Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) Caution Spoiler Alert

 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Came out; 2023

Time; 2 hours 30 minutes

Watched: Theater

Rating; PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, strong language, suggestive/drug references and thematic elements

IMDB Rating; 8.4/10

Caution; Spoiler Alert

Staring;

Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star Lord

Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary

Bradley Cooper as Rocket (voice)

Pom Klementieff as Mantis

Dave Bautista as Drax

Karen Gillan as Nebula

Zoe Saldana as Gamora

Vin Diesel as Groot (Voice)

Maria Bakalova as Cosmo (voice)

Sean Gunn as Kraglin

Will Porter as Adam Warlock

Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha

Linda Cardellini as Lylla (Voice)

Asim Chaudhry as Teefs (Voice)

Mikaela Hoover as Floor (Voice)

Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord

Story Line.

Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own - a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians if not successful.

Thoughts;

This was Rocket's origin story and it was good!

It had some pretty sad moments but well worth it. The running time is also long, but it only feels like it while waiting for the last post-credit scene.

These movies are fun, quickie and action packed. The cast seems to work well together. It's well written and a very good movie.

CAUTION; Major Spoiler Alert

As a baby raccoon, Rocket is a test subject for the High Evolutionary in order to create a Counter-Earth populated by anthropomorphic animals. He becomes friends with Lylla, Teefs, and Floor, three of the High Evolutionary's other test subjects. Rocket displays intelligence and aptitude beyond the other animals and deduces the flaw in the anthropomorphization process, angering the High Evolutionary. They later learn that they will not be part of the new Earth after the High Evolutionary perfects the formula to anthropomorphize. When the High Evolutionary suspects an escape attempt, he kills Lylla, Teefs and Floor, enraging Rocket, who mauls him and escapes.

Years later, the Guardians of the Galaxy have established their headquarters on a rebuilt Knowhere. The night after settling in, they are attacked by Adam Warlock, a super-powered being created out of revenge by his "mother" the empress of the Sovereign, Ayesha, for previously stealing from her people. They are ordered to bring Rocket to the High Evolutionary, who has become obsessed with retrieving his subject for the purpose of isolating and replicating Rocket's intellect. During the fight, Rocket is seriously injured, leaving the Guardians unable to tend to his wounds due to a killswitch embedded in him. The team resolve to travel to the Orgoscope, headquarters of the High Evolutionary's company Orgocorp, in the hopes of finding an override code.

With the assistance of the Ravagers and a reluctant 2014-Gamora, the Guardians infiltrate Orgosphere and retrieve Rocket's file. However, they are attacked by Orgosphere's guards, barely escaping after Peter Quill remotely activates the guards' suit jet-packs. They deduce that Theel, one of the High Evolutionary's scientists, may have the override code stored in his memory, and decide to track him down. The team visits Counter-Earth against Gamora's advice, followed by Ayesha and Adam. With help from a family of bat-like humanoids, Quill, Nebula and Groot trace Theel to the High Evolutionary's ship, while Drax and Mantis remain with Gamora and Rocket. Quill and Groot board the High Evolutionary's ship, leaving Nebula behind. Mantis unwillingly accompanies Drax to the High Evolutionary's ship, which begins to launch with Quill and Groot captured on-board, a process that also destroys Counter-Earth.

Gamora stays with Rocket, but is attacked by a pig warrior sent by the High Evolutionary, who, herself, is killed when Warlock arrives looking for Rocket. Gamora overpowers Adam and launches the Guardians' ship. Quill and Groot successfully defeat the High Evolutionary's forces and kill Theel, jumping off with him and retrieving his memory before Gamora meets them. Meanwhile, believing Quill and Groot are still on-board, Nebula, Mantis, and Drax board the High Evolutionary's ship to rescue them, and a weakened Adam senses that his mother is in danger but is too late to save her. On the Guardians' ship, Rocket flat-lines and has a near death experience, where he is met by Lylla, Teefs and Floor, who tell him that his time has not yet come before Quill successfully implements the override code and revives him.

Mantis, Nebula, and Drax come across hordes of imprisoned children on the High Evolutionary's ship before being captured themselves, and placed in a chamber with Abilisks. Mantis is able to persuade the Abilisks to side with them, and the three escape the chamber before reuniting with the Guardians and overpowering the High Evolutionary's army. Kraglin and Cosmo arrive in Knowhere, which Cosmo connects to the High Evolutionary's ship with the help of Nebula and Kraglin, through her powers of telekinesis allowing them to free the captured children.

Rocket discovers a litter of baby raccoons and other test subject animals, but is attacked by a deranged High Evolutionary while attempting to free them before being rescued by the Guardians. The High Evolutionary is left to perish on his ship while the animals are rescued and board Knowhere along with most of the Guardians. After Cosmo is unable to hold the ships together for long enough for him to board, Quill barely escapes, beginning to freeze in space before being rescued by Adam.

The Guardians decide to disband. Quill bestows the rank of Captain of the Guardians upon Rocket before leaving for Earth. Mantis embarks on a journey of self-discovery with the Abilisks. Gamora reunites with the Ravagers, Nebula and Drax remain on Knowhere to raise the rescued children.

In a mid-credits scene: Captain Rocket is seen leading the new Guardians of the Galaxy, composed of a fully-grown Groot, Adam, Cosmo, Phyla-Vell, Kraglin and Blurp as they prepare a new mission.

In a post-credits scene: Quill reconnects with his grandfather.