In 2014, the Guardians of the Galaxy made their silver screen debut and instantly became one of the most beloved Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) franchises of all time. Now, almost ten years later, they are back for their final and most epic adventure together (spoilers ahead!)

As most people know, the MCU has kind of been on a losing streak since Endgame with few exceptions and people have started to drop their expectations for new projects. This long-awaited threequel, however, shattered all of those expectations and blew audiences away. With comedic characters, a headbanging soundtrack, and a heartbreaking backstory, Guardians 3 has something for everyone.

One thing that viewers will be glad to hear is that this movie really did feel like old Marvel while incorporating some of the best elements of new Marvel. It gave me the same vibe as the first two did which is more than I can say about the other franchises that began before Endgame and continued afterward. It was a nice breath of fresh air.

One thing I have to rave about is the incredible performances of all the actors. One of the most powerful scenes in my opinion was Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) reaction to nearly losing his best friend, Rocket (Bradley Cooper). The talent it takes to transfer emotion from the screen to the audience is not something to be disregarded. Another incredible yet devastating scene demonstrated how talented Bradley Cooper is. After Rocket lost his first friends, we are shown a sequence in which he lets out the most soul-crushing yell, and I could feel everyone in the audience’s hearts drop. I think what makes this the most impressive is that Cooper was working only with his voice. The way he was able to portray this immense sadness without facial expressions or body language is incredible.

Another thing that I think was really well done in this movie was how the main villain, High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), was written. This character was nothing less than haunting. In the past, most of the MCU villains have had at least a few redeemable characteristics but with High Evolutionary, I’m convinced that there is nothing that the MCU can do in the future that will lessen my hatred towards him. The one problem with this however is that they made him seem like a worse villain than Kang the Conqueror who is supposed to be the big bad of the whole next saga.

I really enjoyed seeing Rocket having a more major role, even if it was very sad. I feel like in the past movies he has been seen as comedic relief and it’s nice to see him being taken seriously. I also enjoyed seeing Nebula (Karen Gillan) really come out of her shell and become a real part of the Guardian’s family. Perhaps one of the most touching moments in the film is when she finds out that Rocket is okay.

One thing that did irritate me a bit was the fact that Gamora (Zoe Saldana) never quite rejoined the group. After the events in Infinity War and Endgame in which Gamora was killed and then was brought back from the past, I was hoping that the connection that she once felt towards the Guardians would reignite, but it didn’t. It was kind of beautiful though seeing the closure that all of the main characters came to regarding Gamora.
There were so many other little things that I could go on and on about but all in all, this was an incredible movie. In my opinion, It definitely is the best MCU movie since Endgame and I think it’s safe to say that I will not be getting over this film anytime soon.