Having sat through some phase 4 films that failed to inspire... Guardians feels like a breath of fresh air. It's less a run of the mill superhero film and more a out of world space adventure handled with care by James Gunn.

At its heart, Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 is a story about family, loss and technology all of which are prominent in today's zeitgeist. These themes sometimes cause you to forget that you are watching a Marvel movie. The movie's backstory is dark but it helps to hammer home the themes and the villain.

The universe is full of characters that are both weird (sometimes very weird) and unique when compared to the rest of the MCU. That's mostly a good thing. Despite the movie being dark at times, there is also a lot of humour which fits especially well with the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise when compared to other Marvel franchises. The action and of course the music was up to level we now expect from Guardians of the Galaxy movies. This is one of the better Post Endgame movies and a fitting end to the trilogy.

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 is chaotic, weird and oftentimes ridiculous, but it is also full of heart, emotion and great themes.

I must say that it's the best Marvel movie since Endgame. That's not necessarily too hard though. It just needed to surpass No Way Home; which had some amazing high moments, but it was lazy in others. Marvel was in desperate need of a hit, and they've finally got it.

Highlights:

Every member of the crew got their time to shine. Rocket was definitely the one who stood out though. When he sees his friend die, then wail in pain from grief? That made me ball. And when the High Evolutionary mocks him? Man. Heavy stuff. He proceeds to rip off his face, but the other two of his friends are shot as well. Thus, Rocket's traumatic pastime is revealed.

Chukwudi Iwuji was fantastic as the villain. At certain points he was downright terrifying. I really liked this line: "There is no God, that's why I took his place." He was a convincing villain.

The moment when Star-lord screams in agony for Rocket to live, is the moment that resonated with me the most. He has lost many people close to him and he can't stand to lose anyone else.

Gamora 2 gets a lot of character development and I'm glad she didn't kiss Quill at the end. That would have felt a little cheap.

Drax, Mantis, Nebula, Adam Warlock and others also got their own moments as well. I'm surprised nobody died to be honest.

One of the only problems I had with the movie was the humor. A lot of the time it was good or passable, but other times it undercut really emotional scenes.

I could say a lot more, but this review is already very long.

9/10 for me.

Up to this point, there has been one trilogy in the MCU that has been excellent from start to finish. It's time to add another one to that list. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is a more than fitting conclusion to the narrative of these characters. James Gunn (writer/director) took his time creating connections and depth to each of the individual story-arcs.

While recent films in the MCU have felt like "filler episodes" whose purpose is solely to set up a future entry in the franchise, this film stands on its own. The story is isolated, which gives the illusion of finality. In more ways than one, "Guardians 3" is a unique entry in an otherwise convoluted extended film universe.

The filmmakers were not afraid to take their time telling this story, which caused the film to drag at times. Though it felt lengthy at 2 hours and 30 minutes, I do not know what they could have cut out. In typical superhero movie fashion, the climactic battle had plenty of explosions to go around.

Between the villains and the bickering within the Guardians, there was an excessive amount of yelling in this movie. A headache was imminent, as much of the third act was screaming match after screaming match. While these scenes were emotionally heavy, the yelling distracted a bit from the strong acting.

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is one of the better entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since "Avengers: Endgame". Though more chaotic than the other two films in the trilogy, it is a beautiful conclusion to the Guardians' story. Boasting stellar set pieces, an excellent soundtrack and perfect chemistry between cast members, this is a film that I am eager to re-watch.

Best Character: Drax Best Quote: "She is to us." Best Scene: Infiltrating Orgocorp Best Piece of Score: "I Love You Guys"