Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the Best Marvel Movie in Years

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James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 stands out in the crowd of MCU movies, but I think it's more interesting as the capper to a great trilogy. In this video I go over the "final" chapter for Rocket Raccoon, Star Lord, Drax, Groot and the rest of the crew.
Music by Epidemic Sound (www.epidemicsound.com)
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Special thanks to Andrew Elliott (Stalli111: / stalli111 ) for editing this video!

[@jonathancohoon]

Nebula's reaction to hearing Rocket speak and being ok hit me hard. You have to remember only Nebula and Rocket didn't get snapped. They were their only family left in those 5 years.

[@JerryFlowersIII]

Gosh, your right. Thanks for that context 🥲

[@GreatWhiteElf]

It goes without saying, but I'm gonna say it anyway, they've experienced similar trauma

[@jonathancohoon]

@@GreatWhiteElf There's a line by Nebula in the movie when they are seeing what Rocket went through where she says "This is even worse than what Thanos did to me". I may be wrong on the exact wording, but Nebula believes what Rocket went through was worse than what she did.

[@-gemberkoekje-5547]

Exactly. I had the same reaction

[@JosephDutra]

Oh my God, I never even thought about that 🤦‍♂️! My heart breaks even more 😢!

[@joshuamcaleer3501]

I actually really loved the bad dog bit. It was predictable, but Cosmo complaining about how the Soviets launched her to her death but NEVER called her a bad dog still made me crack up.

[@IcyDiamond]

I like how Cosmo is based on an actual dog the Soviets sent to space during the space race

[@paulprasek1475]

​@@IcyDiamond first living animal in Space. The real dog got cooked alive at reentry unfortunately. Her name was Laika

[@IcyDiamond]

@@paulprasek1475 Yeah Cosmo definitely got a happier ending than that dog, I also love that Cosmo has a Russian accent lol

[@jordansweet8054]

That was a riot.

[@jthememeking]

Love that too. Super powerful telepath dog, but still a dog who hates being called a bag dog

[@twicejaeger6997]

Very kind of Nebula to sponsor this video, i hope she’s doing well

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Yes. Especially after Endgame.

[@chasehedges6775]

She deserves to be happy

[@uchihabomber1296]

Truly great character development

[@benwasserman8223]

She’s got an arm canon. That’s as good as things will get in her predicament.

[@MrKyGuy]

😂😂😂

[@soltandvinegar]

Personally, I think the ending was perfect. If any trilogy had earned a dance party ending, it was guardians.

[@mackielunkey2205]

And “Dog Days Are Over” is a banger, I was singing along to it lol.

[@Antwannnn]

@M.G. Michael unironically

[@soltandvinegar]

@M.G. Michael the ultimate payoff

[@soltandvinegar]

@@mackielunkey2205 and also the perfect choice for the scene. Also liked how the last song was also one of the most modern in the franchise.

[@StudioInkblot]

I agree. It might be the most cathartic ending in the whole MCU.

[@_ripVanWinkle_]

Drax doing the "monkey sounds" to chear up the kids was so endearing

[@kamjorg]

I love the scene where he's told he wasn't meant to be a destroyer but rather a dad. I feel like that was the perfect encapsulation of his character

[@P-P-Panda]

I laughed so much he sounded like a robotic duck

[@ajanaya8055]

Drax: Hello, Moron.

[@raydhen8840]

I love how he's technically doing (robotic) dance while mimicking "monkey", he'll never dance all his life yet he's subconsciously doing it for these kids. Even his final dance is full of "dad grooving" energy.

[@Jesse-xg8rk]

Maybe the monkeys on his planet sounded like robots

[@queencancerous5332]

I feel like Gunn never wanted anything to do with the connected universe, Starlord's rant about the infinity stones in the elevator says a lot.

[@unisect9106]

Bro those words were the same lines every fan said watching the movies, Especially, when he acknoledges he lost his shit and its his fault why they lost

[@arturocastroverde3349]

​@@unisect9106 and who where the persons that write those scenes? The russos. They had the blame. There was no need in humiliating him.

[@nikoloznasaridze6328]

Yes, I think Gunn intended to do the movies on their own and I'm sure he was going to kill of either Gamora or Quill in the third movie with one of them being "responsible" for it, or at least being there. Although it's still good we got the Guardians in Infinity War, although they had absolutely no role in Endgame (just like anyone besides the original 6, Ant-Man, Nebula and Captain Marvel)

[@arturocastroverde3349]

@@nikoloznasaridze6328 and rocket

[@nikoloznasaridze6328]

@@arturocastroverde3349 he did nothing exceptional at all as I can remember

[@Fmacayan]

“THERE IS NO GOD. THAT’S WHERE I STEPPED IN!” The High Evolutionary was amazingly written & portrayed.

[@dschiter]

And Chris Pratt is okay with that? Pratt, of Hillsong Church?

[@cortster12]

@@dschiter It's fiction, of course he was okay with it. Also, the guy who said that was the villain, so if anything it shows atheism in a bad light if you looked too deep into it. Which you are clearly are doing. In effect, though, most normal people don't look into it at all, since it's JUST FICTION. God, or no god in a fictional universe, who cares? Fiction is fiction.

[@ninjanibba4259]

*Why

[@Fmacayan]

@@cortster12 love the fact that we have to have this discussion about a movie with a talking raccoon, a tree that only says 3 words, and a society filled with humanoid creatures that live like Earth.

[@yderga8707]

​​@dschiter I'm pretty sure Chris Pratt doesnt actually live with a talking Raccoon either, if that sheds any exposition.

[@Harrison1875]

Gamora was handled really well. They honoured her death in Infinity War while still utilizing the character well and giving Peter closure with her.

[@oskarsodergren7033]

really glad they used her as an opportunity not for Peter to regain what he lost, but to say goodbye

[@smashdriven1640]

No it wasn’t. They kept teasing that Peter and Gamora were going to fall in love all over again for a happy ending to the trilogy (even in the Christmas Special) and instead all we got was angry jerk Gamora the whole movie that had no character arch.

[@Harrison1875]

@SmashDriven If they'd have gotten back together it would've made her death in Infinity War pointless. We've already seen them fall in love.

[@smashdriven1640]

@@Harrison1875 by bringing her back to life at all they've already made her death pointless. And she was pointless in this movie since nothing happened with her and Peter. All she did was shoot people and argue with the team the entire movie.

[@arturocastroverde3349]

​@@smashdriven1640 agree, the problem is not that she isn't back with Quill, the problem os that this new gamora is boring and irritating.

[@Nixx0912]

Honestly High Evolutionary out of all Marvel vilains is the onyly one that really scared me. He's very realistic with his god complex, narcissism and ability to commit a casual genocide by pushing a button without a second tought. History is full of people like that. Then I saw interviews and the actor playing him is such a genuinely sweet person, what a great job he did.

[@lunar.nepneus]

The "I created you, how did YOU know that" part was wild. His emotions were conveyed very well to be all over the place at any minute, with his God complex showing too. "There is no God. That is why I stepped in" So well done.

[@TehWhiteTiger]

He is by far the most believable villain they have made. His evil is simple but calculated and understandable .

[@ShadowSonic2]

@@TehWhiteTiger Problem is, now there's no way to do Mr Sinister....High Evolutionary is the same character but cooler.

[@sierralovat5498]

I never hated a villain that hard since Geoffrey from GOT. I hissed at the screen and cried in rage. That actor did an EXCELLENT job. I hope he gets a lot of credit for it.

[@PkrJMC]

@@sierralovat5498u should read berserk then if u want someone to top both of them

[@NigelLam375]

If you told me in 2014 that Nebula, daughter of Thanos, dancing with a racoon, a tree, a dog and a guy who can whistle an arrow, AND SMILING i wouldn't believe you at all. Nebula has one of the best character arcs in the mcu and i am so happy to see that

[@Pantheragem]

Nebula has the most satisfying arc in the MCU. Her hearing Rocket's voice and not being able to control that relief and joy was maybe the the most heartfelt scene the MCU has to offer. Especially when you think to who she was when this all started. We cried along with her.

[@WilliamFrantz]

Nebula is the quintessential "Lancer" archetype. She has been the foil to Gamora, Star-Lord, Mantis, Thanos, even Iron Man! Lancers are often surly or analytical, but when the chips are down, Lancers are true as steel and will lay down their lives for the cause. If the rest of the members turn their backs on The Hero for some reason, the Lancer may be the only one who sticks by his side. In the event that The Leader of The Team is unable to lead, The Lancer usually steps up.

[@bashengatheblackmanta7003]

She got very close to rocket during the 5years timeskip between infinity and endgame

[@betatest5789]

Her arc is the best, such an underrated character. When I binge the marvel movies I mostly observe Nebula. She is literally the best

[@TehWhiteTiger]

She is the character captain marvel wants to be. A strong female character who has suffered but persevered in a truly genuine way we can't help but respect. Nothing about her is forced or contrived.

[@arturocastroverde3349]

​@@betatest5789 she is not underrated

[@maseoembry4165]

Something I don't see a lot of people pointing out is the strength of the VFX compared to the previous movies. A good mix of practical and CGI has really set it apart from the previous MCU projects who look more sterile. Huge props to the production crew and I hope this motivates the people in charge to re organize their pipelines and treat their VFX artists better

[@motherplayer]

I was watching this and thinking how much I realized how not only was so much of the stuff actual there, but also that the green screen was often well done. I had become so numb to the blahness of Love and Thunder and Wankanda Forever and Quantumania on the effects department that it took me aback to see something that actually looked feasible and there.

[@mg-lm6tg]

True

[@jetx2599]

The cgi is better because they had more time to work on it. This is because other MCU directors that don’t really care about the movie too much and just want a paycheck so they start filming without finalizing a script then change things last second which caused the CGI teams to redo stuff last second. James Gunn has probably been working on this story for a while so I imagine he has a finalized script and wasn’t redoing things on the fly

[@hteekay]

A great movie with great VFX are the one when everyone stop noticing CGIs and fully engrossed with what is happening on screen. Just take the silence as a compliment, especially after all those CGI trash shown to us during Phase 4 till Ant-Man 3. Boy nobody can stop shitting on them the whole time.

[@John-uw2je]

This movie also had time to be made, so the artists weren't crunching like in the other movies.

[@Neontaster]

Nebula has the best character arc in the MCU. Her holding hands with Rocket in Endgame and sobbing in this movie when Rocket says he's ok are some of my favorite moments of the entire cinematic universe.

[@vicentematias763]

As soon as the movie gives us the fight against Warlock i felt worried for Nebula. Then the realization hit me: I ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT NEBULA. NEBULA. In the first film, that was unthinkable, yet here i am, two solo films, three ensemble films and one special later, and i actually LIKE HER. Without even noticing it.

[@P-P-Panda]

Fr

[@JoexJoestar]

I think rockets arc is better

[@cameronjosephvideos5942]

Honestly, there's something really moving about seeing these closed off, emotionally repressed characters slowly start to show such emotion. Nebula and Rocket, they were both so cold in the first film. Seeing the love these guys have for each other, this isn't just a franchise where they spout we're family all the time, this one makes you believe it.

[@sanna8593]

​@@cameronjosephvideos5942So true!

[@meganintenbro]

Not knowing what the High Evolutionary' Perfect Planet looks like fits entirely with the conclusion of his character. I have a feeling he doesn't know what his perfect world looks like. Because like Rocket said, he just hates how things are. He'd never be satisfied with anything he makes no matter how seemingly "Perfect."

[@Pixel0429]

Yeah in every new "perfect" world he makes there will always be a new issue that will result in him wanting to restart it every time. He would always be stuck in this violent loop of destruction and torture for his impossible ideal world. Which is probably why Rocket showing novel form of thinking was what made him fully snap since he probably feels threatened that Rocket's brain may have what he lacks to make a perfect world.

[@robertfeldman2417]

Plus he wants to study rockets brain but he hates the creativity and independence in it

[@oscarortiz1529]

That’s how I saw it too. We don’t know what his “perfect society” is because he doesn’t know and would never admit it. Nothing will ever be perfect enough

[@MariOmor1]

Imo a truly perfect world is one with absolutely nothing on it: because if there's nothing to complain about, nothing can be imperfect, hence a perfect planet

[@nugget3687]

The longer you look for perfection, the more you'll be disappointed in the lack of it

[@TheKevinWood]

The Guardians franchise is going to be missed. It feels like one of the rare Marvel properties where it wasn't micromanaged to death. Makes me wonder how much the Antman franchise would have benefitted from them finding a way to keep Edgar Wright on board.

[@IcyDiamond]

The Ant-Man movies were probably more micromanaged because they were on Earth and had more to do with the other movies then Guardians did at the time, not an excuse though

[@StrayTato]

The Guardians movies aren't going anywhere. This is just the end of Gunn's trilogy. Whether you choose to stick around for the next director's vision or not is up to you.

[@unisect9106]

​​@@StrayTato That isnt official. Currently, this is the last Guardians movie. Only-- SPOILER!!!!! Peter Quill, Starlord, is to make a return.

[@LetThatStuffGo]

@@IcyDiamond Oh, the Ant-Man movies being MICROmanaged is *TIGHT!!!*

[@IcyDiamond]

@@LetThatStuffGo I wish I had noticed that pun myself

[@noelahg79]

This movie has stuck with me for days. I actually went and watched it a second time, and caught so many little things I missed the first time. Rocket pensively holds the key he made to save his friends right before Adam attacks him at the beginning, Gamora cries when she thinks Peter is dead, Peter loses his shit when he refuses to believe Rocket is dead, Drax crying when Mantis leaves. It was emotionally powerful, and felt like it was real. This movie made me like Nebula, which I never thought I'd say. Gunn redeemed an Irredeemable character. I was blown away. And no, it's not a perfect movie, and honestly I don't want a perfect Guardians movie. I like the imperfections.

[@lunarguardian5523]

For sure man, for sure. The movie was full of emotion and heart. Each character was so important for the movie. Rocket' s background, quill's scream when rocket nearly died and him hugging rocket after he was revived with tears, mantis screaming when peter nearly died, nebule crying when she hears rocket, mantis taming that creature with tears coming from her eyes, the group parting ways with each other, mantis and drax' goodbye, they were all enough to get a 24 year old man like me cry like a little child through the movie. For me the standouts were mantis and nebula, rocket and quill were amazing but seeing how far mantis and nebula came made me appreciate them a lot more. Nebula turned from an angry obsessed assassin to a person who cares about the wellbeing of others. Mantis became more confident in her place in the group and her abilities, one of my main problems with mantis before this movie was the fact that they always made fun of mantis for how naive and childish she is, but she has become more competent as a character and as a member of the guardians. She was a person who always needed the guidance of others but now she wants to be her own person and discover herself, and more importantly, she is not afraid of being on her own anymore. Her final scene with drax before walking away was so strong, it wasn't just two friends parting ways, it was like a father and daughter parting ways because mantis and drax always had such a special connection. It was like drax finally saw his little girl grow up and become an independent person who is about to move on to her own life. I really became a fan of mantis after this movie. She's one of my top 3 characters in mcu at the moment.

[@JediJames21]

I too am a 24 year year old man who cried a whole bunch of times through this movie. The guardians movies have always done a great job of making the villains or peripheral characters introduced in the movie before, into the emotional center piece characters of the next sequel. Vol. 2 has been my favorite movie for years now but this one just felt a little bit more complete and full from start to finish. We also put my old dog Elliot down this Sunday morning before I went to c it so the lines about flying into the forever and beautiful sky were particularly heart warming. These r my favorite movies ever, and they've always been my go tos in the best and worst of times. I thought it was about as perfect an ending as they could've made

[@scruffd0g193]

2nd time it’s even harder, such a dark theme.

[@lunarguardian5523]

@@JediJames21 I agree man. The Guardians of the Galaxy movies have such a special place in my heart to, i love them as a team more than the Avengers to be honest, because they are always so full of genuine heart and emotion with spot on and natural comedic moments. Most people said gotg 2 was weaker than the first one when it came out in 2017 but i genuinely loved that movie, yondu and rocket's newfound friendship, quill remembering the good times he had with his friends, Drax and Mantis' connection, Mantis feeling drax' Inner pain and sobbing were all so touching moments. That's why i cried like crazy during the scene when they were parting ways and going to their seperate ways, it wasn't just them saying goodbye to each other, it was also me saying goodbye to the team i grew up loving and adoring. I was in the first year of high school when the first one came out and i was about to graduate high school when the second one came, so now, as a 24 year old person, it's heartbreaking to say goodbye to the team that i grew up with. It's like saying goodbye to the only thing left that reminded me of my youth.

[@lunarguardian5523]

@@scruffd0g193 Yeah man, i don't know how but the movie managed to hit even harder to me the second time. I teared up and cried even harder because it was all just too much to take in. And it is interesting since i generally don't cry in movies, i didn't cry in Endgame, didn't cry in Multiverse of Madness even though i love Wanda, the scenes were powerful yes but there was something missing that prevented me from feeling the emotions completely, only no way home made me cry but it was only at the very end of the movie when Peter said goodbye to his friends. Apart from that i never cried in a marvel movie, especially this much, up until this last Guardians movie.

[@WilliamFrantz]

2:40 "...it's not like this was the most super pivotal scene..." On the contrary, this might be one of the most defining scenes in the entire franchise. Mantis yells, "He's the only one of you that doesn't hate himself!" That one line smartly encapsulates so much about these characters and their dynamic. It cuts to the bone. Mantis is barely an insider. She was rescued into the group. She’s uniquely qualified to deliver this summation and it profoundly changes Nebula.

[@JB_Emerson]

That's the moment when I realized what the movie was actually about -- loving ourselves and others the way we/they are. Each character had to learn to love and accept who they were.

[@EthylAlcohol01]

I daresay it is almost equal to Nebula’s line in Guardians 2 “you just wanted to win and I just wanted a sister”

[@ezekielsparadise4633]

Mantis joined the guardians 6 months after the guardians formed.

[@Whiteythereaper]

The best part is that that scene plants the seed for the scene at the end, where they all sit down and face the truth that they all need to go off in their own directions and learn who they are in this new universe post-Thanos, finally acknowledging that their lives aren't healthy and staying that way will get them killed if they regress or stay the same. It's a huge development to see these characters actually change and accept that they need help. Mantis being able to read peoples' emotions helps to add weight to her outburst that clearly sits with everyone and makes them decide to face their problems in the end.

[@Dark.Shingo]

You can say whatever you want about Chris Pratt and Bradley Cooper, but Pratt's performance when he thought Rocket was dead made me cry in an instant. And the subtlety of Cooper's voice at various points when I was used to his most cynical side... just damn.

[@ohnobro1424]

They were both so good

[@coastersplus]

No Sleep Till Brooklyn had to be one of the best-shot action scenes in these things in a while, felt like they were actively showing off at that point and, you know, good for them!

[@Luke_SkywaIker]

If I had a nickel for every time a 2023 film staring Chris Pratt featured ‘no sleep till Brooklyn” I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice

[@tomarchru8528]

@@Luke_SkywaIker love it

[@unisect9106]

Bro that scene was an avenegers level action scene

[@healthfadsfade]

Dude no joke it was insanely good

[@kmann7253]

The way it was shot really reminded me of The way the Kingsmen movies shot their fight scenes

[@ShieldYoung]

James Gunn has got it He can bring heart to a PG comedy movie This was an emotional ride

[@DarkKnightofAnime]

Also this is probably the most PG movie I’ve seen in a while, seriously Gunn pushes that rating as far as he can and no i don’t think it’s solely because of the F-bomb

[@mrxyz985]

Pg-13

[@AppleSaurus01]

I’ve seen a lot of people saying that he really wasn’t pushing the rating, but for the modern rating and how the MCU tends to make movies, he went as far as he was possibly able to, which really helps to make this movie stand out in front of every other MCU project.

[@TheBfutgreg]

@@DarkKnightofAnime LotR RotK, the Dark Knight, Transformers Dark of the Moon have much brutality....I guess as long as blood isn't spraying everywhere brutality is a-ok Return of the King had cutoff heads being thrown unto other people as a means of destroying morale, murder via strangulation, self-immolation etc. I guess animals do get special treatment sometimes emotionally since we view them as so innocent most of the time

[@DarkKnightofAnime]

@@TheBfutgreg I only meant he pushed it in the sense where while Those movies did earn their PG Rating for legitimate reasons it’s also true that every other movie in between has only ever been given the PG rating for either a curse word or an implied innuendo I’m not saying the PG rating died or anything but it is true it has been overused in certain cases without being warranted and GOTG 3 walks that weird line of while probably earning for that more unintentional case does still earn it for the other reasons it should be PG as well

[@tanyakopel]

Say what you want, but "ROCKET TEEFS FLOOR GO NOW!" is one of the most hearbrraking and gut wrenching cries and will haunt me for a long time

[@nukethemoon5020]

You and me both. Saw the movie a 2nd time this weekend and I was dreading that part.

[@AsyrafNararendra]

That really stressed me out

[@sinteleon]

They somehow made a creepy spider bunny cyborg abomination one of the most endearing characters.

[@tiffanypersaud3518]

Same.

[@sampause7783]

I remember watching it and at each serious moment, waiting for someone to say a joke and ruin it. I was genuinely surprised to see each time the serious moments not ruined by jokes

[@yderga8707]

Dude like 5 minutes into the film rocket has a hole blasted in his chest, Nebula gets her spine crushed and Mantis gets her arm shattered. I was floored.

[@Sjcstro84]

Yeah was a great relief. The inserting jokes into serious moments has become predictable.

[@meurumtrain4747]

@@Sjcstro84 lol there was the quill talking to Gamora, had me dying 😂

[@unisect9106]

​@Meurum Train That one was forgiven, it was coming of the idea rhat Quill would have to be forced to move on

[@user-jt1js5mr3f]

I'm so hoping this is a new turn for the MCU, I'm hoping this means they finally see what we want

[@IcyDiamond]

Such a marvelous (pun intended) conclusion to the trilogy, Rocket’s backstory was perfectly heartbreaking, I cried literally every time Lylla and his other friends were shown on screen, and I felt that everyone’s arcs concluded pretty nicely, a solid trilogy all around, I can’t wait for James Gunn’s Superman movie!

[@salarzx62090]

Alastor! Good to see you again, my old friend! Almost getting close to seeing you and Charlie+friends at Hazbin Hotel this summer

[@IcyDiamond]

@@salarzx62090 I really hope you read this in my voice

[@salarzx62090]

@@IcyDiamond I do, dear chap :)

[@WiloPolis03]

I really liked how similar Rocket's glimpse of the afterlife was to real life *NDIs* (near death experiences), I wasn't expecting them to go that route at all

[@sinteleon]

To be fair, it isn't the first time the MCU did an afterlife bit. Yes the one experienced by Rocket is much more empty, but it makes sense where he (and the other animals) are concerned, as at least for the other animals, their only existence was in cages or being experimented on, hence why their afterlife is simply, them being outside of said cages.

[@jasonwells8745]

Gunn's direction on how to get the attitude right for Nebula was "try to do a mix of Marilyn Minore and Clint Eastwood." Brillant direction and a perfect way to put the character.

[@raincrowlee]

When Floor, Lyla and Teefs appeared on the screen, I thought, "Well, I know who's going to die." When the High Evolutionary killed them, I thought, "I knew it was going to happen, but it still got me."

[@merrittanimation7721]

Same. I half expected them to all have timers all counting down to their eventual deaths.

[@margarethmichelina5146]

But it still bothers me that they never see how Rocket meet Groot in first place. I expected there's a scene of Rocket who succesfully escaped to another planet is crying and grieving of his friend's death and then while he's crying, he sees a little walking tree that only can say his name "I am Groot" and they become friends. It's ironic how Rocket and Groot who are the dynamic duo are lacking of screen times in this movie.

[@orangenostril]

@@margarethmichelina5146 iirc James Gunn confirmed that the new Groot is a different person than the one that died in the first movie, so I feel like getting more information about Rocket and the old Groot wouldn't be super relevant in this movie

[@prometheus3498]

A rocky holiday special? That holiday special was absolutely fantastic!!

[@IcyDiamond]

Yeah agreed, I absolutely loved it!

[@tender0828]

I loved the holiday special too. Gave me hope for this movie which I'm happy to say I am completely satisfied with. Thanks James Gunn and crew for the amazing ride

[@yderga8707]

Eh I mean I liked it, but a couple of the bits were insufferable, like the Kevin Bacon thing.

[@XD_ist]

Fine for what it is. I didn't have a problem with Mantis being Quill's sister at the start cause I thought it was gonna be important in Vol. 3 which is why they brought it up randomly but nope! They barely do anything with it. Between it and Vol. 3, from what ive seen of Gunns work he's been getting bad at exposition lately. I haven't watched Peacemaker though so I could be proven wrong with that. Overall solid 7 or 8/10

[@prometheus3498]

@@XD_ist Mantis being Quill's sister was important for the special, it was self contained importance.

[@DanielDiaz-um1xd]

One completely random thing I enjoyed was warlock adopting the pet & traveling around with it

[@patriot459]

Dude exactly it’s been so long since walking out of a marvel movie and just feeling like what a movie. The resolution to all of the characters was just so perfect while the visuals and music just fucking excel.

[@Ren_Davis0531]

I loved how Gunn didn’t go the easy way out and kill any character. This story didn’t need it and the more it went on the more I felt certain that killing a character would kind of feel like a suboptimal choice. I’m happy Gunn tied all the characters’ endings back to their beginning. It made it feel like the characters became their complete selves by the end. The Guardians created something special by being there for each other to become greater than what they suffered. Their love for each other is the only cure that they need to help them deal with loss, and even Adam Warlock fits into that theme. This movie once again illustrates why it’s my favorite franchise in the MCU. If you had told me that 15 years ago, I would have said that was nonsense and that you were being ridiculous. I just got so many emotionalistical issues because of this movie and it feels so good.

[@ohnobro1424]

Haha. Emotionalistical issues.

[@Whiteythereaper]

Well he killed Ayesha, but that was purely to show Adam that the High Evolutionary doesn't care for any life he deems imperfect, and to get Adam to start to mature emotionally from his childish ineptitude, to also show that while the High Evolutionary deems the Sovereign a failure, Adam can change and break that pigeon-hole he's been put into, showing that no one needs to be perfect to excel.

[@Spades20XX]

According to reports, Gunn wanted to kill off Gamora in GOTG2 and that was partly because Saldana just wanted to do a single film originally. He was also consulted about her death in IW and gave the approval, so her character role in this finale probably was mostly the way it was going to be intended

[@carbodude5414]

One of the things I enjoy most about this movie (and the Holiday Special) is that Mantis isn't given the "Meg" treatment like she did in Infinity War & Endgame, as in, being treated like the Guardian everyone forgets about and never takes seriously The last character I'd ever expect to stand up to Nebula's abrasiveness was Mantis but the movie pulled it off spectacularly

[@darkestccino5405]

Lilah's final words of "The sky..." are absolutely crushing.

[@ericsilvestrin1662]

High Evolutionary was always searching for a perfect being and perfect society, but as we all know, this is impossible. People will always have their flaws, like the Guardians of the Galaxy. But they made things work despite their flaws. I thought it was a good contrast between H.E. and GotG

[@NoirNameless]

Guardians 3 was great because it’s in the mcu, but not of the mcu. Doesn’t have to include cameos, or reference events happening in other movies. Just a self contained story that allows Gunn to make what he wants. Kinda sounds like the DCU will take this approach, which I hope will happen so that more comic book films can be made like this. It really sounds like Gunn loves the idea of letting writers and directors have freedom with projects which this genre needs more of. Still connected, but somewhat standalone stories that are tailored to a writer/directors Vision and style. Couldn’t imagine what Lord and Millers Booster Gold would look like 🔥. Overall, guardians was great.

[@Seasonal-Shadow_4674]

How does Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin in NWH compare to High Evolutionary in Guardains of The Galaxy 3? Like in terms of being evil , sadistic, cruel, and despicable?

[@Particle9a4]

@@Seasonal-Shadow_4674 Dafoe was better and way more psychotic (No surprise there) but he's overall pretty well-done in term of pure evil villain. He didn't really have a developed motivation but imo for his type of character it's not a problem. He's not a scary villain if you searching for that and more just a despicable one (More akin to FFH Mysterio albeit much more sadistic).

[@itsmeskyler3706]

I agree and I cried. The movie is full of love.

[@P-P-Panda]

It really is

[@JediMasterIsaac]

Tbh, my interest in the MCU really stemmed from my investment in the GOTG. I think now that Volume 3 is out, I think it’s time I take a break from the MCU.

[@chasehedges6775]

Same here. Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 is the last ride and the final dance of the MCU, for me.

[@Seasonal-Shadow_4674]

@@chasehedges6775 How does Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin in NWH compare to High Evolutionary in Guardains of The Galaxy 3? Like in terms of being evil , sadistic, cruel, and despicable?

[@chasehedges6775]

@@Seasonal-Shadow_4674 They’re Pretty much on the same level

[@ShadowSonic2]

@@Seasonal-Shadow_4674 Well, the High Evolutionary was a real character. Dafoe was there for gutless fanservice

[@Seasonal-Shadow_4674]

@@chasehedges6775 I see so many people talk about H.E being despicable but not Green Goblin wmh

[@robby7499]

Almost had me tearing up throughout especially with Bradley Cooper's performance.

[@westerfrost3701]

@@somerandolad I wasn’t even close to crying, but I felt bad for him, too.

[@Nyanboii]

I felt complete after watching GOTG Vol. 3. The series has always been my favourite since the gem of the first movie and I was glad they were able to get another home run

[@rylymbona]

As soon as they showed the first flashback, I was not okay and started crying even before some of those scenes that shocked me. I loved this movie and this trilogy was really good.

[@WUZLE]

The obvious void in Rocket's timeline is Rocket meeting Groot. His life must have been absolute hell after he escaped and I like to think it was Groot who kept him from becoming a supervillain.

[@RoughneckMendez]

Thank god, I finally hear someone that agrees that Star Lord’s reaction in Infinity War was believable/realistic even though it was a blatant display of no self-control. He literally lost both of his parents and the love of his life! I’d be angry too!

[@Sketch105]

Perfect summary of my thoughts on the film. I thought the Adam Warlock incarnation was hilarious because he was left as such a huge dramatic tease in Vol 2, and it was great to just subvert that. Also, to have yet another serious villain character in this crammed movie would’ve been too much. He reminded me of the Prince in Shrek 2.

[@coastersplus]

I didn't know what to think about the casting at first, but the movie absolutely sold me on Petulant Child Adam Warlock. Nice thing is, I think it's left plenty of room for him to grow into a more serious version version if anyone really wants to bring him back.

[@destine1547]

Legitimately made me remember why I used to love these movies. Wonderful send off. I love these characters and James Gunn

[@darkwoods1954]

Same. It's been so long since I've enjoyed a Marvel movie like I used to in that first eleven years. Guardians 3 really felt like an MCU film of that era. Maybe the last.

[@dingus2k]

Nebula has been one of my favorite MCU characters since Infinity War and I was so happy she got as much in this story as she did.

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

This should've started Phase 5.

[@chasehedges6775]

Absolutely agree with you

[@fulltimeslackerii8229]

can’t wait for phase 12 in the year 2050!

[@elmandarin1002]

It's crazy to think how this originally was supposed to kick off Phase 4

[@IcyDiamond]

@@elmandarin1002 Would’ve been a much better start then Black Widow in terms of the movies

[@Antwannnn]

The phases don't matter in actuality. Just a gimmick

[@aidantanis4478]

Really haven’t seen anybody mention that hallway action scene in the second half. Such a fluid and well choreographed fight scene, everybody is working together as a unit and using all the tools at their disposal. Maybe it was just my theatre but I could have swore they were messing with the frame rate in different parts too. I was smiling kinda uncontrollably watching it unfold haha.

[@tjarkschweizer]

Exactly! That fight scene was amazing! Why is nobody talking about it?

[@Lenny-ue8hk]

I almost cried in the cinema when I saw Nebula smile and start dancing at the end. Idek why she’s not my favourite or anything, just really showed how far she’s come.

[@SeseOB2003]

I really enjoyed volume 3, specifically as Rocket’s storyline conclusion was satisfying to see after all he went through prior to it.

[@chamelious]

Just a quick mention for THAT hallway fight scene. It's rare i'm impressed with a "fight scene" these days, but man that one was something else.

[@royjones8312]

Even just when you mention what happens to Floor I teared up.

[@Dingokiller420]

I LOVE that scene with Mantis, Drax, and Nebula. It resonated with me and has stuck with me since leaving the theater.

[@Faustained]

The explanation of Adam being woken early should be good enough for the comic book fans. But it'll be hard for them to do his story.

[@chrisfry3366]

As for Adam Warlock, Aiysha stated right up front to High Evolutionary that Adam was removed from his birthing pod early and was still a 'child'. Thus, he acted like a child the length of the movie. While the comic writing wasn't as deep way back when, 'Him' (how Adam was known when he first appeared) was a petulant childlike character. He first appeared in FF and then in Thor he tried to take Sif as his mate. He didn't actually begin acting like an adult until his own run in Marvel Premiere when the High Evolutionary helped to elevate him to another level ( and gave him the Soul Gem). From Strange Tales forward is when he began acting like the OP character perhaps many were hoping to get in this movie. He was definitely powerful but mentally a baby. I'd expect to see him as a much more mature character however they intend to use him in the future (or at least I hope so).

[@nileshollowthorn]

Everything we see from Rocket's backstory was entirely necessary IMO to empathize with everything he went through and completely understand why he is the way he is. It honestly reshapes the entire trilogy up to this point. As devastating and as hard to watch as it was, I'm glad they didn't hold anything back so they could give us the proper Rocket story. I also think the dance party ending made so much sense for this series. It was totally cathartic and Rocket earned that ending!

[@jj-reads]

This movie really made me notice how MCU fans have gotten way too preoccupied with how everything ties together. My favorite MCU moments of the past few years have been the ones that have nothing to do with the multiverse. The focus here is on the characters, and that’s what I love so much about it. I really felt like all of our beloved characters were entirely necessary and it wouldn’t have been the same without any of them.

[@sinteleon]

Like how the high evolutionary is too pre-occupied in creating a perfect earth. Meta commentary!

[@JerryFlowersIII]

Okay, I loved the movie but I definitely want to highlight just how unhinged the Evolutionary was, it was great on camera and it lead to is own crew not trusting his judgement. Such a great movie, I could end up writing my own video essay on this thing.

[@hicks7884]

Watched it last week and 1 thing I really appreciate was when Quill passed out and Nebula had to carried him, none of the Guardians made a joke about how pathetic he is. Instead all of them were just concerned for their friend.

[@dairyproducts2775]

Unlike majority of phase 4, the movie actually felt like it had stakes.

[@ladiddas]

It so weird coming from the Video Game back to the MCU versions of their characters, I love both interpretations, I am going to heavily miss these characters.

[@SimplesRugs]

Everyone’s saying it would be fine if we don’t have another guardians movie or Disney + show but I need it after seeing this movie. These are beloved characters that I will miss sm if left in the dust

[@pinoyjona]

After the Guardians broke up, Nebula been looking to sponsor to support Knowhere and I feel like people should help out Nebula by helping Captain Midnight

[@dannymartial7997]

I finally got around to watching it. It's my new favorite MCU movie, up there with Infinity War and the original Iron Man. The relationships between each character was the best we've seen in any MCU film. And that fight scene in the hallway was definitely the best choreographed fight in all of MCU as well.

[@filippobona6763]

SPOILER I 100% thought Rocket was going to reunite with Lyla in present day because of the shot in the trailer where they hugged. Needless to say what happened after he freed them absolutely hit me like a gut punch.

[@uchihabomber1296]

This really was a great movie for this new phase and it really did feel like a great ending to these movies

[@chasehedges6775]

The best finale to a trilogy and franchise that could be made.

[@mackielunkey2205]

SPOILER I kind of wished they had a proper reason for Rocket deciding not to kill the villain. He said that it was because he was “a freaking Guardian of the Galaxy” and I interpreted it as “I’ve got better stuff to do, and you’re not worth killing, you’re too pathetic. And that’s the best revenge.” I wished they were more clear on that aspect.

[@daviddalrymple2284]

Especially since Quill had just killed someone without a shred of hesitation.

[@poe_slaw]

Even better if he just did the sensible thing and actually killed him. It annoys me to no end how action heroes put in that situation with an antagonist never do that, even if it costs them nothing and the villain absolutely deserves it.

[@GameMageVideos]

In the context of this movie, you can definitely take it that High Evolutionary was gonna die anyway. He's just been shot, beaten, and stabbed with his face peeled off and the ship is self destructing. Rocket was just showing how different he was from him before leaving him to die.

[@beakwooda.k.aadregallus8788]

? What you mean? They left the Evolutionary to die slowly.

[@mackielunkey2205]

@@GameMageVideos Oh yeah that’s fair, I just wanted Rocket’s reasoning to be a bit more clear, you know what I mean?

[@Panimal98]

In a way, this film was like an anti-Endgame, thematically. While Endgame was about saving the universe, this film was about saving one person. While Endgame dealt with remembered what was lost, and the fight to reclaim it, this film was about fighting for what we have, and ultimately moving forward in life. While Endgame ended with a period of mourning for people who gave their lives, this film ended with a celebration of family that was saved.

[@AMoniqueOcampo]

This trilogy introduced me to Mantis, my personal favorite character. MCU needs to take notes. Dance Party endings are the best endings. Rocket liking the song "Southern Nights" really hits different. I loved everyone's character development!

[@wstine79]

Let's all preciate the fact that Kevin feige allowed James Gunn to finish the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy after that dumb Twitter Fiasco.

[@jliller]

It helped that Gunn took it like a champ.

[@michaelpacheco9]

I think when you look at movies like Wakanda Forever and Guardians 3, you can see just how good these MCU movies can be when they're written and directed by people with an actual passion/love for these characters.

[@aidenbutterfield754]

Did people not like the holiday special, I know it wasn’t the deepest thing but I thought it was a good time?

[@libras_groove]

my thoughts exactly! not everything has to be super profound (and it still had heartfelt sincere moments anyways) its okay to just have fun and the holiday special was exactly that

[@yungmartin7621]

It is a masterpiece honestly

[@DoomguyIsGrinningAtYou.]

One thing I like is how cliche Rocket's backstory is, yet it still manages to come off utterly heart wrenching. What amazed me is I didn't even see it coming. I didn't *want* to see it coming.

[@alexlee3008]

It made me realize that I was not fed up with marvel, but was fed up with bad marvel movies.

[@stanstockton544]

They are setting up to reassemble. We will get cameos of quill mowing the neighbors lawn and drax playing daddy daycare while nebula tries to hold everything together on knowhere. Starlord will return in a time of need. Maybe he will take his grandpa to space to meet the gang. The right writing could be amazing.

[@stanstockton544]

Also gamora and the ravagers. Stallone gets a movie. There is a wealth of adventure they could all have on their own. Then, in Kang dynasty, the guardians reunite gamora rolls in with ravagers etc. Like all of them.

[@LucynthiaRitonia]

Cosmo being a bad dog bit was a breath of fresh air for me. I needed a good cute dog bit to off set the trauma of Lila Teefs and Floor meeting their ends.

[@motor_craft]

Fun fact, about that "Gamora's death was out of his hands" thing... James Gunn was thinking about killing Gamora off in vol.2, he was talking about it in some interviews.

[@promindcrafterstudios]

Yes sir watched it yesterday and it’s INCREDIBLE

[@PropheticShadeZ]

Dude i just like having these people honestly care for each other so hard it hurts, i love the strength of their connection, i felt the rage they all felt when they saw what happened to rocket

[@themikx2939]

This was the best MCU movie to come out since Endgame for me. So happy the Guardians trilogy concludes on a high note

[@Solh0und]

After seeing this, I feel confident with James Gunn's vision of DCU.

[@batmancahoon4985]

I love this channel because CM doesn’t spend time slinging hate. He always looks at the positive side of things.

[@xodr91]

I love that he can give critiques about MCU movies that don't involve huffing and puffing about "wokeness"

[@SamuraiAwesome]

The movie was full of small character moments that were just allowed to breathe. The unspoken love that drax and mantis have for each other shone through, without the movie taking the easy route of having them declare it and live happily ever after. Mantis using her kindness and empathy to connect with the tentacle monsters. The change in Gamora's demeanor towards Quill and the rest of the team was beautiful and yet tragic, but never settled into the cliche of her deciding to join the team. It's a testament to how well Gunn knows these characters, and trusts the audience to know them too without having to hamfistedly spell it out. This movie is oozing with love, care and craftsmanship. This franchise has always been a love letter to broken things and found family, and the refusal to turn it all into saccharine is the greatest thing about it. Gunn stuck the landing on this one. A truly wonderful film, probably the best MCU outing to date, and given the recent output, one that i cant see being topped

[@Hades69099]

This is a nuanced component of starlord in his latest volume 3 iteration that I've also noticed and really come to appreciate it. It started in the christmas special, but he's written the same in volume 3. Yes he's comedic and goofy, but he's also a serious leader that lives up to that mantle and takes his position seriously when the moment calls for it. He's not just a buffoon, he knows how to be competent and effective when it's needed. He's able to switch into a leader mode where he's serious and meeting the crisis/task at hand. Part of why he's the leader is that he's good in a crisis. The tendency to being a goofball is that life outside of crises, isn't challenging enough. When nothing is going on he just drinks and morns the loss of gamora. As soon as things are going wrong though, he jumps into action, it gives him a chance to exert and push himself. Some people are like that they sort of masochistly thrive off chaos. It fuels and energizes them. it gives them something to fight and engage with, the struggle required to get back to homestasis, helps them grow and work through their problems. it's a tempermental thing. Some people are drawn to police work, military, first responder because it gives them rush. It gives the ability to be and live in the present moment. Nothing worrying about anything else but the stakes that are in front of them.

[@brandonmartinez1300]

Honestly, the scene where rockets friends were shot was a really great scene, Although we knew they’d die in the end the way they went about it was amazing. The way rocket clawed at the high evolutionarys face and when he shot the henchmen dead thinking all the bullets missed him and feeling a relief for his friends just to turn around and realize they were not shooting him. They were aiming for floor, and teefs. That shit was amazing.

[@angrymanwithsillymoustasche]

Higher-Revolutionary's charecter was well written and well portrayed. He also deserve a big praise. 👍🏻

[@netzach21]

6:30 What makes those flashback scenes work is how they impact the characters. In any other movie, they would be just a cheap attempt to shock the audience, but the way the Guardians react to what they did to Rocket, his suffering was important to them, so it makes it important for the audience. A lot of movies forget about that, they think that just because it has a big spectacle or world-ending stakes the audience will care, but they forget about having an emotional core, and how the events affect the characters. Here there's no planet about to explode or a universe about to be destroyed, this is possibly the most personal movie of the whole MCU and it makes it so fresh.

[@REAL.T0AD]

saw the movie yesterday. it was PEAK

[@chasehedges6775]

Definitely the best of the current MCU

[@savai9429]

@@chasehedges6775 I would argue one of the best of the whole MCU.

[@bullseyestudios9068]

One of the best superhero Trilogy ever...

[@noreturn4]

"I Love You All"

[@chasehedges6775]

The emotions at the scene

[@Aureilius2112]

Thank you for an honest review. I am so fed up with KZbinrs who’s career is so invested in shitting on marvel that they can’t recognize a good movie.

[@howHumam]

It's a bit of a Frankenstein's monster with all that happens, but it's amazing. So good, so spectacular, so emotional...

[@TheCherrykye]

I still cry thinking about what the Evolutionary did to Rocket and his friends, omg the Evolutionary is one evil, horrible person, he makes me sick. What an excellent villain.

[@partymonster411]

There was a Rocky Holiday special? And the Guardians were in it?!

[@DianoiaNoesis]

It was the best movie I have seen in a long time and I am going to see it again. Why can we not have more movies like this.

[@benbushman7687]

I was waiting for this video!

[@jeithrowagwag7129]

I can't put into words how perfect the ending was. Tying every loose end, every member of the gotg got their happy ending. Nebula's was so heartwarming it made me cry profusely. SPOILER WARNING: Nebula took it upon herself to look after knowhere following successful rescue of genetically modified super children to give them a childhood she never had with Thanos 🥹😭😭

[@pigglypoof]

What made me excited to infinity war was the inclusion of guardians of the galaxy storyline They really felt distant enough to be excited for a cross over yet it wasn’t jarring because they were tied to thanos and one of the infinity stones I wish more marvel movies did this, be its own thing yet have some subtle connection to the overall arc

[@rourkes1412]

Emotionally manipulative? Yes. Did my wife and I bawl our eyes out in the theatre? Also Yes.

[@blindmanai6957]

Damn, thanks for posting that clip with Drax and Mantis from Vol 2. Such a small scene with such a large impact. Good balance between the feels and the funnies. (You are hideous!)