Title: Guardians of the Galaxy – Volume 3
Director: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Karen Gillian
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 2 hr 30 mins

What It Is: Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill must rally his team to defend the universe and protect one of their own. If the mission is not completely successful, it could possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

What We Think:  It’s been a while since we’ve seen a mainline entry from the Guardians of the Galaxy series in theaters – but now, the third and final chapter of the trilogy has arrived, pulling no punches in its emotional beats and action-packed moments.

It may seem simple to dub it so, but going into this film there is a clear sense of finality and maturity with the story and its characters. There are none who receive less development than others, but some who retain a bit more of the spotlight this time around. The most wonderful thing about Vol. 3 is that it feels very contained as opposed to recent MCU entries, which are concerned with multiversal threats and dimension defying leaps of faith. This is a story that will appeal to many audiences, and a film that will be relieving for ones who are hesitant about dipping their toe into the MCU’s 32 film pool, as the plot presents itself so effortlessly well that there is an absent need to have seen previous entries of the Guardians series or any other entry in the MCU beforehand.

The characters of Peter Quill, Drax, Gamora, Rocket, Mantis, Groot, Nebula, supporting characters like Kraglin, and even newcomers Adam Warlock and The High Evolutionary are the spices of this intergalactic pie consisting of sweet action set pieces, mouth-watering visuals, and of course a rocking soundtrack with the most delectable cherry picked bangers. James Gunn is a golden voice in the superhero genre and his writing shines here, perfectly paced and thrilling to the last scene. Everything one could ever want from a summer blockbuster is present in Vol. 3 – spectacle, laughs, emotion, and heart.

Our Grade: A; This last jam from the Guardians clan is full of surprises, memorable moments, and the best performances in the trilogy – it also helps that its one of the best sci-fi films of the year and one you should not be driven from simply because of the MCU stamp. An unforgettable blitz!