Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

This is the best Marvel film I’ve ever seen! Now that’s a big and very bold statement I’m aware. That being said it is coming from someone who’s been a fan of Marvel since I was very small and also been following the MCU since it’s birth back in 2008 trust me when I say this is the best film that Marvel Studios has put out. As I love Logan I do but if we’re being technical that’s not a MCU film and this is and I have so so much to talk about with this film it didn’t at times even feel like a superhero film as James Gunn goes places with these characters and it’s narrative that will stun you and have you in tears multiple times throughout the film.  As it gives a beautiful send off for the Guardians Of The Galaxy that is the best in the trilogy and the most emotional marvel film I would say that’s ever been made. 

Firstly, James Gunn needs to be recognized for crafting one of the most well fleshed out superhero trilogies ever put to screen. As what made these characters feel so fresh and different to the other characters in the MCU was their ability to be written in such original and unique ways that made their journey so engaging to watch over the course of these films. As when he gave us the first film back in 2014 it felt like such a breath of fresh air for its rich world that we were thrown into and the crop of characters we followed and he never phoned in his effort in writing and telling these stories of these lovable misfits. As yes they were part of the big event films like Infinity War and Endgame but what I respect about Gunn’s approach to the characters is the way he respects the morality aspect of them as if a character is killed off in many marvel films they always bring them back but if any character from these films are killed off even if it was in a big team up movie he kept them dead. I liked that because then he is telling the audience death to his characters is permanent once their gone their gone and their were times where I thought Marvel had written him into a corner creatively due to a key character getting killed off but he uses that character’s death and really made a fantastic impact to the group with how he handled that character now being gone. He not only gave a satisfying conclusion to these characters we’ve come to love but the film does not focus on setting up the next movie or gets distracted trying to built up some big team up story he was just focused on telling a good story and a well done finale for the guardians. The emotional weight of this story felt earned it never was done in a way of coming across cheesy but very much is genuine in its execution of the subject matter we are watch unfold. This is by far the most emotional film I’ve seen from Marvel as much as Black Panther 2 was emotional that was heavy due to the fact of Chadwick Boseman’s passing which is what made that film so emotionally charged. This film takes on at times very dark themes that you’d never expect a marvel film to go but since it’s Jame Gunn and he knows this is the last time we are seeing these characters he put all his blood sweat and tears to each frame and you can see the passion and love he has for this franchise he’s built since 2014. The films tone is done in a way that never feels like it had to undercut serious moments with a joke their was that great humour we come to love from the Guardians but for the most part this film was very serious driven and the way he was able to flesh out the backstory of Rocket the Racoon not only will bring you to tears but will take a jackhammer to your heart. As all the trauma he’s gone through even before the first guardians is fleshed out to why he is the way he is and we see that hurt and that pain of what caused him to be so emotionally carful when getting close to people. The film for some people will be hard to watch due to the animal treatment in the flashback sequences of the film and I totally understand anyone who’s an animal lover or has a tough time seeing animals in pain may find it very uncomfortable to see some scenes in this film as I will admit it does get very dark and disturbing. That being said I never felt like it was doing it just for the sake of being dark but their was a emotional point to it as he wants the audience to understand the sheer heartache a core character like Rocket went through and it’ll rip your heart apart at times  but even out of that darkness the way he concludes the film in such a emotionally satisfying way that will have your eyes full of tears smiling as James Gunn has pulled off what I think is the best marvel film put to screen. The way this was written and how the tone was set balancing that dark and comedic tone was perfectly done and it never felt like one was outweighing the other it is emotionally driven and James Gunn gives each character a time to shine the backbone of this tale is yes Rocket but everybody gets their moment to say a beautiful farewell to these characters we’ve come to love over the years. 

Secondly, the performances in this film is some of the best we’ve ever seen from these actors tackling these characters. Now we’ve seen Star Lord 6 to 7 times now. Since the first guardians and from the moment we met him he comes across as this loveable goofy leader who wears his heart on his sleeve. Now I have always enjoyed the way Chris Pratt has brought him to the screen and always found new and inventive aways of approaching the character without it coming across repetitive or boring. Now in the more recent films he definitely has shaded a side to the heart of Star Lord that is more dramatic driven and here he delivers what I believe is his best performance as the character as we know what he has been through up to this point and he brings all that emotion and drives it home in a performance that will touch your heart. Sure he is still that witty mile a minute jokester but his heart has hardened after the traumatic events he has gone through and the sheer arc he has shown over the course of these films is incredible as he really is a different person compared to the first film and you can see the sheer love he has for his friends and would do anything for them as their his only family he has had. Chris Pratt gives a stellar performance that will move you. Then their is Karen Gillan gives a performance that I feel will go unnoticed but she deserves great praise for her turn as Nebula. Now you need to remember the character she played since the first film was looked at as a villain and over the course of these films she has gone from an antagonist and emotionally angry person to a truly emotionally vulnerable person who isn’t afraid to show her heart in front of people. Now for me that is true character growth and the way Karen is able to tap into that not only blew me away but truly swept me up in the moments she was onscreen as you can see how her heart has become so full of love and support for her friends to the point she cries at one scene in this movie and to me that was powerful as yes we have seen her truly become more in tune with her feelings but I have never seen the character cry in such a moment of relief and the fact that Karen was able to not just repeat the same beats of the past but instead dig deeper into her heart and really show new sides to herself was amazing. Due to the performance by Karen and now seeing how she was able to amaze me with her final outing as this character she became one of my favourite characters due to the sheer complexity she has had and the amazing depth that Gillan brought to this incredible character. She will have you laughing and in tears within moments and its a huge compliment to Karen’s amazing performance at hand in this film. Then the performance that is the heart of this film and in many ways the heart of the whole trilogy Rocket Racoon who is brought to outstanding life by the incredibly talented Bradley Cooper he had me in puddles of tears with his final outing as the lovable racoon. Now Bradley Cooper I have felt has got way to little recognition for his work over the years voicing this character as unlike the rest of the cast he does not do the big interviews and he was not on the press tour for the first two films it Was not until this film where I finally saw him actually attend a red carpet and do some interviews which I loved because he is as much as an important character to the film as the rest of them. He took a character who like Nebula was very emotionally closed off and now when we first meet him he is very snappy towards people because we had yet to know why he guards his heart the way he does and this film explains the reasoning behind Rocket’s pain and his incredibly dark and traumatic past that is the reason he is so protective of the people he gets close to because he does not want anything bad to happen to them as the last time he did it resulted in so much pain and his heart can’t take that again so he will do whatever he has to in order to keep them safe and the way Bradley Cooper brings that to the screen is heartbreakingly captivating. Now Dave Bautista and Zoe Saldana both contribute amazingly well realized performances of their beloved characters their is not one performance you are not captivated by. Even the villain in this film some are saying is amazing others say he is very bland I disagree as I think he is one of the most sinister antagonist we have ever seen in a MCU film. As for me a character that is brutal to animals is already dislikable from that trait but the fact he is so focused on Rocket to the degree that it becomes an obsession for him the way he’s portrayed is terrifying and yet you can’t look away. I thought it was one of the most disposable and fantastic villains I have seen in a marvel film since Endgame. All the performances in this film are top notch and everyone brings their A game. 

Lastly, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is truly the greatest MCU film that has ever been put to the screen for its insanely rich character depth that is brought to life by the whole cast giving the best performances as these characters. Not only does this film shine due to the great acting but the story itself James Gunn crafts is very emotional and drenched in heart and you can’t help but become moved frequently throughout the film as it delivers with amazing storytelling, outstanding performances, a fantastic antagonist and a beautiful send off for these characters we have come to love since 2014. James Gunn shows people why he is one of the most incredible voices Marvel has ever had and he pulls off what I would go as far as saying is the best trilogy in the MCU as well. As we have had some mediocre marvel films as of recent and this was the reminder to people how good Marvel films used to be like and I haven’t been so emotionally moved by a Marvel film since Endgame And I am not saying Marvel has lost its way but James Gunn shows people why Guardians Of The Galaxy is special and how it feels very much separate to any of the other marvel films we have had. As this trilogy always felt unique in the way it was crafted and that’s due to the genius that is Gunn he captured such a rich world with great characters that many people may not of known and now they have become household names everybody knows and so what he brings to Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3 is sheer brilliance the heartbeat of this trilogy was always about family and he lets you have a beautiful farewell to these misfits in what Is truly moving and a outstanding film that is the best of the trilogy as well. This film I think everyone should go see on the biggest screen with the best sound system. 

When Rocket Racoon is wounded the Guardians rally together to do whatever they will need too in order to save him and also have him come to terms with his past

Chris Pratt : Chris Pratt blew me away with his performance as Star Lord in this epic finale! Now as spoke about earlier Pratt has evolved so much since the events of the first Guardians Of The Galaxy film. As he was yes a loveable witty person who used his humour to hide his pain and emotional trauma from never having that family dynamic as he was deprived of it since being adopted by Yondu at such a young age. Now he uses humour to disguise his heartache and pain through witty moments and over time we see that shield come down and him becoming more and more vulnerable and by the time we see him in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 he thinks so much with his heart it really impacts you emotionally. As what I love about Chris Pratt’s performance is that their is very very little comedy in star lord this time around and yeah he’s known for being a comedic actor and he truly does have excellent comedic timing their is no doubt on that. But he has filled  the character’s personality with humour over the course of the films he’s been part of so greatly that he shows other aspects to his heart and it keeps his performance from going stale and repetitive as the only time I saw that dramatic switch from comedy to drama really make a huge difference was in Infinity War but that’s the first time we noticed him loose his family the people he’s had most close to him since his mother died. So seeing that pain and suffering he goes through in Infinity War really was out in the open for his character in that film and that emotional hardship he went through really made a huge impact on his heart and the way he carried himself going forward. Because you can go as far as saying that death to him is such a hard thing for him to talk about due to the fact he lost his mother at such a young age that’s why when he looses someone he loved so much in infinity war sure the loss hurts but the fact it was Peter and that he couldn’t do anything to bring her back that inner conflict he wrestles with really gets him emotionally driven. As for this film when Rocket’s life is on the line you’ll notice a switch in his eye go off where he will do whatever it takes to save him because going back to the death of his mom he refuses to have something like that repeat itself and he’ll go to any lengths to prevent loosing someone he cares about ever again. As when his mother died she was sick and he couldn’t help her but when their is something he can do to prevent someone from getting hurt yeah he’ll go to any means to get them out of that grim situation. The way Pratt can show such vulnerability in his eyes and hearing his vice crack before he cries is powerfully brought to the screen as Peter has suffered so much and his heart can’t take anymore loss and seeing him think at times with his heart not his brain is shown in such waves of emotional sincerity that comes out of Pratt’s heart. As all the tears and even witty moments at times in the film seemed so genuine and authentic as he knows this character inside and out by this point so he knows what Peter would or would not do for his character motivations and seeing his interactions especially with Nebula in this film really touched me. As since what happened with Gamora she’s taken on the task of looking after him as he’s been pretty lost since she’s been gone and he’s had a tough time dealing with that reality and it’s shown in very real ways sure some people may laugh but it didn’t come across like it was trying to get a chuckle. It shows the grounded situation of how someone tries to hide behind a smile or even a bottle when dealing with the loss of a loved one and Pratt really blew me away with that emotional honesty that is truly his best work of star lord we’ve ever seen. As it’s such a vulnerable take on star lord we haven’t seen before yes we saw cracks of it happen in Infinity War as I mentioned not on this magnitude as his heart has hardened after time of going through the emotional ringer not saying he’s lost who he was when we met him but he’s discovered who he is and has learned from the experiences he’s gone through and emerged as a person who isn’t afraid to be afraid to show his emotions off to the people he cares for. Theirs a strength to coming to that realization for his character and it’s such a well layered performance that will amaze you and he still pulls you in as that engaging lead that is Star Lord in a captivating emotionally thrilling performance that will have you crying one moment and laughing the next this is by far the best we’ve seen Chris Pratt portray the lovable leader that is Peter Quill. 

Bradley Cooper : Now Cooper ripped my heart out of my chest and had my jaw shaking from crying so much. I have spoken countless times about how gifted of an actor Bradley Cooper is from the many Incredible performances we’ve seen from him over his fantastic career. Now he’s played Rocket as long as the rest of the cast but I always felt his performance always didn’t get enough notice because it is a CGI character and you only hear his voice and he isn’t on set with the other actors not only does it make it harder for the actor to create that family dynamic through a sound booth but Bradley has to essentially create this loving bond with these characters by himself. As Rocket Racoon is easily one of the most emotionally complex and engaging characters in the entire MCU due to his past, his personality and his hilarious dark sense of humour. As Bradley Cooper brought such a sensational life to this captivating personality the sheer sound of his voice and how amazingly well he was able to adapt his voice to sound entirely different to a degree that I was shocked to find out it was Bradley Cooper is a compliment to how great he is of an actor that I couldn’t even tell it was him. The way he can pour his heart onscreen as Rocket in this film is truly astonishing to see. As yes we have seen him explore emotional elements of the character in previous films but nothing to this length. As the entire heartbeat of the story revolves around his character we really get to explore the depths and darkness he went through and Bradley does not hold back through the way he delivers his performance. As there is a few moments in the film that not only surpassed what he has given us in the past in terms of showing this character onscreen but the sheer raw emotion is incredible. For an example their is a moment when a character gets killed and we hear Rocket’s sheer pain in his heart and voice through that scream and the way Cooper channels that made my heart cry as he gives such a emotionally charged side of Rocket that will rattle you to your core. He for the entire film is played serious their is no humour as like in the past where he was sarcastic and also emotional no not this time here it is strictly a dramatic portrayal of Rocket which i didn’t mind because that is where the character has evolved to. This character has gone on such a emotional journey since we first met him and for him to become more emotionally hardened by the traumatic experiences he has gone through makes sense why out of all the Guardians he would be the most complex emotionally to explore this time around. As when the snap happened he was the only one of them who didn’t disappear and he had to carry that emotional sadness in his soul for five years. As that’s one of the many things that’s traumatized him as his entire life has been a constant state of emotional trauma one after the other and he never can catch a break mentally. We  see the root of what started all that in this film Now Bradley is able to slip into the skin of this character so easily and really crack you up with one word or warm your heart with a few words. Now here his heart is on full display in a performance that not only is the best we’ve seen him portraying this character but it’s a truly solid performance from Bradley Cooper. It  ripped my heart out and really emotionally drained me at times with the horrific natures we see his character go through. it’s  the genuine raw emotion he brings to the screen that is truly captivating to watch and it’s a sensational performance by Cooper. 

James Gunn : Gunn delivers masterful direction with his work on Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3! James Gunn is one of the most creative and brilliant voices Marvel has ever had behind the camera as what he accomplished with this film and this fantastic trilogy is truly fantastic. As the tone he sets is very bleak and serious and sure the last two films have taken on very mature themes of family and death and fatherhood but the lengths he goes emotionally with the material did truly surprise me. Some may of been turned off by how dark the film was and especially regarding the Rocket backstory stuff. I felt it not only was needed but it made sense as the characters have gone through very emotionally scaring events so it would make sense for them to be impacted by it. Now it never felt depressing but he respects the characters enough that he does not need to rely on a joke to keep the audience engaged he is able to due to sharp writing and fantastic depth and layers he fleshes out for his characters. As all of them complete their  arcs in a way that is both fulfilling and extremely emotionally satisfying. The best way to describe the theme that Gunn stitches into the narrative is family and what one would do to keep their loved one out of harms way and it is shown in very emotionally raw ways and I love that as their are multiple moments I found myself crying at the sheer way a emotional moment was handled and you get very much swept up in it easily and it’s all due to the great writing and direction. On top of yes the fantastic performances from its cast Gunn never gets distracted by trying to set up the next 25 marvel films. He  instead just tells a good story which I like he’s not trying to set up some big grand next movie he’s very in tune with what he wants the audience to experience which is a finale for these misfits. It has a antagonist some love or hate I liked the antagonist as I felt it was powerfully written whenever you have a character who experiments on creatures you already have a dislikable character but the sheer obsession he has over rocker in particular was handled. The word I keep coming back to is emotional and Gunn delivers that in spades as he has given us a story that packs so much heart, moments of humour and a satisfying conclusion to this amazing trilogy he started all the way back in 2014. I can see why Warner Brothers made him in charge for DC because after his amazing introduction he gave the guardians to the outstanding suicide Squad film he did Gunn has constantly delivered great work. I think why people love his work  so much is due to him keeping his eye on characters and fleshing out loveable personalities that stay with you long after the film is over. Gun gave us what I thought would never happen a perfect MCU trilogy and this story in particular tugs at your heart strings and will have tears down your cheeks with how beautifully well done this concluding chapter to this trilogy was. James Gunn proves why Guardians Of The Galaxy sticks out as the finest films in the MCU as Guardians of the galaxy Vol 3 is the best marvel film that the MCU has ever put to screen incredible job James Gunn.