors will star as the grown child of the murder victims. Jay-Z is set to produce.

Deadline – 18th Nov 2019

Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers star Zoe Saldana is set to play the lead in a new fact-based thriller about the American pursuit of intel on ISIS from ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and I Think We’re Alone Now director Reed Morano.

Deadline – 19th Nov 2019

Game Night and The Irishman actor Jesse Plemons has joined Benedict Cumberbatch in the upcoming Jane Campion film The Power of the Dog. The film, an adaptation of the 1967 novel of the same name by Thomas Savage, will be distributed for theatrical and streaming release by Netflix. Plemons replaces Paul Dano who had to exit the project due to scheduling conflicts with The Batman.

THR – 21st Nov 2019

Graham King, the producer of Bohemian Rhapsody, has secured the rights to make a Michael Jackson biopic from the deceased singer’s estate, with a deal reportedly giving the producer the right to use all of Jackson’s music in an upcoming film.

Deadline – 22nd Nov 2019

Ben Affleck is set to direct King Leopold’s Ghost, a fact-based drama about the plunder of the Congo by Belgian royal King Leopold II in the late 1800s. The director, whose next on-screen project will be in Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel (which Affleck co-wrote), will be working with Apocalypto screenwriter Farhad Safinia on a script for the project.

Deadline – 21st Nov 2019

A director for a new Star Wars film, set for release in 2022, will be announced in January following the release of the final Skywalker-saga franchise entry The Rise of Skywalker this Christmas. This news comes despite uncertainty surrounding Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy’s future as head of the studio under the Disney banner.

THR – 20th Nov 2019

Little Monsters director Abe Forsythe is replacing District 9 and Chappie director Neill Blomkamp as the director of the upcoming RoboCop sequel RoboCop Returns. Blomkamp had to exit the project reportedly due to “scheduling issues”.

THR – 20th Nov 2019

Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher is set to direct a film about Dracula’s servant Renfield set in the modern day. The film was an idea pitched to Universal by “The Walking Dead” comics creator Robert Kirkman and is being written by ‘Rick and Morty’ writer Ryan Ridley.

Variety – 20th Nov 2019

Marvel Studios have revealed release dates for five yet-to-be-revealed Marvel Cinematic Universe cinematic releases: 7th Oct 2022; 17th Feb 2023; 5th May 2023; 28th July 2023 and 3rd November 2023. With 2023 being particularly busy, rumours are rife over the possibility of the next Avengers film being released that year.

Empire – 18th Nov 2019

Directors UK, the professional association for screen directors, has set the UK’s first guidelines for directing nudity and simulated sex just a day removed from Last Christmas star Emilia Clarke publicly stating her discomfort at filming a number of early ‘Game of Thrones’ sex scenes.

THR – 21st Nov 2019

New Clint Eastwood movie Richard Jewell has come under criticism from the editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for suggesting that its former reporter Kathy Scruggs offered to trade sex for information about the 1996 Olympics bombing in Atlanta.

Yahoo! – 22nd Nov 2019

CW: Sexual Assault/Molestation:

Apple are delaying their theatrical and streaming releases of drama The Banker starring Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Mackie and Nicholas Hoult because following allegations of sexual molestation made against the film’s co-producer Bernard Garrett Jr.

THR – 22nd Nov 2019

New Roman Polanski film An Officer and A Gentleman this week topped the French Box Office despite calls for a boycott following fresh rape accusations agains the director, this time from actress Valentine Monnier.

THR – 21st Nov 2019

And finally… 

Oscar-winning actor Michael J. Pollard, known for his roles in Dick Tracy, Roxanne and Scrooged, has passed away aged 80. The actor, nominated for his supporting role in Bonnie & Clyde, was the inspiration behind Michael J. Fox including the initial in his name.

THR – 22nd Nov 2019

Uncut Gems and The Farewell led the list of nominees for the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards as announced on Thursday 21st November.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Screenwriters: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Chadwick Boseman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland, Elizabeth Olsen, Karen Gillan, Carrie Coon, Pom Klementieff, Sebastian Stan, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba, Letitia Wright, Vin Diesel, Danai Gurira, Paul Bettany, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Mackie, Benedict Wong

Unforeseen and unprecedented, Avengers: Infinity War delivers a conclusion of a lifetime that you’re going to want to see on the big screen and ahead of someone spoiling things for you. May you never have concerns about Marvel’s lack of conviction again…

10 years and 18 movies in the making, Infinity War was asked to juggle the massive expectations of its audience as well as the need for each of its franchise leading characters to be served appropriately. And, through some of the Russo Brothers’ now trademarked story-centred action, a premise that demanded attention and stakes, and a strong effort to invest in the arc of the villain, this full stop on the first 10 years of the MCU has managed to do just that. This is more than a superhero movie, it’s a defining moment in modern cinema.

The most pressing positive from the film comes from the brains at Marvel Studios – headed by studio head Kevin Feige – whom seem to have listened to concerns regarding the quality of the universe’s villains and made rectifying that issue their first port of call regarding Thanos in Infinity War, ensuring that the character’s desires were not left without explanation; that we were given the correct amount of insight into the tyrannical titan’s motivations, as well as his – for lack of a better term – humanity. In the space of a few hours, the most important of peripheral MCU figures became directly important to the story of the film and the future of the franchise, spearheading the direction of the conflict not as “generic ‘unwelcomed other’ number 4” but as a genuinely believable monstrous being with all the bells and whistles needed to make him a credible threat – on a scale of Malekith in Thor: The Dark World to The Dark Knight’s Joker, Thanos was a lot closer to The Joker.

That’s not to say that Thanos encompassed the entire film in the same way that The Joker did however, as the directors and their writing team did an incredible job in ensuring that each of the heroes was given their moment to shine too, with the franchise’s most prominent figures each finding room to manoeuvre in a cast of characters larger than arguably any in history. Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, Starlord and Captain America were each given important direction and a lot of screen time through which to fulfil their tasks, and their interactions with secondary characters made for moment after moment of fan service that reached levels so high that Infinity War is almost untouchable in such a regard. This hectic and all-encompassing presentation did make performances harder to judge, and it’s fair to assume that there won’t be a single Infinity War cast member being nominated for their role in the movie at next year’s Oscars, but that’s not to deny the gravitas of Robert Downey Jr, Chris Pratt and Chris Evans in particular, each of whom offered tidbits of how special each of them are at important moments in the film; with Josh Brolin’s Thanos performance also being notable in its own right despite being so heavily masked by CGI.

Questions will also be raised about the quality of Infinity War to viewers unfamiliar with the franchise’s predecessors as the movie clearly placed a lot of its content against the backdrop of an expected familiarity between those watching the film and the characters within it. And sure, to a person fresh to the universe, Infinity War is hardly the film it would be to a person who’s a fan of the MCU, a reader of the comics or even a film goer who’s seen the vast majority of other Marvel movies, but to judge the 19th instalment of a universe with such traditional film criticism credentials would be to misunderstand the very nature of this once in a lifetime beast. Infinity War isn’t a film that 99.9% of people will begin their Marvel Cinematic Universe journey with, and though they’ll need a lot of catching up if they do choose to go down that route, the film’s lack of exposition and direct-to-action approach is actually to the movie’s benefit, keeping the run-time as low as it can be, the action and excitement high, and the story at the forefront of everything on the screen.

It’s in the story that Infinity War, and particularly the work of the Russo Brothers, comes to bare fruit, because for a film with so many must-see names, characters and moments, set across planets in different galaxies, everything somehow miraculously not only fits together, but also makes sense. The film’s narrative through-line is so strong that Iron Man can be fighting in one place while Star Lord fights in another, and at no point does it seem unnatural to be with one character as opposed to someone else, and while the film is filled to the brim with action set pieces and beautifully put together CG, the Russo Brothers ensure they never lose touch of the main arc of the film in what can only be described as a spectacular feat in direction – one that is complimented by every other aspect of post-production.

In short, this superhero-war-action movie is a moment in time that you shall never forget. This is a film so entwined with the history of a genre its own predecessors have come to define that it cannot be overlooked as anything other than a year defining, decade defining, genre defining all-time classic that belongs in the same echelon as The Dark Knight and The Empire Strikes Back in terms of quality blockbuster material. If you get the chance to see this on the big screen, do it. This is an event invitation you’re not going to want to pass up on; the near perfect comic book movie.

22/24

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