Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3: An endearing roller-coaster

The Marvel films and TV series have been going through quite a turbulent time recently. It has been exhausting and stifling to hear fans express their unhappiness in public. Everyone began to wonder if Marvel, as we all know it, had come to an end. 

If 'Endgame' was the final straw for the Marvel creative team. After seeing both 'Thor: Love and Thunder' and 'Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania,' even I was at my wit's end. Like many others, I developed a cynicism about Marvel films.

The MCU experience since Endgame has been bittersweet, owing more towards bitter than sweet. Every subsequent project, with perhaps the exceptions of 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' and 'Moon Knight,' was met with tremendous audience backlash. 

It is true that all these projects were bringing in a whopping chunk of money. But the ratings were dropping and fans across the globe slowly started losing their faith.

Then, on 5 May came the muse everyone, including myself, was longing for. The galaxy's most unlikely group of misfits burst onto the scene bringing a beautiful story for all to cherish. 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3' is the best-produced film by the studio since 'Avengers: Endgame.' 

When I say that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is the best Marvel movie since Endgame, I'm not just saying that because it's the best house on a bad block. It is meant as a heartfelt and genuine compliment.

In contrast, Spider-Man: No Way Home's nostalgic journey and redemption storyline made it a success. The third instalment of 'Guardians of the Galaxy' is nostalgic but not for the usual reasons. 

It is sentimental since it transported me back to the heyday of Marvel movies. I once more felt the same thrill and feelings while viewing the film as I did when I first watched 'Thor: Ragnarok' or 'Captain America: Civil War.'

After nine years and many films featuring this band of space outcasts, James Gunn's final entry in the Guardians series roars and rips with the emotions and assurance they have delivered. Thankfully, it does all of this by disregarding Marvel's overarching plan. The freedom to go wild with this one last film perhaps gave it the winning touch.

The third instalment of this Guardians movie focuses on rebuilding what was. Half the universe along with core Guardians members was snapped away and was later brought back in 'Infinity War' and 'Endgame.' 

These changed everything for everyone. Their bonds were made stronger, their grief was everlasting. With all that, the Guardians of the Galaxy banded once again to save the universe from a grim fate.

The Guardians, who had a brief cameo in the surprisingly forgettable Thor: Love and Thunder, have started building a base on Knowhere, which was first seen in the first movie and is a gigantic cosmic skull that was mined for organic material before becoming a dubious intergalactic outpost. 

The misfits built a place to live for anyone in need after Thanos was defeated and trillions of creatures were forced to alternate between existences.

The Guardians have come full circle since they started this trilogy as lone individuals who were alone and without a home. This cybernetic assassin, talking tree, clever raccoon, insectoid empath, and incredibly literal destroyer have each found a family in the other. 

Together, they've decided to provide other space weirdos with a place to find solace and relief, just as this impromptu family has provided for itself.

One of the things the new Marvel projects have been missing is a good villain. As the saying goes, "A hero is only as good as its villain." It cannot be said that even No Way Home had a compelling villain since all the featured antagonists were characters from the past. 'Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' probably came close to creating a villain just as good but was later overshadowed by the plot itself. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, however, excels at this aspect. The movie introduces The High Evolutionary as the main antagonist. The story of the character and the portrayal by Chukwudi Iwuji was powerful and masterful, to say the least. 

The antagonist also forges a bond with the guardians that sets off a journey that is both heartwarming and endearing. The High Evolutionary was an almost flawless antagonist because of the role that was assigned to the character and the manner the story was conveyed. Consequently, the Guardians become the heroes we have come to love.

Will Poulter's Adam Warlock not get significant screen time? But his presence was a delight to witness. We can look to the future for him to get the spotlight he deserves as a character. 

The movie marks the final performance for most guardians. Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Dave Bautista as Drax and Pom Klementieff as Mantis all delivered one grand finale of a performance. 

Personally, it will be one of my favourites.