Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

AMKC

Really how is there not a thread about this film?

I have looked.

Anyway going to see it today looking forward to it :)

pixelburp

I tried a narrow search across the Film forum, and no, no thread was ever created 🤷‍♂️ I'd imagine it came up in the generalised thread covering the MCU as a whole though; TBH it's probably a reflection of where the MCU is that not every film gets a thread.

By all accounts early reviews seem to be pretty praiseworthy, with Gunn's swan-song apparently dropping the mic. with gusto.

johnny_ultimate

I know a lot of focus will be on its 'emotional' and darker side, and that stuff mostly works even if it's brute force sentimentality at times. But I think the reason this film works is that moreso than any other film in the MCU - even, IIRC, the previous GotG - is that it embraces the sheer goofiness of the premise. It's a film full of weird creatures, profoundly silly costumes, a neat Robocop make-up callback, and frequently vibrant colours. And I think that's something that's often been missing in MCU films. This is endearingly, proudly wacky, like a 90s cartoon in the nicest way. Gunn has matured as a director so is better able to accomplish what he's trying to do.

It still has the MCU problem of an overbusy third act, and it has too many characters it is trying to balance (although, mercifully, it's entirely self-contained - it's overloaded with characters on its own terms rather than wider MCU terms). For all the delightfully grotesque CG war pigs, there is a CG-heavy finale including an incoherent space battle and a 'one shot' action scene that's all computer-generated. But it's the most internally consistent and fun MCU film in I don't know how ever long - even when it's big and loud and familiar, it doesn't lose the grip of its own tone and story in the way Wakanda Forever did.

A great film? No, not at all. But it's a good time, and by recent MCU standards that's a borderline miracle.

AMKC

Well seen it today and enjoyed it, plenty of good laughs and humour in it some does not quiet hit the mark but most does.

I would give it an 8 out of 10. A couple of little bits that your like did they forget about physics buts it's an MCU film so that's to be expected. It was better than the 2nd film bit still not as good as the first one. There is two scenes after the credits both quiet forgetful but the 2nd scene is nothing special,

Spoiler Warning

It just has Peter talking to his Dad about nothing important and then says

The Starlord will be back

silverharp

Deadline and Variety are putting out numbers that indicates its going to be a flop, not helped by its 250m budget, if it only does around 110m in the opening US, its pretty much DOA.

pixelburp

Saw it today. Proof that the MCU is probably losing its most inventive, creative lead with Gunn departing; this was brazenly emotional, raw and imaginative. All in a way Quantumania couldn't manage for a moment. Leagues apart from some of the warmed up banality served in recent entries; Gunn basically stole Waititi's lunch.

Yeah the 3rd act got a bit messy but the character work was solid, and everyone had a part to play. Nebula's redemption was low-key the strongest part of the cast's arcs IMO. And anyone wondering if it's kid friendly - no way. Animal torture, some scary monstrosities and even a bit of close up, fleshy gore at one point. Dunno how Gunn managed to get away with much of it, cos it pushed PG13 to breaking.

AMKC

I have to say I was dissapointed with Zoe Saldanas acting in it. She did not seem to put as much effort into this film as the last two.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120559818#Comment_120559818

Did you stay to watch the after credit scenes?

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120559900#Comment_120559900

Watched the mid credits scene but unless I'm watching at home I don't stay for the very end one. I got shít to do, lol. Why?

And yeah, Gamora seemed a bit off but don't think it was Saldana. Tbh she had nowhere to go as a character bar rediscovering how to care; but we know she can, cos we had seen it first time around. As I said, Nebula learning to open up, respect and empathise with others beyond leading the team was a far more valid and interesting arc. At the end when

Spoiler Warning

We see her laugh, reflexively, while dancing, it was a really sweet and earned moment.

But then I realise I might be a sucker for Nebula anyway, cos even cybernetic and covered in blue have a crush on Karen Gillan - so could be biased lol 😂

johnny_ultimate

On Gamora…

Spoiler Warning

I actually really appreciated what they did with her character and the Gamora / Quill relationship here. The easiest thing in the world would have been to get the two back together, and the film does tease that with the warming of their interactions throughout the film. But Gunn’s decision to let them part ways worked really well for me, and emphasised that this Gamora is a different person than the from the earlier films, with her life having gone down a different path. Quill too learns to accept the Gamora he knew is gone, and ultimately respects this Gamora’s decision to follow her own path.That’s a mature place to end on, and given Saldana seems pretty unambiguously done with the series it’s also a nice character and relationship wrap up that hopefully won’t be undone in Gunn’s absence.

I do think at least some of the Guardians will come back post-Gunn - Pratt has said he’s open to it - but with Saldana and Bautista hanging up their boots I’m also really relieved Gunn didn’t go the Endgame route of cheap deaths. This is a bittersweet ending given some of the characters part ways and because this iteration of the Guardians seems definitively done and dusted. But yeah that Gunn pulled it off without killing any of them off I think makes it land better.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120560271#Comment_120560271

The Guardians films have always had a surprisingly nuanced, mature depth to its character dynamics. Superficially glib and jokey sure but built on this idea of broken people coming to terms with themselves and finding growth without indulging in total cliched end results.

Seen from a certain angle, the entire second film was basically about parenthood and Peter learning to grow up a little. This YouTube author did an interesting breakdown of Guardians 2, coming from someone who doesn't even like the MCU that much, diving into the themes she saw.

https://youtu.be/8VulkN5OLEM

Patser

Seen it earlier. Loved it, loved the colour and weirdness of it. After so many dark (as in barely able to see what's happening), the brightness and fun parts of this really shone.

But when it went bleak, by god it could pull at your heartstrings, yes sometimes using cheap tricks - cute animals saying Friend.

Proper send off to the trilogy. Everyone having character development and progress

Edit: just to agree with @pixelburp above, it's very borderline PG, I wouldn't bring younger kids to it. Apart from the fact that it's the 1st Marvel movie to say F..., there's a fair bit of darkness, especially regards animal testing

JP Liz V1

A soundtrack again I need

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120560023#Comment_120560023

Watched the mid credits scene but unless I'm watching at home I don't stay for the very end one. I got shít to do, lol. Why?

Was just curious. You missed nothing.

I have what it is in the spoiler above if you want to know. I was in a big need to go to the toilet and almost out the door when it came up. Really not worth waiting for.

Loughc

Another disappointment in my opinion for the MCU. I think the hype train has gotten too big for them to ever deliver on it.

It did not deliver what it promised it would. And the ending was so contrived and disappointing. Rockets backstory was heartbreaking though to the point I just wanted it to end and get back to the modern timeline. Disappointing to say the least and it looks like the MCU is going to limp its way all the way to Secret wars and possible die there.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120560908#Comment_120560908

I usually just look up the end-end credits online, and these days seem more little winks these days than anything. And those that aren't have become a little too aggressively "here's the next random character to look out for".

Forgot to shout out some praise to Chukwudi Iwuji, whose Big Bad was pretty good; just the right level or ham but also having an interesting angle too. As always with these things, bad guys who genuinely believe they're doing good always make for more fascinating, dangerous enemies.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120561131#Comment_120561131

Curious what you thought it promised? For sure the fact

Spoiler Warning

Nobody died was disappointing, but on reflection this group didn't deserve death as a reward for their journey. Gunn's not immune to that - see his Suicide Squad - but it would have been mean IMO to have these folk die at the end.

Manach

I though it okay. The cast were as engaged as always but the plot seemed rather meandering with the trademark Guardians touches dialled up to 11. Nice though to see the cameo by Nathan Fillon (Serenity/Firefly).

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120561472#Comment_120561472

Spoiler Warning

The entire marketing pretty much rested on Rocket dying. Almost ever major outlet reporting Drax was going to be killed off and Star Lord was done with Marcel completely. The end credit reveals star Lord is returning.

The last scene of them one by one going i must leave the guardians, and I must leave and I must leave was so forced. It essentially leaves them all open to return at any time. Yawn.

gmisk

I think that was the strongest marvel film for a while.

I admit to tearing up a couple of times.

I will say maybe a bit scary for younger kids at times. Darker and with a smidge less humour than other guardian films.

Spoiler Warning

The animal cruelty was pretty tough to watch at times, but best not to sugar coat these things I suppose.

Would have liked to see Will Poulter getting a bit more screen time but I am guessing that will come. Up for more Cosmo too :)

Two little extra scenes were fun, one right at end of credits

Penn

I really enjoyed it. Maybe just because it stands so far above much of what the MCU has put out the past 18 months, but I think the actual story they told was fantastic.

Spoiler Warning

The easy thing would have been to have a death or two, especially as some of the actors have already said they're not interested in coming back. And it was pretty clear by how much they signposted Rocket's death in the trailers that he wouldn't actually be the death if any. But instead they told a great story where some of Guardians just discover a new purpose, or have realised it's time to move on.

It did languish in places, particularly the last third. Iwuji and Poulter were both terrific, though I would have liked more of Poulter.

It's the first MCU film since Spiderman NWH that I'm actually looking forward to watching again.

AMKC

I am actually very dissapointed that no one is showing GOTG Vol.2 anywhere. It's not like it is only recently out it was out 5 years ago. I highly recommend watching Vol.2 before Vol.3 if you can.

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120565322#Comment_120565322

It's on Disney+

santana75

I thought it was ok but as someone mentioned already, it kind of lost the plot in the 3rd act. It was like they were desperately making it up as they went along. The next episode though could be a good one though.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120563562#Comment_120563562

Ostensibly disappointing but to me it was all in the execution: this felt like an ending, heroes given a chance to walk away with their stories tied in a bow, rather than

Spoiler Warning

... dying in some cheap blaze of glory. While yes it felt like the door was being left open, folks like Batista have been quite vocal about how done they were with the MCU. I daresay he and Gillan will be conveniently too busy running their little sanctuary in Nowhere to cameo in future.

Killing characters off is easy, and lazy drama. Giving them a fitting, satisfying ending they can live in is much harder - but IMO more rewarding.

Brief_Lives

Good movie. Very high quality stuff. But I was sad for 90% of it...

flazio

It was very good, but not really great. The Adam arc was a bit ham fisted in, didn't really get to know that character very well.

Spoiler Warning

Remind me, was Quills Star Lord mask destroyed earlier? Because that whole not making it to the jump "death" made no sense to me.

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120561131#Comment_120561131

Die at secret wars? There are a massive slate of films and TV shows it is going nowhere for years (if ever...reboots etc). The quality recently has been err let's say kindly variable to say the least, but the films still in general make decent amounts of dough (Thor love and thunder made it over 750 million, even on 250 million budget some decent profit).

I do think the whole multiverse thing has lessoned the impact and weight of anything that happens (oh he/she is dead...no worries we will just grab another version of them). I would say Marvel are pretty raging at Jonathan Majors though! I see some people are suggesting

Spoiler Warning

Replacing him with Chukwudi Iwuji who in fairness was a really good villain in GOTG 3.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120566784#Comment_120566784

Spoiler Warning

I think his mask was destroyed in Vol.2, but then he had it and his thrusters in Infinity War and Endgame. So it's unclear if Gunn wanted to get rid of them and the Russo's brought them back against his wishes, or if Gunn just really wanted that awful "Creation of Adam" shot in the film where Adam reaches out with his finger and so just forgot about the mask and thrusters.

mrcheez

Saw this in IMAX 3D today. Quite simply the best 3D conversion I've ever seen, better than Dredd, better than both Avatars.

Probably on par with Hugo (which was shot in 3D)

The feeling of immersion was incredible, was almost like being on set in VR.

Enjoyed the movie too of course, teared up a bit over poor Rocket.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120565282#Comment_120565282

I had to look at what Iwuji was in prior to this cos he was absolutely magnetic. The issue of MCU villains has yielded plenty of ranting and think pieces, but the High Evolutionary was fantastic. Not especially deep or relatable but just an all-round well written villain. While his comeuppance was a genuine "whoah!" moment of surprise.

Opening weekend domestic of 114 million, 282 worldwide. Not exactly kicking the door down but given by now it must be noticed Disney throw these films on Disney+ soon after release, it's a tidy sum all the same. We'll see if the hand wringing over "animal cruelty" helps give this film legs at all, or keeps the kiddos away.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120568320#Comment_120568320

Funnily enough the first thing I always think of when I see him is he was a Secret Service agent in an episode of Doctor Who more than 10 years ago. He was terrific in Peacemaker though, and hope this leads to bigger and better roles.

silverharp

on the plus side there isnt much competition for a few weeks, downside , paying parents will have just shelled out on Mario plus you have the perception of the movie being a sad one so might be a bit of a put off. Youll know next week if the drop off is either side of 60%

Foxtrol

Surprised people are having issues with the 3rd act, to me the 2nd one was more of an issue - the whole heist bit is done to death at this stage in the MCU, it didn't really add much to the story that couldnt have been done elsewhere, and really seemed more just an opportunity for nice visuals and general weirdness. That left elements of the 3rd act being a bit rushed.

Having said that, Volume 3 probably cements GotG as the best comic book trilogy for me, definitely the most consistent of any. It might not have reached quite the high points of some others but it is amazing what they did with completely unknown characters to have so many compelling and fulfilling story arcs, building its own world(s) within the MCU while mixing near perfectly humour, heart, action, and visuals.

Foxtrol

I remember some posters a few months back claiming the delay of Volume 3 impacted Phase 4 because it was supposed to be central to it.

The movie was either significantly rewritten or that wasn't the case.

It was in line with most non-crossover MCU movies, where it introduced new characters who we'll likely see later and left other characters in spots where they can be used in future movies/shows but that was about it.

flazio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120568454#Comment_120568454

Well remembered. He's such a minor character I'd never had paid notice.

https://youtu.be/Zs0qpASAtCA

pixelburp

I'd be surprised if we ever see any of the Guardians again, bar as, at best, some one shot cameos at some suitably epic scale "event". The Guardians always existed slightly on the fringe of the rest of the MCU, and it wouldn't take much to simply write them out of the universe.

Spoiler Warning

Obviously we still have a team, technically, but that scene felt like a coda than an intro to the Brand New Guardians.

Might be misremembering history here but that we even got this Guardians 3 was because its cast went to bat for James Gunn when he got fired after that hatchet job over Gunn's off colour tweets; they had his back, and that speaks to a loyalty that might suggest the actors won't come back for anyone but Gunn. That if he's gone, so are Batista, Gillan, Saldana, Cooper and Klementieff. IIRC Pratt was the slowest to speak out for Gunn (again might be way off base here but too lazy to Google lol).

Money talks of course but I've got the impression the MCU shoots are especially fun - more so as they've become more green screen dominated. Many actors hate that shít.

Tefral

I loved the Fact that hes Grandfather was called Jason... i thought that was very clever

Mitch Connor

Really liked this. Much better than the recent offerings from marvel. Hope it gets good word of mouth, which marvel needs these days, and gets good numbers.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120574755#Comment_120574755

Why?

Tefral

In the Comics J'son of Spartax was his father.

AMKC

Oh right.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120575653#Comment_120575653

Early indicators are it’s going to have a bigger than 60% drop off in week 2 numbers. 60 or less is the target anything over 60% is worrying.

flazio

Not sure Gunn or Feige will care either way how this movie performs. It's out, it's done. They won't be coming back.

The chances of a poor performance causing the cancellation of, I don't know, the Blade movie, are slim to none. The Box office takings are meaningless.

pixelburp

I can see both angles. While yes, the new material's success or failure will matter more in the grand scheme of things, the failure of a popular and well-reviewed film from the MCU of yore isn't exactly proof of rude health either. It could be read both ways IMO.

Theboinkmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120570785#Comment_120570785

Best comic book trilogy?! No chance - Nolan’s Batman films unlikely to ever be beaten

Brief_Lives

what is the list ? (possibly for another thread)

as a trilogy....

Dark Knight

Blade

Patrick Stewart of Xmen

Xmen first class

Guardians

original superman?

Toby Maguire's Spiderman

Thor has had 4 (although I am prepared to ignore Love and Thunder)

Captain america had 3 + avengers to be honest.

flazio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120580618#Comment_120580618

It's only the middle film that's outstanding. The other two are only OK.

PTH2009

More emotional than I imagined

Spoiler Warning

Yet another new race into this bloated universe. How come Kang was never mentioned in this ? Surly he would of been more powerful and similar to the baddy in this ??

Be interesting to see how Star lord gets roaped back into things

Will Drax be killed off screen if its true about Batista finishing up

Theboinkmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120581046#Comment_120581046

Middle film obviously is the best but the first one is brilliant and stands up really well. Third is definitely the weakest but still a good film, especially by today's standards.

Theboinkmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120580971#Comment_120580971

Some of them are not self contained trilogies they're just a series of films.

Absolutely none would come even close to Nolan's trilogy, whilst there are some super films within them (X2, Reeves Superman etc.)

What makes Nolan's stound out is the absolute quality of the first 2 films - equal or better than any of the standalone comic book movies per above. And then add in last 10mins of Dark Knight Rises they ended the trilogy just perfect IMO.

Brief_Lives

Yes, big fan of Batman Begins & The Dark Knight. - 3rd one... not so much...

X1, X2 very good (considering X1 started alof of the superheroes, Spider-man wasn't until 2002). - X3 rubbish

Blade 1 & 2 very good ... - Blade 3 rubbish

Xmen First Class and Days of Future Past... excellent - after that, not so much...

Guardians 1 & 3 ... very good - 2nd.. not so much..

As you say, Thor and Captain America are a series of films contained within a larger Universe. Honourable mention to The Winter Soldier and Ragnarok.

Foxtrol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120576292#Comment_120576292

I know you've gone all in on the MCU approach failing but you're really grasping here for any negative news, even if it is pure clickbait 'early indicators'.

Not sure where any 'worry' is coming from - this movie is likely to cross $400m worldwide today.

To put that into context, after just one week it will have made more than 3 times the amount of the last DC release took in over its entire time in theatres.