Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 sails into Dawson Creek
Guardians 3 suffers from the same filmic, thematic, and storytelling issues Thor Love and Thunder does – you’ve introduced so many side characters as main players – that now to wrap it up - there are too many story lines to ties through, or cut.
You’ve introduced a world of characters in a film, developed them in a second, now wrap them all up. Tougher to do with so many side characters that legitimately could be the lead in their own stories.
See Spider-Man, has less of this concern - despite as many many movies, sequels and side characters and now jumps to the multiverse – the story is still about a photographer, and various iterations of his Uncle Ben, Aunt Mary, and MJ.
The lead actors in Guardians are reduced to bit parts while the arcs of voiced only characters Groot and Rocket Raccoon are fleshed out here.
I do feel for the issues James Gunn or Taika Waititi have – they are brought on as the new ingénue with a legitimate fresh idea – but then when proven successful the same studio says 'more, more, go again’, and here we are.
From the backstories of Rocket, to saving the earth/galaxy once again from another attacking force, and making friends with other powerful-up-until-now strangers – the Guardians of the Galaxy both ties up and introduces new story lines for the guardians, and James Gunn to explore.
Gunn puts a strong if over nostalgic finals chapter on the guardians, while whetting our appetite with The Suicide Squad last year – before heading to DC Films for Superman Legacy and rebooting the DC Film franchises.
It gives Gunn enough time to put the Star Lord and Guardians on the shelf and play with the DC toys, before heading back when it is Secret Wars time and another round of Avenger movies when it is time to bring the Guardians back.
Like Lethal Weapon, Toxic Avenger, or the further adventures of Marty McFly or Indiana Jones – you know full well by the third film what you are signing up for with this Guardians of the Galaxy.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.. 3 plays all this week in the Creek.
