'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' Reviews: Critics Applaud 'Emotional Goodbye' — 'Marvel Magic Is Back!'
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Critics say the sequel is a "thrilling but also moving superhero movie" and the "perfect way to say goodbye"
The latest entry in James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy is a fitting conclusion, critics say.
In the first reviews for Vol. 3, critics hail the sequel as a highly emotional finale for the star-studded cast, which is led by Chris Pratt's Peter Quill and Zoë Saldaña's Gamora. As of Friday, the film holds an 80 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes with over 75 reviews.
Beyond the Trailer's Grace Randolph called it the best Marvel movie since Avengers: Endgame as she excitedly stated that "Marvel magic is back!"
"James Gunn continues to evolve as a filmmaker, growing more confident and ambitious," Randolph said. "The cast also does stellar work to deliver a thrilling but also moving superhero movie."
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The Spool's Clint Worthington called the movie a "strange, downbeat, oddly endearing final chapter" that was a "welcome respite" from the rest of the post–Avengers: Endgame releases.
"Volume 3 feels like an emotional goodbye to this weird, charming corner of the Marvel universe, and to the era of Marvel that charmed even critics in its heyday," Worthington wrote.
Though he said he's "doubtful" that the Marvel franchise will be able to recapture the "giddy energy or visual competence" that was a highlight of the Avengers era movies, Vol. 3 was a fitting finale.
"We can at least coast through one last Marvel film that, for all its faults, feels made with intention and skill and singular purpose. It's not perfect, but we may not see its like again."
Collider's Ross Bonaime similarly called the third film a "wonderful sendoff" to the gaggle of unlikely superheroes that includes a talking raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and a tree (voiced by Vin Diesel).
Still, she took it one step further and called it "the best MCU film in years, and a reminder of how much fun and moving the Marvel Cinematic Universe can actually be after film-after-film of recent disappointments."
For some, the guardians' signature nonsense and trouble-making didn't fit the bill, as Vanity Fair's Richard Lawson called it "bloated and aimless," and Johnny Oleksinki of the New York Post said the "constant punchlines and I'm-just-busting-your-chops dynamic have grown exhausting."
But others found that, despite the sometimes over-the-top nature of the misfit crew, Vol. 3 remained enjoyable.
"Absolutely exhausting," Aaron White said in an episode of the Feelin' Film podcast. "A sensory overload of CGI spectacle with oh so very much yelling. But also thoroughly hilarious & heartfelt. Gunn's signature weird creativity is on full display & it somehow leads to a tremendously emotionally effective send-off."
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The London Evening Standard's Charlotte O'Sullivan "loved it," though. "It made me cry," she wrote, adding that Gunn "found the perfect way to say goodbye."
"The MCU isn't about closure," O'Sullivan continued, noting that producer Kevin Feige "doesn't like full stops," but regardless, Vol. 3 felt like a fitting ending.
"Like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, this is a meditation on loss that works as a standalone story. We'll see some of these characters again, but this feels like their finest hour."
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is in theaters May 5.
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