One of the most highly anticipated upcoming MCU movies is finally upon us, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 set to bring an end to the trilogy focused around Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill and his found family of misfits. However, when the blockbuster hits theaters on May 5, it won’t be Star-Lord and Gamora’s relationship at the center of the action, but rather the franchise’s “secret protagonist” Rocket Raccoon. Bradley Cooper has said fans might see his character in a different light after James Gunn chose to focus on Rocket in the threequel, and critics definitely have thoughts about the beloved curmudgeon’s origin story.
Colin Leggett of GameRant rates it a “Very Good” 3.5 stars out of 5, saying that at times the story feels too big for its own good, but the parts that examine Rocket’s past are the most affecting. Writer/director James Gunn gives his characters the ending they deserve, the critic says:
Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gives the film 3 stars out of 4, saying that by reuniting Peter Quill and Gamora to save Rocket, we get to see a different kind of chemistry between Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldaña’s characters, and the actors don’t disappoint. According to the critic:
Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times also rates it 3 out of 4 stars, noting that the conclusion to the Guardians trilogy is filled with “needle drops, callbacks, snappy banter, wildly inventive sets, costumes and makeup,” in addition to lots of action and violence. He continues:
Joshua Yehl of IGN rates it a “Great” 8 out of 10, noting that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 isn’t without its faults — an overstuffed plot and stale humor, for example — but James Gunn and Bradley Cooper bring an unexpected darkness to the trilogy’s finale that shows off the cast’s incredible chemistry. The critic continues:
A few critics have noted the imperfections of the Guardians finale, but while most still enjoy the movie overall, Kristy Puchko of Mashable has a different take. This critic says there are flickers of the fun times we’ve seen from this group in the past, but the majority of this film is “maudlin bullshit.” With a “shockingly gruesome” Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, James Gunn has killed the chaotic charm that previously made these characters such a blast. The review continues:
So where will this movie fall in the ranking of best Marvel movies? You don’t have to wait too long to be able to answer that question, as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to hit theaters on Friday, May 5. You can also check out our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to see what other films are coming to theaters soon.
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