Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is a film that fans have been dying to see. Marvel unlike their last few films have been very confident about this one. Much of the credit should be given to James Gunn who is the driving force behind this Marvel franchise. I don’t think so any other filmmaker would have been to achieve what Gunn has achieved with Guardians of the Galaxy. The hype around this film is immense. Despite Marvel fans disappointing fans almost with every new film, fans do have some hope from the final installment of the Guardians films. As usual, the first reactions of the film were great, which is with every Marvel film. However, the reality check comes when the embargo lifts and the real reviews are out. So, the real reviews of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 are out. Let’s see if the film is genuinely good.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Reviews Round-Up: One of the Best Marvel Films Ever?
Zaki Hasan (San Francisco Chronicle) – “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is overstuffed and a tad too long. But it’s also a humorous, heartfelt farewell by Gunn to his band of misfits.” Original Score: 3/4
Eric Francisco (Inverse) – “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 brims with animalistic fury and human complexity, beautifully expanding upon the series’ foundational theme of found families.”
Matthew Jackson (AV Club) – “In true Guardians fashion, Gunn and his intrepid crew decide their legacy is to go down swinging to the very end, and that will always be both intensely entertaining and unforgettably endearing.” Original Score: A-
Johnny Oleksinski (New York Post) – “The misfit team’s constant punchlines and I’m-just-busting-your-chops dynamic have grown exhausting. They’ve become the guy at the party who thinks he’s hilarious but is actually just drunk.” Original Score: 2/5
Richard Lawson (Vanity Fair) – “Half of Vol. 3 is an outright drama, heavy with themes of loss and terror. It’s an odd, lumbering patchwork of a film, occasionally fascinating but otherwise bloated and aimless.”
David Fear (Rolling Stone) – “Solemnity is the guiding light here, and solemnity doesn’t suit the Guardians. When detouring through your designated corner of perfectly calibrated cosmic sloppiness starts to feel like a chore and a slog, you have a serious problem on your hands.”
Alonso Duralde (The Film Verdict) – “Does the occasional emotional moment land? Sure. Do those moments wind up lost in space, floating in an oxygen-free environment with no place to land? Unfortunately, yes.”
Robbie Collin (Daily Telegraph {UK}) –“And there are semi-regular flashes of Gunn brilliance here… But the plot is a mess, with little sense of meaningful cause and effect behind its wrigglings. “ Original Score: 2/5
Charlotte O’Sullivan (London Evening Standard) – “I loved it. It made me cry. And I’ll never forget Lylla, Teefs and Floor… Gunn, by introducing us to three tragic new characters, has found the perfect way to say goodbye.” Original Score: 5/5
Kate Erbland (indieWire) – “The Guardians appeal because their hard-won bonds feel real, even within the confines of the outsized MCU and the particular environs the space jerks find themselves in.” Original Score: B+
David Sims (The Atlantic) – “Guardians 3 is a cheerful goodbye to many of the studio’s best heroes, who somehow managed to get through an entire series without being ruined by the larger superhero universe they inhabit. For Marvel, that’s both a win and a problem.”
Brian Tallerico (RogerEbert.com) – “This sci-fi/action/comedy still succumbs to a few of the MCU issues of late—bloated runtime, things-go-boom finale, too many characters—but there’s a creativity to the filmmaking, dialogue, and performances that modern superhero movies often lack.” Original Score: 3/4
William Bibbiani (TheWrap) – “The success of Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 proves that it’s still possible for Marvel movies to hit and hit hard after more than 30 films, but also that it’s getting harder to pull that trick off.”
Helen O’Hara (Empire Magazine) – “James Gunn closes out his four-part trilogy with a triumph: a big, scrappy mix of humour and terror boasting a heart as big as Drax.” Original Score: 4/5
Nicholas Barber (BBC.com) – “This one may be the most unruly and excessive of the trilogy, but it is as sweetly touching as any film with so many slimy, tentacled monsters in it could be.” Original Score: 3/5
Soren Andersen (Seattle Times) – “This Guardians is the most downbeat of the series.” Original Score: 2/4
Peter Debruge (Variety) – “Gunn keeps the surprises coming, so audiences are actively engaged throughout, trying to manage multiple storylines and the ever-changing loyalties between characters.”
Bill Goodykoontz (Arizona Republic) – “The second film was fun but couldn’t recapture all of the magic of the first one. By now, that magic has all but disappeared.” Original Score: 2.5/5
Clarisse Loughrey (Independent {UK}) – “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is a farewell to the franchise (at least from Gunn’s perspective, as he’s since hopped over to DC), that’s really a reminder that they always represented some of the very best Marvel has to offer.” Original Score: 4/5
A.A. Dowd (Chron) – “The movie wears you down as much as it wears you out. It feels earnest in its mega-budget cringe, an expression of Gunn’s sensibility as much as a play to appease stockholders.”
Nick Schager (The Daily Beast) – “A bursting-at-the-seams adventure that, minor missteps aside, reminds viewers why this ragtag crew remains one of the MCU’s highlights.”
Peter Bradshaw (Guardian) – “Overlong, yes, and finally reaching for an importance and emotional closure (perhaps inspired by Gunn’s own emotional corporate redemption) that it doesn’t quite encompass… But it’s still spectacular, spirited and often funny.” Original Score: 3/5
Justin Chang (Los Angeles Times) – “Gunn’s obvious love for these characters has been the trilogy’s consistent and undeniable saving grace. And he notably doesn’t sell out that love as he brings those characters all to a conclusion.”
Brian Lowry (CNN.com) – “A boisterous and often emotional sequel that feels very much like a true conclusion.”
Frank Scheck (Hollywood Reporter) – “This edition largely succeeds like the other ones, thanks to the chemistry of the main ensemble, who have grown into their characters with relaxed ease. The interplay among them is frequently delightful.”
Linda Marric (HeyUGuys) – “A big, silly and disarmingly big-hearted film which makes the most of what made this film series one of the most loved in the franchise. A fond and fantastic farewell.” Original Score: 4/5
Kevin Maher (Times {UK})
“Third time’s a charm for everyone’s favourite band of cosmic reprobates as the Guardians return for a threequel that’s pleasingly focused and has a dark and demented heart.” Original Score: 4/5
Greg Nussen (Slant Magazine) –“The film undermines its initial sense of intimacy and momentum with a stop-and-start story structure that by and large exists to make as much room as possible for its characters’ banter.” Original Score: 2/4
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 will release this year on 5th May 2023. Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is currently available for streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar.
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