Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

If the first two Guardians of the Galaxy films were pure lighthearted fun, the final story gives some punchiness and gravitas to balance that story out.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 manages to be more than honest-to-god entertainment, one that has the liberated weirdness of material (like a stealth We3 adaptation) that was never expected to find a mass audiences.

Remarkably, given the studio brand: this is absolutely Gunn's movie. It's cheerfully gross, frequently hideous to behold, nakedly emotional, indulgent to the point of bloat in its desire to tie off every narrative thread...and, happily, its own thing.

While better than most recent Marvel or DC films, it definitely lacks the fun, buddy-film aspects and sincere relationships of the original in lieu of an exhausting mission-based story.

Completes Rocket’ transformation from a footnote to one of Marvel’ greatest characters.

Too often it feels like James Gunn made a playlist of songs he likes and then came up with scenes to go with them.

Gunn really knows how to bring out the magic in this group of actors, and their charm and love of the material bring this movie home.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is probably the final triumph of Marvel Studios...There is vision and ambition behind the third film in the trilogy, a personal sincerity that these superhero movies have lost.

An effects-laden spectacle propped up by an out-of-this-world ensemble whose charm carries the film through expository back story, narrative set-up, dizzying fight scenes and enough platitudes about friends and family to fill a “Fast and Furious” movie.

If this is the end, I couldn’t wish for a better one. It’s everything I want from a Marvel film, but it’s also a reminder that very few of them have the heart and vision of Gunn’s trilogy.