Over the years Marvel Studios has brought many heroes to the big screen, but no group may have had the impact than the Guardians of the Galaxy. The intergalactic heroes made their cinematic debut in 2014 and, through the characters’ chemistry and imagination from director James Gunn, have become icons for not just the Marvel Cinematic Universe but pop culture in general. The Guardians have played a major role in films like Avengers: Infinity War and even had a brief part in last year’s Thor: Love and Thunder. Now the cosmic protectors have returned to the big screen once again in the next installment in the MCU: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3.

Directed once again by Gunn, the movie sees the Guardians go up against the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) in order to save Rocket (Bradley Cooper) whose origin is connected to the notorious creator. The development of this installment was interesting to say the least. The sequel began development with Gunn intending to direct; but due to controversy Gunn was removed from the project and the film’s status was up in the air. However, Gunn was eventually rehired and was to continue production; though it had to wait until Gunn was finished working on DC’s The Suicide Squad. Now at long last the Marvel film has made its way to theaters and serves as a conclusion for both the Guardians and James Gunn as the film is his last with Marvel Studios. I have been a fan of the Guardians as much as the next moviegoer, and despite my fluctuating enthusiasm on the MCU, this new installment was a must see for me. So, was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 a swan song for the Marvel team? In this Film Adventurer’s opinion, while the Marvel film had a few bumps, it did leave things on a high note.

Going into the movie, I was wondering what kind of conclusion would Vol.3 be? While the movie will likely not be the last Guardians film, it was certainly going to be a turning point for the series. So, with that in mind, this chapter in the Guardians’ story was a bit conflicting. When it came to the conflict, the plot did not have the biggest stakes and was missing the grandiose nature of the past films. Yet despite this, the story also felt very appropriate for the Guardians. Along with being a fun adventure, the plot was very personal and kept true to the family aesthetic of the Guardians films. This was quite evident in Rocket’s story, which was the backbone of this intergalactic plot. The plot culminated in a conclusion that, though some moments missed the mark, was exciting and fitting for the estranged Marvel team.

Just like the story, I was curious to see how the movie would handle the Guardians themselves. The team has been a fantastic ensemble and have been a highlight for the entire MCU. So, it was pleasing to see the cast did not disappoint in this latest installment. The Guardians’ chemistry was on point and their individual direction was prominent. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and Rocket had the most development while Nebula (Karen Gillan), Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista) had some surprising, yet appropriate, direction. It was good to see Zoe Saldana as Gamora again while Groot (Vin Diesel) was…well Groot. A surprising direction for the cast was the use of characters like Kraglin (Sean Gunn), Cosmo (Maria Bakalova) and Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), though I wish there was more to Adam’s development, as their roles had more to offer the movie than I initially expected. As for the High Evolutionary, the mad scientist was an enjoyable villain. While some of his direction could be inconsistent, Chukwudi’s performance helped this character shine as he was both intense and unhinged.

When it came to being a spectacle, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 was a true marvel. The Guardians movies have always looked good from a visual standpoint, but in my opinion the new movie exceeds its predecessors thanks to its blend of keen effects with stellar cinematography. These elements were also beneficial in bringing the action to life. The action was not as grandiose as other marvel films, but there was a sense of creativity in each sequence that made every moment standout with one scene in particular featuring all the Guardians being a major highlight for the film. Another highlight for the movie, to no surprise, was its comedy. The jokes were better than I expected as their timing was good and did not take away from the film’s more dramatic moments. Last and certainly not least was the film’s soundtrack. While the score by John Murphy was a bit subtle for my liking, the songs used in the movie were wonderfully executed and lived up to style that Guardians have been known for.

Guardian of the Galaxy Vol 3 was a fitting conclusion for the Marvel series. While the film may not have been as bombastic as I expected the movie lived up to the series’ name by having an fun adventure, fantastic cast and inventive presentation. As stated, this will likely not be the last Guardians film or even the final time we will see these characters, but this movie does feel like a definitive chapter for the series as it may never be the same after this point. If that is the case then it was good to see this team, and James Gunn, get a proper send off as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is a stellar installment in the MCU.