Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 IMAX 3D Review

MOVIE REVIEW

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the third installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy series. We pick the gang where we left off the after the events of Endgame and the Thor film that shall not be named. They're all together on the planet Knowhere when an unforeseen threat comes and damages the Rocket the raccoon in a way that not even the Guardians' resources can fix. As they set off to find a cure for Rocket's condition, they end up crossing paths with a mad, powerful villain that awaits them. And along the way, we the audience get to realize where Rocket came from and what his relationship is with that villain.

At this point, it's no secret that the MCU has been on a decline for some time now. Ever since the dawn of the Disney+ TV shows, over-saturation began and plenty of people began tapping out, including myself, because we just couldn't keep up with everything. And among the sea of Marvel content, the overall quality of the movies and TV shows started to get progressively worse. While I personally don't think Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was a complete disaster of a film, I could certainly understand where many of the negative reviews were coming from. And judging by the box office results of that film, it's abundantly clear that the MCU is running low on steam. So I guess I could say that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the second best film from the MCU since Endgame (second only to Spider-Man: No Way Home). But it's clear I wouldn't be saying much. However, I do think I could say from the slog we've been getting from Marvel lately, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is certainly one of the good highlights and a breathe of fresh air the franchise was, some would say, desperately in need of.

Now personally, I don't think this film is by any means a masterpiece. The first Guardians film not only set the tone for the MCU back in its day, but was also about as well-rounded and expertly executed as a Marvel film could get. Already, that sets a pretty high bar for the franchise. The sequel, Guardians 2, as a film did slightly drop in quality, but it made up for it in heart. I think the trend from that film carries itself well over into Guardians 3. As a story, it's still functional and still does deliver quite a few good laughs. But it isn't quite as structurally sound as the first two movies. What makes this entry stick, however, isn't so much the actual plot, but the character study, passion, and emotional aspect of it.

As for the storyline, it does require you to suspend your disbelief a couple of times and there are some parts do seem to drag on for longer than they're supposed to. But they don't take up much of the film's running time and in no way are made dreadful. If anything, it draws attention to how James Gunn's script and direction can make virtually anything entertaining regardless of how messy the plot can get at times. The characters still bounce off of one another in ways that make for some good comedy. While there's a bit less of it here than the first two films, it's still highly effective and delivered in an appropriate manner (unlike in the Thor film that shall not be named). The action sequences are engaging as always and the story is well-paced. Never does it feel like the movie is in over its head. The stakes aren't quite as high as something like a tyrant seeking to destroy planets and conquering the universe (so kinda takes the "Galaxy" out of Guardians of the Galaxy). But the stakes that are there are still made pretty high in their own ways. And as always, the soundtrack kicks butt.

When reviewing the film, many critics point out that Rocket's backstory is the strongest part of the movie. That doesn't discredit the rest of the movie by any means. But yes, they're very much right. That makes it a bit of a shame to talk about as I can't go in detail about it for the sake of spoilers. All I can say is, yes, Rocket's story is one of the stronger emotional points in the entirety of the MCU. And as a guy who virtually never tears up when it comes to movies, I can say with certainty there are a couple of parts here that'll definitely get to you. And the way it ties in with the plot of the movie at hand is very admirable. Now, I will say that not everyone else's story here is given quite the level of treatment you might expect from them. But in the end, most everything still ties together pretty nicely. And as I said before, never does the movie go in over its head.

I can't really go on long regarding this film without giving away crucial details about it. All I can really give you is whether or not the overall product satisfies or disappoints. Now, I'm probably not really one to talk for I'm in the minority that thinks Ant-Man 3 was still solid enough as it was. But I still think my opinion holds value when I say that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is one of the few and far between great films from the MCU as of late. Does it have it's problems? Sure. But it's created with a sincere passion that only James Gunn can bring to the table. It allows the characters to still be a blast to hang around, it makes a story that leaves very little in the way of stupidity, it gives Rocket an emotional story that will affect even the most hardened of moviegoers, and it works as a sendoff and ending to this well-rounded, entertaining, and surprisingly touching and poignant trilogy. It reminds me a bit of No Time To Die in the Daniel Craig James Bond series. It wasn't quite as structurally sound as the first film in the series, Casino Royale. But then again, not every film deserves to be held up to that level of quality. And as a film that seeks to be an end to an era in Bond history, it does its job and does it splendidly. Will Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 make the box-office returns it deserves and get the MCU train's engine back up and running again? Only time will tell. I personally sure hope it does.

OVERALL FILM RATING: 4/5

3D REVIEW

3D has always worked well with the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. And Guardians 3 is certainly no exception. While this entry probably won't wow viewers as much as the previous two did because of the tough 3D competition present nowadays, director James Gunn's involvement in the 3D conversion process helped make it still stand out as one of the better 3D conversions to hit theaters in recent years. Like the title above says, I saw this film in IMAX 3D and the gigantic screen definitely enhanced the quality of the 3D. But even in a regular RealD theater, there's still more than enough thrills to make this three-dimensional trip worth the extra ticket price.

As with the case of the previous two Guardians films, the 3D works very well for two main reasons: excessive depth, and surreal settings that allow that excessive depth to shine. Being how this third entry is more focused on delivering emotion than the first two, it delivers probably the least impressive presentation in the trilogy. But even with that in mind, the 3D on display here still makes for an engrossing and fun experience that the 2D version is simply unable to give. Even in the most mundane of scenes, crowds of creatures, cages, bars, and the space inside rooms all are given ample amounts of space within the screen to work with. And the camera motions help make them very immersive, and emotionally engaging. This is made apparent from the beginning of the film when we get a miniature scene from inside a cage with a herd of raccoons and a hand comes out to grab one of them, the one who will later become Rocket of course.

But of course, the very alien environment that Guardians of the Galaxy movies is always keen on bringing us makes many-a shots that are hardly mundane, especially when viewed in 3D. We get wide shots from inside the city of Knowhere where buildings stretch far into the background, scenes surrounding an almost fleshy planet-like headquarters, a neighborhood containing ample depth and clear separation between characters, and of course, views of space that appear to go on for infinity. An example of the latter type of shot can be found early on in the film when an important story character is flying through space and zoning in on the camera. Anytime we get a long shot of something far away or enormous, whether in space or on the ground, the added depth gives those elements the grand size and proper distance they deserve. And as you could predict, the IMAX screen only adds onto that. And even scenes indoors have plenty of great composition that never makes the 3D a bore.

While Guardians 3 naturally works in 3D because of its settings, that doesn't mean the creators of the film slack off on taking advantage of the third dimension. There are plenty of highlight moments in the film that prove this. One in particular that comes to mind involves a large cylinder-like room similar to that of the database room from Rogue One present inside a white headquarters. Though in actuality, any scene in the headquarters takes advantage of the 3D well, whether it's being used to capture the surreal shapes of the structures inside of it, the surreal shape of the building itself, or an action sequence involving floating men and gunfire. A few shots are present in the film which involve some floating yellow goo on the fleshy planet. There are even a couple of moments in the film where the camera spins in a circle, going upside down and back to it's normal position which makes for a dizzy but fun experience. And while it's not exactly unique to this film, spaceships flying around space still make very mesmerizing views. It's made especially more mesmerizing when we're inside the spaceship, or any building for that matter, and looking outside a window onto something far off. Probably the best usage of 3D I've seen in the movie, though, involves an action sequence in the third act in which our main heroes are seen taking down an entire group of enemies in a small hallway. It's all captured in one long continuous take and the smooth camera motions from one character to the next as we see them move back and forth across, beyond, and out of the screen while fighting bad guys makes for not only one of the most immersive, but purely fun 3D sequences in whole film. And trust me when I say that's saying a lot.

As for pop outs, Guardians 3 offers plenty in the way of them, though their not quite as frequent as they are in the second movie. But even so, very early on, we get a real flinch worthy moment of a flying character rushing out of the screen and into one of the main characters (it's not that space view I mentioned above, but it is somewhat related to it). Beyond that, like I said, the action in the film gives it much to work with. We get everything from weapons to yellow goo to floating men to gunfire to lasers to floating objects such as telecommunication balls, and many more. One pop out that stuck out to me very well involved a ginormous gun barrel extending itself on the side of a planet-sized structure. We also get Mantis pointing out towards the audience in one scene, some characters and their surrounding environment, and even a couple of explosions.

The only thing I might have to complain about regarding this 3D presentation is the presence of ghosting around some lights and prison bars, mainly in the late second and third acts. It's not as excessive as The Polar Express, but it might bother a few 3D moviegoers. Besides that, though, this is still one clean 3D conversion.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is another 3D winner from Marvel. While we do live in an age where most 3D conversions are top-notch and there's very little for a modern conversion to call itself miles better than something else out there, this film still makes for an excellent 3D experience that will please hardcore 3D fans and casual moviegoers alike. Maybe part of the reason I give it such high a rating is because of the IMAX screen I saw it on which has a habit of making virtually anything much more engaging and immersive. But I have a feeling even those who can only catch it at a normal theater will still have much to praise this 3D conversion for. Just like the other Guardians movies, this one offers endless depth, grand settings, good pop outs, and moments of just sheer 3D fun. Still, if you can catch it in IMAX 3D, go ahead and do so. Not only is size and scope is really built to work with the 6-story IMAX screen, but unlike most Marvel movies, this one has its IMAX aspect open for the entirety of its runtime. Quite honestly, if you had to choose between an IMAX 2D or RealD 3D showing, I'd recommend the IMAX 2D showing (that seems a bit weird considering how clear of a 3D advocate I am). But even with that in mind, this is still not a conversion to pass up. If you have the opportunity to do so, be sure to get a 3D ticket to this film and see it the way it was intended, IMAX or not.

3D RATING: EXCELLENT

OTHER SOURCES THAT REVIEW THIS MOVIE'S 3D:

Cinemablend's To 3D or Not Review: https://www.cinemablend.com/3d/to-3d-or-not-to-3d-buy-the-right-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-3-ticket

FINAL THOUGHTS

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 may not be quite the best film in the trilogy. But it still gets many-a things right. And when the film succeeds, it really does succeed, and it cements itself as another milestone not just of the Guardians movies, but of the MCU as a whole. It's made with a very clear passion and care for its characters and story and it proves just how far a film can get if Disney would just keep their gloved hands off of it and let the experienced directors like James Gunn go off and do their own thing. Now, that doesn't mean that all directors know what their doing, as evidenced by the Thor film that shall not be named. But it does go to show how solid Marvel movies get still get made. I hope this is the film that gets the MCU back on track. But even if it doesn't, it still stands alone as fun, well-executed, and emotionally charged movie that will please those who see it. And considering how James Gunn was brought on to oversee the entire DCEU going forward, Guardians 3 gives me hope maybe that franchise can turn into something as great as the sum of its parts. Now should you see this film in 3D? Well, if you've read the entirety of the review, you probably already know the answer to that question. The 3D here may not be quite as fun as the second movie or as surprisingly deep as the first. But like the film itself, it manages to combine the elements of both movies to still make for an experience that will most surely delight all who see it. It's everything you want from 3D flick. It's deep, it's mesmerizing, it's fun, it's got plenty of pop outs, and it improves the film rather than taking away from it. Like I said before, the Guardians movies have always worked well with 3D, and this film continues that trend. If you're out to purchase a ticket to Guardians 3, a 3D showing is certainly a must. And of course, if you're lucky and can find yourself an IMAX 3D showing nearby, going for that one will make it all the better.

DID YOU LIKE "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3" IN 3D?

• 0%Yes
• 0%No