Guardians of the Galaxy. Vol 3 (12A)
****
Saving the day; it's what these Guardians do. But as they and writer/ director James Gunn end their three-film story arc, they find themselves facing their greatest challenge - trying to make comic book movies exciting again.
Ever since Avengers Endgame, the Marvel Cinematic Sprawl has struggled to engage audiences. Endgame was such a perfect resolution to a decade and a half of filmmaking there was really nothing more to be said.
Subsequent instalments have felt like party stragglers trying to cadge last drinks after the interesting guests have gone. Or, if you prefer, Fantastic Beasts pathetically aware they are a poor substitute for Harry Potter. With Thanos gone, Marvel’s efforts to interest us in their giant Multiverse scheme have mostly just convinced audiences that, in a universe of infinite versions of Earth, they are stuck on the one that doesn't have any good Marvel movies anymore.
Guardians 3 isn’t quite a sweeping, getting everybody back on board triumph, but it is a very decent send-off for some beloved characters and will remind you why you once rather loved these films. It's very funny but unlike most other Marvel efforts, the humour flows naturally from the characters and the situations, it doesn’t feel forced.
The plot revolves around the gang trying to save the life of mortally wounded Rocket, the gun-toting racoon voiced by Bradley Cooper, while exploring his poignant backstory - created in a lab by a mad scientist. The latter, High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) provides the film with a properly demented villain, and the streak of darkness that counterbalances the bright coloured levity.
It’s also surprisingly heartfelt, even sentimental, particularly given that four years ago Disney fired Gunn from the film when some earlier tweets emerged revealing him to have a dark, provocative sense of humour. Jerry Sadowitz wouldn't have put his name to his jests about paedophilia, incest and rape; mainly because they were painfully unfunny. But the theme of an oddball band of outcasts sticking up for each other has that bit more resonance given that it was the support of the cast, particularly Bautista, that helped get him reinstated.
Even so, it doesn't have the joyous freshness of the original. Probably this is to be expected; after 33 films and 22 TV series in 15 years what ground is left to go over? The Guardians save the day, but the fate of the Marvelverse still looks shaky; especially as Gunn is now going off to be the boss of their perennial failing rivals DC.
Directed by James Gunn. Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Chukwudi Iwuji and Will Poulter. In cinemas. 150 mins.
http://half-man-half-critic.weebly.com/ for a review of the Criterion Collection blu-ray release of Jim Jarmusch’s Mystery Train.
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