For the past couple of years, the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) has been in a rough patch. Fans are calling for a return to the “Golden Age” of Marvel after being given mediocre and mind-numbing content following “Avengers Endgame.” It’s safe to say “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3” has done that by securing a certified “fresh” Rotten Tomatoes rating, and fans are thrilled with the newest addition to the franchise.   

Since “Avengers Endgame,” Marvel has flooded the market with endless shows and films. A recent complaint of fans is that newer films have a “factory” feel, as if they were just reproductions and not given enough thought. It feels as if the MCU is prioritizing quantity over quality. This leaves the films non-engaging, predictable, and honestly boring, with sometimes poor story writing and glaringly awful CGI (Computer Generated Imagery).

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3” features the classic lineup that we’ve all come to love, including Rocket the Racoon, Gamora, Drax, Groot, and Star-Lord Peter Quill. The film encompassed new characters as well, such as antagonists The High Evolutionary and Adam Warlock. 

The storyline focuses mainly on conflicts surrounding the Guardians, starting out with Star-Lord mourning the loss of his love Gamora. During the film, he struggles to cope with the fact that a Gamora from a different timeline has no recollection or memory of him, due to the events of prior film “Avengers: Infinity War.” All the while, Rocket is dying and the Guardians must band together to save their dear friend. This entry into the Guardians story is noticeably darker than the previous two films, with scenes in the film carrying a lot more intensity to them. It is not necessarily a bad thing, but served as a large contrast to the hilarious and fun-filled plots of the past two movies. 

Another aspect in which this film shines is its ability to tap into its audience’s emotions.  It ends up being deeper than any of the other previous Guardians films, bringing a more mature tone to the series and showing the overall progression of the characters. “Vol. 3” also has excellent pacing, keeping audiences invested from the start to the finish. Watching this film brought me back to the “Golden Age” of the MCU. I haven’t connected emotionally to a MCU film since seeing “Avengers Infinity War” and “Endgame,” and was pleased to see that the latest installment delivered.

However, not everything can be perfect, and sometimes the film struggles in some aspects, such as the editing on some scenes and cuts from one scene to the next. Though a marginal issue, it eventually catches up to the film. This issue leaves you lost sometimes, and somewhat confused about what’s happening while you’re watching. 

So is it worth seeing? I’ll be the first one to say I was expecting to be disappointed when going to see this film, but it provided a solid and emotionally connecting story that gave me purpose while watching the movie and kept me in my seat for the entire film. The film succeeds as being a good superhero movie as well as just a good movie in general. What makes this film work so well is the characters that we’ve come to love. Their colorfulness and humor makes this film a fun rollercoaster to watch. I would recommend seeing this film as it gives a proper finale to the Guardians we’ve all come to love over the years.