One of the most highly anticipated upcoming MCU movies is finally upon us, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 set to bring an end to the trilogy focused around Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill and his found family of misfits. However, when the blockbuster hits theaters on May 5, it won’t be Star-Lord and Gamora’s relationship at the center of the action, but rather the franchise’s “secret protagonist” Rocket Raccoon. Bradley Cooper has said fans might see his character in a different light after James Gunn chose to focus on Rocket in the threequel, and critics definitely have thoughts about the beloved curmudgeon’s origin story.
The blockbuster elicited emotional reactions from those who attended early screenings, and their comments echoed the response from those who attended its Paris premiere, with many calling this one the best of the trilogy. Let’s take a SPOILER-FREE look at what the critics have to say about how Rocket’s origin story frames the beloved misfits’ finale, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Sarah El-Mahmoud rates it 4 out of 5 stars, calling it a satisfying end to one of the most solid movie trilogies. While focused around Rocket’s traumatic story, it’s still full of laugh-out-loud moments. She continues:
As it is made clear from the opening scene and on, Star-Lord is no longer the main character of the title. This is Rocket’s time to lead the pack. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 finally tells the origin story of Bradley Cooper’s genius space raccoon. James Gunn has fittingly saved the best story he’s ever told in the series (and perhaps in his career) with Rocket’s backstory. It remains a through line across the entire film and very much centers the message of the movie while bringing home Guardians of the Galaxy as a three-part story.
Colin Leggett of GameRant rates it a “Very Good” 3.5 stars out of 5, saying that at times the story feels too big for its own good, but the parts that examine Rocket’s past are the most affecting. Writer/director James Gunn gives his characters the ending they deserve, the critic says:
James Gunn promised, however, that this movie was about Rocket, and on that front, he delivers. The looks into Rocket's origin are deeply emotional and heartbreaking. Rocket's animal friends, who straddle the line between ugly and cute, are lovingly rendered and serve as a surrogate family for the future guardian. Thematically speaking, Rocket's story fits with Gunn's typical mold of found family. The awful relationship between Rocket and the High Evolutionary recalls the ugliness of the father-son dynamic seen in the Peacemaker series. Cooper's voice performance here is a high note, as he hits all the right emotional beats even when playing a much younger version of the character.
Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gives the film 3 stars out of 4, saying that by reuniting Peter Quill and Gamora to save Rocket, we get to see a different kind of chemistry between Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldaña’s characters, and the actors don’t disappoint. According to the critic:
Pratt has been phoning in some of his lead film roles lately, but he’s always clicked best on-screen as Peter Quill, equal parts hero and chump. Giving him a broken heart allows Pratt to push away some of the cocky smarm that has derailed him in other projects and allows us to like Quill again. Saldaña is having fun returning to the basics of a warrior like Gamora, convincing us she could carry a movie like this alone. But, most of all, this is Rocket’s film, a story of how he overcomes trauma to be the hero he was always meant to be.
Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times also rates it 3 out of 4 stars, noting that the conclusion to the Guardians trilogy is filled with “needle drops, callbacks, snappy banter, wildly inventive sets, costumes and makeup,” in addition to lots of action and violence. He continues:
Though a bit bloated and overstuffed with explosion-laden, standard-issue action sequences we’ve seen in dozens of superhero movies, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is also an exhilarating, consistently funny, big-hearted adventure that packs a surprising emotional wallop. I’m not saying I wiped away a tear or two while learning about Rocket’s origin story, but — ah hell, I AM saying I wiped away a tear or two while learning about Rocket’s origin story. That little dude has been through a LOT; no wonder he’s such a hardass.
Joshua Yehl of IGN rates it a “Great” 8 out of 10, noting that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 isn’t without its faults — an overstuffed plot and stale humor, for example — but James Gunn and Bradley Cooper bring an unexpected darkness to the trilogy’s finale that shows off the cast’s incredible chemistry. The critic continues:
It's in a series of harrowing flashbacks that we come to a whole new understanding of Rocket, and the ever-excellent Bradley Cooper peels back the layers of this gruff raccoon with a tender performance. The method used to show us the flashbacks isn’t the most original, especially if you watched The Book of Boba Fett last year, plus it takes Rocket out of the action for far too long. Still, it cannot be overstated how a cybernetically enhanced raccoon is the emotional lynchpin of this movie–and it works!
A few critics have noted the imperfections of the Guardians finale, but while most still enjoy the movie overall, Kristy Puchko of Mashable has a different take. This critic says there are flickers of the fun times we’ve seen from this group in the past, but the majority of this film is “maudlin bullshit.” With a “shockingly gruesome” Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, James Gunn has killed the chaotic charm that previously made these characters such a blast. The review continues:
Of course, post-Snap we've seen a lot of the Avengers and their acolytes struggle with grief. But for how many movies (and TV shows) does Marvel expect us to endure this? At some point, it's just drudgery. And that point is here, where not only is Peter a glum chump, but Rocket, the wicked-tongued comic relief, is [spoiler omitted]. When he's not, he’s experiencing flashbacks of a traumatic childhood that is aggressively violent and so joltingly tragic that parents might think twice before taking their kiddos to this one.
So where will this movie fall in the ranking of best Marvel movies? You don’t have to wait too long to be able to answer that question, as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to hit theaters on Friday, May 5. You can also check out our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to see what other films are coming to theaters soon.
