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GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the perfect end to this Marvel trilogy. It's an emotional journey, and, for me, a bit of a tearjerker - bring some tissues. I connected strongly with the characters and throughout the movie deeply cared about them. I also love this movie because of the strong messages, astonishing CGI and the "marvelous" acting.

This movie switches between Rocket's (Bradley Cooper) backstory and the mission to save Rocket embarked on by Star Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Groot (Vin Diesel), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Drax (Dace Bautista), and Mantis' (Pom Klementieff). The new Gamora (Zoe Salda�a) also joins them, but she isn't the same Gamora we knew. Can the Guardians save Rocket and the galaxy in time? Watch to find out! As always, make sure to stay until the end of the credits!

Guardians of the Galaxy is one of my favorite franchises within the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), and director James Gunn and the actors are the biggest reasons why. Gunn has made these movies unique and distinct from the other Marvel movies. Although it's still funny, this movie resonates emotionally with the audience more than the first two Guardians. You can feel the pain and traumatic experiences of the characters. Star Lord as Chris Pratt is perfect. I've never seen a role as good as this one for Pratt, and for me he will always be Peter Quill. Even though Rocket is completely CGI, Bradley Cooper's voice performance makes me believe he is real. My favorite character is Drax (David Bautista) because he is very sweet and funny, and whenever he's on screen, I enjoy it immensely.

The message of this movie is that friendship and teamwork are the most powerful forces in the galaxy. This movie contains some profanity, violence, and some gross scenes.

I give Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 4 out of 5 stars, and I recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. Marvel and Guardians of the Galaxy fans will definitely enjoy this movie. It comes out in theaters on May 5, 2023.

By Katherine S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a hilarious movie with a thrilling plot, funny one-liners, and incredible special effects. It's a great movie that left me waiting for the next scene.

The story starts showing the Guardians living in harmony; however Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Peter (Chris Pratt) have been kind of down lately. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) is not remembering her past life after the events of the Infinity War, and Rocket remembering things about his old life before the Guardians and how horrible it was. When a failed attempt by a new unknown superhero (Will Poulter) to take Rocket back to his creator, the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), Rocket is injured, and this brings him closer to death every second. After reuniting with Gamora, Peter is on a mission, along with Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and, of course, everybody's favorite plant, Groot (Vin Diesel), to save not only Rocket but the whole galaxy.

This film has many amazing assets with its strongest being the CGI. Throughout the movie we are treated to insane special effects, including ships flying throughout the galaxy. The incredibly realistic galaxy makes the movie so much fun to watch. The actors are all well cast. Rocket's backstory is so perfectly executed and we learn why Rocket behaves the way he does during certain situations. The whole explanation brings tears to your eyes. Gamora and Peter's relationship is explored as it jumps back into their love story, slowly hinting at a possible relationship in the future. My favorite characters are Drax and Mantis. The friendship between these too is so sweet and unbelievably hilarious. The two are always teasing each other and the dialogue between them is among the many notable highlights of this film. My favorite part of the movie is when the Guardians try to bring Rocket back to life and he reconnects with some of his old friends in his mind. It's such a sentimental scene and changes the entire feeling of the movie, in a good way.

The film's message is that sometimes friends can feel like family and that is worth fighting for. Throughout the film the Guardians stick together through difficult situations -- all to save Rocket because he is one of their friends and they will do anything to save him. Peter tries to explain this to Gamora in one scene when she doesn't understand why they will put their own lives in danger to save Rocket.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 gets 5 out of 5 stars from me and I recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults. It releases in theatres May 5, 2023.

By Kendall B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 12

Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 is a disappointing final installment of a beloved trilogy, largely due to a confusing plot and weird dialogue. Although the visuals are engaging, the film lacks the comedic element and enthusiasm of the first two.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 picks up after the Guardians appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder and follows their struggle with the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldana). Her loss has affected Peter (Chris Pratt) the most, and he struggles with depression, which negatively affects the group -- and as a result they are lost when it comes to the future. When a man arrives to capture Rocket (Bradley Cooper), the gang has to fight to save his life and go deep into Rocket's past, discovering things they never knew were possible.

The plot is confusing with too many details and unnecessary characters, which makes the story overly complicated. I often had to replay moments in my head to try to grasp what was going on. Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) and his mom (Elizabeth Debicki), although quite entertaining, are irrelevant to the plot. Gamora also seems unimportant since the relationship status between Peter Quinn (Chris Pratt) and her has already been established in past films. Her absence would have made a more significant impact by showing how much her absence affects Peter and the group. The villain is the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), and although Iwuji is excellent in this role and can be truly terrifying, the character itself is pretty bland. It is hard to take him seriously when all of his actions, although sometimes gruesome, seem lackluster in comparison to previous Marvel villains. The visual effects are stunning, and the scenes in space are breathtaking -- I highly recommend watching it at the movie theater. However, some of the visual effects are a little too realistic, especially with the animals, and can be very uncomfortable to watch. The movie also misses the comedic element that I loved about the series, which is a shame since the actors are all hilarious. The soundtrack is fantastic and helps break up the more serious moments and serves as excellent background music for fight scenes. I love all the interactions between the actors in the main group, as those are the most heartwarming and funny scenes. The best part of the movie is the ending, which is a perfect ending for the series.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 promotes the idea of friendship and fighting for the ones you love. The movie is more violent than most Marvel movies, which is something that parents should be aware of. The visual effects of the animals can be discomforting and a little scary. The film also addresses alcoholism and depression, which may not be appropriate for younger audiences.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 gets 3 out of 5 stars and I recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It comes out in theaters on May 5, 2023.

By Emma D., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is an outstanding film. It's filled with action and adventure, while still tackling important issues.

The storyline follows the Guardians for a third time as they reunite with Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and embark on their journey to save Rocket (Bradley Cooper). The crew goes through multiple rough patches when discovering Rocket's past, and they learn that they must work together to defeat the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi lwuji).

A huge standout in this film is the soundtrack. Every song fits the moment perfectly and really gives a fun nostalgic feeling to the film. The track includes music from the Beastie Boys, Bruce Springsteen and more. Additionally, the cinematography really stands out. I enjoy the camera angles showing the High Evolutionary Corporation. They zoom into certain moments when baby Rocket is in his cage, and use different but intentional angles. Even the transitions from flashback moments to present time are smooth, and flow nicely. Plus, the visual effects are top notch. Every fight scene is attention grabbing, and very engaging. All the sound effects are so realistic. For example, even something as simple as someone chewing food, has top sound quality. Additionally, there's a moment where Nebula (Karen Gilman) pops her muscles back into place, which is a super cool effect that definitely stayed in my mind after watching the film. I really felt that I was in another galaxy. The colors, lights and imagery are very realistic, and bring you right into the world of the Guardians. There is some outstanding acting in this film, especially Chukwudi Iwuji, who completely embodies his character, High Evolutionary. His acting is so strong and completely sucks you in. There is a scene where Iwuji almost tricks the audience into thinking he's a good person then, moments later, snaps back into his villainous side, which stood out to me. He has a way of creating an uncomfortable, but intriguing feeling, where his tricks that he uses in the movie, reflect on the audience. With Rocket one of the main driving factors of the story, Bradley Cooper really taps into his role. He shows a side of Rocket that has not yet been revealed, and creates a sympathetic feeling for the viewers. As an audience, we get to experience a raw, honest version of Rocket that feels human-like as well. There are times that I feel like I could relate to him, which really highlights the acting abilities of Bradley Cooper.

The film's message is to never stop fighting for the ones you love. Be forewarned that this film has harsh violence and profanity.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 gets 5 out of 5 stars from me and I recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It releases in theaters May 4, 2023.

By Mikella G., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16

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In Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 our beloved band of misfits are settling into life on Knowhere. But it isn't long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket's turbulent past. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket's life--a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.