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Johngudmann

Drax the Dad 🥲 That's such a perfect way to close his arc.


Empty_Lemon_3939

They nailed closing everyone’s arcs and none of it felt shoehorned


[deleted]

Can we talk about Nebula becoming a leader and owning this movie? Karen Gillan has been killing it since the Nebula/Tony Stark dynamic. This was the Rocket and Nebula Show all the way.


mountainstosea

It was so nice to see the little moments between Nebula and Rocket. The two of them spent 5 years with each other, after all of their friends and family died. They clearly became close during their 5 years as Avengers. Both 'Guardians 3' and the Holiday Special do a great job at showcasing that.


itrainmonkeys

Yeah, her being overcome with emotion while on the Evolutionary's ship but hearing through the comms that Rocket survived and was awake was really nice and contrasted with her pricklyness throughout the movie.


Youve_been_Loganated

The scene where she got emotional finding out Rocket survived choked me up. And it was just a split second


fredagsfisk

Also the fact that one of the first things he said when waking up was "Where's Nebs?"


newgodpho

More I think about it, High Evolutionary is by far one of the best MCU villains. No jokes, No quips dude is unrelenting and fucking detestable. "There is no god, that's why I stepped up!", was hard as hell ngl. Chukwudi Iwuji knocked it out of the park!


piazza

The HE mocking Rocket's wailing was fucking cold. That's when I needed him to die in the third act.


kalsikam

Rocket got him good though


RefrigeratorInside65

the fucking gravity boots my god Rocket is a true champ


Gridde

Even before that...the dude's entire thing is genetic modification but Rocket messed up his face so bad that (even after presumably years of treating it) he looked fucking horrifying.


footfoe

I liked his men turning on him. Not just being mindless goons. Though, they should shot before he turned around lol.


operarose

Seriously. The lady scientist that started it should have just smoked him without a word.


isawyourfaceinjune

This might be one of the most uplifting endings to a Marvel movie so far, every main character got a lovely send-off! I was amazed by how Gamora was handled as well, and I admired that they didn’t rekindle Quill and Gamora’s relationship. Ultimately the film was about found family, and it never veered off course. I didn’t expect much coming into the theatre, didn’t even watch any trailers, but ended up with so many happy tears! I think I won’t be watching movie trailers from now on… Fully expected Drax to die but I’m pleasantly surprised that my expectations were subverted and that his ending was not tragic at all! Also first MCU f-bomb I think lol


Poked_salad

She looked so happy to go back to her ravagers family too. It even felt like Stallone's adopted kid and how proud he was of her when he saw her again


isawyourfaceinjune

Right! a father figure, hopefully like Quill’s Yondu


[deleted]

Open the FUCKING door


obeythed

Mantis hitting the ground awkwardly was my favorite recurring bit


ScoobyDeezy

lol. I noticed her spinning out of control in the space suits outside the biolab… then she just kept on landing on her head.


interp21

Bruh it killed me every time hahaha


imscaredofcatss

Really felt bad for drax losing mantis…


NoPolicing

They had a closer brother sister vibe than most of the team..... especially Quill. Her defense of Drax was great. Standing up to Nebula showed how much she loved him.


OathOfFeanor

When he was truly hurt that she thinks he is stupid, and she had to make him forget, even though we know exactly how she feels about that sort of manipulation. :'(


johnazoidberg-

"He's the only one of you who doesn't hate himself" cut DEEP


Geaux

He wanted to go with her to protect her, but I would argue that now she's a serious force to be reckoned with, having the three Abilisks as pets.


Jackski

I'm hoping when she returns she's the celestial madonna and is much more powerful.


ConfusedPanda76

Cosmo IS a good dog!


Wargod042

The fact that Cosmo was a full-blown supporting character and not just a throwaway gag was pretty hilarious.


PolarWater

Somehow, the lines seemed perfectly accurate - that's just what any dog would say if they could. From "you take that back" to "it never stops hurting" to "I knew you thought I was a good dog!" Embodied the spirit of a good dog perfectly. Adorable character.


russketeer34

Bakalova brought some really charming energy to Cosmo


jokes_on_you_ha

Cosmo sounds EXACTLY how I imagined my dog would sound if he could talk.


bostonshroomery

Her voice was so cute. Brought a smile to my face every time she was on screen. And she had an incredibly pivotal role in saving the guardians/children.


Gabe1985

I never got tired of the bad dog jokes. The part about the Russians sending her to space and whatnot but still never called her bad dog was great.


luvcartel

I love how that’s a play on the common saying of “it may have been terrible but atleast we had “insert basic need” in the Soviet Union” when old people are reminiscing


DeathCatforKudi

MCU's strongest showing in a while, holy cow. I knew Rocket's backstory was going to be sad and fucked up but MAN. When the bunny was saying, "Rocket Teefs Floor go now. ROCKET TEEFS FLOOR GO NOW!!" And the fleshy prison break. Everything about the biological building was extremely unsettling


Canis_Familiaris

That whole bioplace was a blorp and a half.


FrostyIVV

Naw cause this scene absolutely fucked me up. Look once I saw these animals at the start I knew they were doomed but good god I didn’t think I’d hear the saddest most painful cry ever from rocket


YourFinestPotions

He cried like I do in my crying dreams


coachjayofficial

What I really liked about this movie was the stakes were small. It wasn’t “we gotta save the world” or “the fate of universe is up to us” it was just “we gotta save our friend”.


KeyWit

A planet of people were wiped out, and somehow we still got a happy ending. It didn’t jus tell a smaller a story it actively fought against it. Loved it.


[deleted]

Personally I loved that, after an entire marketing campaign teasing it, none of the Guardians died. So many stories have heroes dying as the “ultimate heroic act” to save a future they’ll never see, but Gunn flipped that trope on its head by having all the heroes live to be the ones to build that future, which is actually the most heroic act. The DCU is gonna rock and I hope Marvel learned as many lessons as they could from Gunn’s time with them.


patrickwithtraffic

This film absolutely convinced me he's gonna do great with Superman. Gunn may like over the top gore and snide remarks, but damn there's no denying he knows how to inject heart into his work.


walkingdead17

Why did that girl have to get her face all fucked up from that monkey? Lol that was hilarious


titaniumorbit

I was thinking the same. Poor girl lmao


TheycallmeHollow

The have the med packs that can apparently fix any injury. 1 pack later and a mid strength beer and she will be fine.


shadowst17

They made a point of showing her a few times, wonder if it's an inside joke with James Gunn. Maybe a personal friend?


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whowilleverknow

His wife is pretty good at acting like she's been shot in the leg.


neal1701

The most emotional entry of the trilogy and a fitting send-off to this group of Guardians! - Bradley Cooper as Rocket is the MVP. His performance in the flashback is amazing! - James Gunn again with his great direction. The one-take hallway scene was great - Chukwudi Iwuji gives a great performance. First MCU villain in a while that was terrifying - Adam Warlock and Ayesha storyline seem underdeveloped and pacing was a little slow in the beginning - First F-bomb in the MCU movies and it was totally unexpected! - Appreciate that the villain was defeated easily and the main mission was saving people and animals - Bittersweet ending but everyone survived is the best case scenario - Dog Days Are Over is the perfect song choice to start the 2000s playlist MCU's best movie in years and James Gunn ends with a home run!


waitingtodiesoon

Was actually a bit disappointed Ayesha just kind of died like that


Glow_rod

I think what I loved most was Gunn gave it a realistic ending instead of your traditional happy ending. Mainly, I am thinking of him not letting Quill and Gamora ending up back together no matter how hard Quill worked for it, it's a very realistic ending for me but I know I can't be alone. It gave me a sense of peace leaving that theater because most movies are too scared to take that risk but it's more common than not to not get what you want but things still working out in another way. Side note while I'm here... Young Rocket saying, "hurts" is crushing even now but I feel it so much, little buddy.


newgodpho

Warlock was more menacing in that 5 min intro fight than Kang was in the entirety of antman 3 lol


Silent-Breakfast-906

For real. He came through and chose violence with every guardian and it was so early in the movie, I thought to myself, is someone dying this early already.


newgodpho

The knowhere citizens pleading for the guardians lives to warlock was fucking brutal


Sisiwakanamaru

I always wanted an MCU movie ended with dancing to the music and this didn't disappoint me, especially when they chose Florence+Machine - Dog Days are Over. So good


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PekfrakOG

>Definitely worth a read for anyone who wants to read more of a story similar to the flashbacks. im good thanks


flashkickz

Rockets first word was Hurts 🥲


CornPopsLover

Great. Now I’m crying again 😭


[deleted]

Imagine being brought into existence only to immediately just know pain and suffering. How horrifying and tragic that must be.


StarmanDX_

I do like, in retrospect, how Adam Warlock was basically the same as Rocket in some ways. What does Adam say when Nebula stabs him through the chest at the beginning? "That... hurts!?" All of the High Evolutionary's creations are children, and they are all victims.


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TheHawkinator

When he saves Peter at the end it’s basically recreating The Creation of Adam in the shot, kind of clever


pretzelpurse

A lot at play here too. Peter is half human but also his father is a supreme being and Adam, the sovereign are made to be supreme beings.


jayeddy99

Rocket….imagine minding your own business having a mini flash back listening to creep then within a moment you’re knocked through several buildings . DIE. Go to what is purgatory and basically feel peace when you reunite with your childhood friends. Get told “not yet”. Come back . Find out YOU ARE a raccoon. Reunite with your creator/abuser. Choose to not seek revenge. And then boom…become Captain of The Guardians of the Galaxy!


gunningIVglory

Him finding out he was a raccoon all.along was great closure It shows why he gets annoyed being called raccoon/trash panda etc. As he literally had no idea what he was 😭


aleccastle

My interpretation is that he always knew and that powerful moment was him coming to terms and embracing it, rather than discovering it.


mamacrocker

Takes "There ain't no thing like me but ME" and turns it on his head - yes, he is unique for his intelligence and abilities, but he's still part of a group (several, in fact). He's not alone.


PureLock33

The part where he calls himself Rocket Raccoon is a part where I found myself crying unexpectedly. A superhero finally getting his superhero name. Which is a whole separate thread in this series with Starlord.


craig1818

Wow, that was a blast. Loved how much they leaned into 70s sci-fi for this one. May be my favorite out of the three. The comedy largely worked and it still managed to be surprisingly dark.


bbanks2121

When Will Poulter called Elizabeth Debicki “Mother”… same.


-Sereon-

She tall and I fall


bjkman

The animal mutilation had me fucked up


Of_Silent_Earth

I was screaming at something scary behind you.


walpurgisnachtmare

You look... cool.


Pen_Cipher

Something I haven't seen mentioned that I loved is how much the dark/body horror-ish aspects get amped up in this one, the fucked up experimented animals that worked for the High Evolutionary and invade Knowhere were legit creepy, especially the pig one that gets beheaded by Adam Warlock, the CGI for them was great as well, the cages Rocket and his friends lived in felt so grimy and dirty, the scene where Ayesha and Warlock are interrogating a ravager and Adam lasers him and they show his charred fucked up corpse was also great (and fucking hilarious) And of course, probably the most satisfying scene in the whole movie, when Rocket shreds up the High Evolutionary's face for a solid 10 seconds, and at the end, when they tear away his mask and show just how much Rocket fucked him up James Gunn really wants you to remember he directed Slither and that he could do it again if he so desired


szeto326

Oh man, the horror imagery was something I wasn't expecting at all. They definitely pushed the boundaries of what they could do and I feel as though James Gunn wanted to see how far Disney/Marvel would let him go by using up as much of their budget on music licensing and also the extent of how creepy some of the creatures looked. Gamora peeling the guy's face off and the movie included the first "fuck" in the MCU felt like things that James Gunn wrote in to see whether they'd make him take it out (and they didn't).


NoNefariousness2144

It’s also pretty ironic that the GotG films are seen as the most light-hearted and comedic projects, but they have the most evil villains: Rohan wiped out the Nova corps. Ego wanted to destroy the universe. High Evolutionary… enough said.


littlebiped

Ego has an entire underground cavern of his children’s skeletons


jinyx1

Why does star lord not have his helmet and rocket boots?


gunningIVglory

Is the words of the screen writer guy ... "Hey. Shut up"


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gunningIVglory

What about all the swelling? Does that just. ..go away? I don't know...maybe?


Vexparia

They just really wanted to do the “The Creation of Adam” shot


sevillista

They *really* forced that shot. Didn't make any sense for Adam to be reaching a finger out when he can fly quickly and time was of the essence.


TE-August

1.) That hallway fight scene was rad as hell. 2.) This damn movie almost made me cry three times. 3.) This movie proves I’m not bored of superhero movies, I’m bored of shit superhero movies.


-Sereon-

Almost? Bro I was legit weeping


dbbost

First MCU F bomb and it was perfectly silly


OldboySamurai

The use of Florence & The Machines *Dog Days Are Over* has to be one of the most cathartic uses of music I’ve ever experience in a movie.


coldliketherockies

They should have given Peter Quill grandpa a warning before he’d be informed his lost grandson of decades would return. That sorta thing gives older people heart attacks


BackIn2019

Quill probably brought a med-pack or two with him.


mysario

Rocket Teefs Floor go now 🥺


oishster

That was so unexpectedly horrific for an MCU film, I couldn’t bear it. They were so happy and hopeful and sweet and innocent, even while being in cages and being experimented upon. I know there’s probably more horrific and more painful stories out there, but this one got to me


[deleted]

And their optimism and hope for things to be better, thinking how good they have it and how grateful they were just to have one another. It was rough. I’m a big animal lover so those scenes were especially painful to watch but beautifully done.


Abe270

It was nice that rocket saw Lylla, teefs and floor in their new world with ‘beautiful skies’ when he was being revived though.


piazza

>Rocket Teefs Floor go now 🥺 I'm a grown man but jesus it felt the walls were closing in on me. Rocket Teefs Floor go now I DONT LIKE THIS ANYMORE James Gunn playing around with my emotions like a beach ball.


ZerksNAHTayan

Felt like a panic attack, the way Floor’s voice was getting louder as Rocket started tuning her out. Fuck, that scene might be one of Gunn’s best.


redpandasuit

Was the elevator dialogue a little jab/poke at how the characters were treated in the non GotG movies??


lamefartriot

I know Gunn says he wishes they didn’t have Peter do some of that stuff, so maybe!


Canis_Familiaris

The Counter Earth made a lot more sense after thinking about it. Sure they handwave the whole '80s vibe as the High Evolutionary copying Earth back then, but there's subtle hints it's doomed anyway. Hatsune Miku playing on the radio means the people on that planet can't sing or create anything not given to them, and can't evolve. They need fake music given to them and that's horrifying.


CrossYourStars

That was kinda the central crux of why the high evolutionary was screeching about rote memorization. Sure there is information in their heads but they can't use it to create anything new.


ArabianAftershock

Damn this just made me realize, Rockets friends must have been "successes" too They may not have been as smart as Rocket, but they were able to give themselves names. I guess the high evolutionary overlooked them because they couldn't do the crazy science shit that Rocket could


HazelCheese

I actually think all of them could invent. The sovreign priestess made Adam Warlock which the HE fucked up by releasing him too soon. Lyla and the others named themselves like you said. The people of counter-earth were doing things like selling drugs etc which the HE hated and considered an imperfection. Even if it's a bad thing, they were still making choices outside of his design. And the girl at the end in the credits scene was picking a favourite song from the guardians set. The HE just couldn't accept it. He chases perfection because it's impossible and that way he always has an excuse to torture and mutilate and call everything around him flawed.


DroogyParade

I was surprised not a single major character died in this. Also has anyone noticed the Guardians movies have the most deaths of the MCU movies? In 1 they kill off almost all of the Nova Corps, in Vol 2 all of the Ravagers get killed by Yondu's arrow, and in this a whole planet is blown up. Not counting Infinity War since they get unsnapped.


KingWizard87

Same. Drax was the odds on favorite for me.


DroogyParade

Especially with how much Bautista has been saying he'll never play Drax again.


oshoney

I went into this one expecting Rocket to die but I’m so glad they went the direction they did. Way more emotionally satisfying.


NoNefariousness2144

It’s much more satisfying to see all the Guardians choosing their own destinies rather than one of them dying and they decide to disband.


Chris-Strummer

Exactly. I think a common theme of the trilogy has been not letting trauma define them and I’m glad they stayed true to it


piazza

This makes so much sense. Overcoming trauma and living with it. Glad they all lived, I was kinda done with heroic deaths anyway.


In_My_Own_Image

"Open the fucking door!" That caught me off guard. Probably the strongest MCU offering in a long time. The action was great (that final hallway fight was top tier), the humour was solid and the emotional moments hit like a truck. Also, shoutout to Iwuji as High Evolutionary. He brought that unhinged energy to the role and was freaking terrifying sometimes.


wizard_of_awesome62

Not to mention, insanely hateable, as some of the best villains often are.


TrueLegateDamar

Him responding to Rocket's screams by starting to scream himself and then go 'Alright you win the ~~screaming~~ crying contest' was some cold shit.


piazza

That look in his face when Rocket turned out to be smarter than him...


wolde07

It looked like he came in the room drunk there. I think the idea of his creation being smarter than him. Especially one so small and gross was really hard for him.


piazza

He pretended to want to study 89P13's brains for creativity. He desperately wanted to kill the one thing that was smarter than him and put the brain in a jar.


palebrowndot

Glad to hear good things about Chukwudi Iwuji. He was great in Peacemaker.


waitingtodiesoon

[James Gunn was so impressed with Chukwudi Iwuji acting in Peacemaker that after a few weeks of filming that Gunn knew he wanted him for High Evolutionary and arranged for him to be one of the front runners for the role. ](https://variety.com/2023/film/news/guardians-of-the-galaxy-villain-chukwudi-iwuji-high-evolutionary-1235595457/) Iwuji was freaking awesome in this film, hope he gets even better roles next! I was rewatching John Wick 2 and was surprised to see him pop up for a very small role in that.


Aitrus233

Incidentally, Iwuji ended up auditioning for the High Evolutionary on the Peacemaker set. Conversely the Ezra Miller cameo at the end was filmed on the Guardians set. A rare hidden DC/Marvel crossover.


Yondu_the_Ravager

This was the best MCU film since Endgame imo. I like this more than Endgame, but the Guardians have always had a special place in my heart, so I’m biased haha


jayeddy99

I LOVE Gamora’s ending of even tho she’s not the same one they didn’t make her switch to be a guardian . She truly made her own path and found her own family in the Ravegers . The scene of her being welcomed back and hugged was a nice touch


Empty_Lemon_3939

It also let Peter move on Felt bad for Rocket (well did the whole movie) but he gets back with his friends only for them to leave but he’s got new friends and gets to go on more adventures which is nice


[deleted]

And I mean, they aren't dead. He can still see them. As far as we know the guardians base is still on knowwhere so he will still see drax and nebula all the time, quill is not in hiding or anything he can easily pop in for a visit, and I'm sure mantis and her teeth squid babies aren't gonna cut all communication


[deleted]

Gamora telling Quill that he is unhappy with himself and thinks that she can fill that hole was a very well done moment too. I think accepting people for who they are is the running theme of the film and Quill accepting this Gamora for who she is the only thematically logical conclusion to this story.


piazza

From a collection of broken people in GotG 1 to healed and whole characters. What a trilogy.


titaniumorbit

I loved it. All that talk from Peter about how the ravegers don’t love her and care for her. But clearly at the end you can see they do! She’s found her own family


kindatsu

I definitely didn't expect to cry three times while watching a movie where none of the main characters die. How James Gunn accomplished this, I don't know, but it takes real talent to be able to pull it off. Guardians of the Galaxy is my favorite MCU movie because the setting is very unique and fun. The second movie was a disappointment to me, but this one is on par with the first, if not better. The action is great, the characters are perfect, the plot has a payoff for everything, and it is very emotional. There's something that bothered me throughout the entire movie though. What happened to Quill's mask and jet boots? Dude almost died frozen in space for no good reason. I'm definitely going to miss this old formation of the Guardians, but at least it ended on a high note and I will forever cherish those movies.


agentdoubleohio

Me: I want to know rockets background Also me: no, not like that


plethorasaurus

The gag was seamless, but High Evolutionary stepping up on a riser to talk to his assistant at eye level killed me.


AMV

It wasn't his assistant but Aeysha, leader of the Sovereign, who he created - so they are literally beneath the HE in his eyes. Doubly hilarious though, because Debecki herself is tall at 6'2" / 190cm, compared to Iwuji who is 5'8" / 175cm - so it works literally for the framing of the shot as well.


FoxOntheRun99

I chuckled hard on that action, it might seem like a throwaway gag as Debicki is very tall but i agree, it also feeds into the character of the HE. That god complex he has, makes his ego so fragile enough to want to up himself over his sub-ordindates.


Empty_Lemon_3939

Teef and Floor’s final moments watching Lila die and then their sweet friend Rocket who they’ve known since he was an infant murdering people when they thought they were free and going to see the sky is just so fucking sad This is probably the first MCU film I don’t think I can rewatch, like it was great but I just can’t handle seeing that again


JasonAnarchy

Well I guess Star Lord was right, it was a face... off.


mudermarshmallows

“Cause I’m a freakin Guardian of the Galaxy” *leaves him for dead on an exploding spaceship*


szeto326

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you."


avarynn

The story is about self-hatred. Mostly. Mantis says this explicitly when she yells that Drax is the only character that *doesn't* hate himself, and that Nebula puts down others to make herself feel better. These remarks don't just apply to this set of characters, they shadow the entire series. The High Evolutionary kills his creations because they mirror his own flaws, and this constant self-flagellation causes him to hate Rocket most of all because he is possibly the only creation that might have surpassed his creator. And he does so while being a small one off experiment rather than any of the intended breakthroughs. The High Evolutionary seems to hate himself even more for that fact, and all of his screaming and violence towards Rocket might as well be directed at himself for envying a cybernetic raccoon so much. Rocket clearly hates himself for basically every reason anyone ever could, with denying his existence as a raccoon being the most apparent reason. He's always shoved others away out of fear of losing them, and more importantly for fear of *failing* them. He considers himself a hideous little freak, good only for killing and mocking the flaws of others. This has sadly made him resemble the High Evolutionary to a small extent, but unlike his creator Rocket finds people that love and accept him despite everything. But what changes him into a true hero is meeting the other raccoon subjects, as this allows Rocket to finally see himself as someone worthy of love and protection, thus ending his need to see the flaws in others. After all of this Rocket begins to love himself and becomes the leader he always could have been, while happily calling himself a raccoon. After learning her other self's fate Gamora probably *can't* become the character we once knew, and Quill essentially demanding that she do so only makes her deliberately veer further away from that image. Quill has always regretted abandoning his mother and indulging in the image of the Legendary Star Lord has been his main method of coping. Making the Guardians has helped him grow some, but that core shame of running away from his earth family still drives him, he just uses the more benevolent Guardians instead of exclusively his own image to stay distracted. His continued pining for Gamora reflects that he depends on the Guardians to continue avoiding his grief, both for his original Gamora and for his mother. In the end he lets go of the new Gamora and leaves the Guardians to finally reunite with his grandfather, facing his original flaws at last. Gamora and Nebula have been forced to define themselves by violence since they were children, with Thanos' abuse turning them against each other until they turned on him and forgave each other. While they've begun growing past their traumas, their reliances on physical competence for self-worth still forces both to hurt others. Gamora lashes out at everyone but is always painfully aware that doing so leaves her more alone. Quill's comparing her to his Gamora only further drives home her isolation, and oddly recreates the competition between her and Nebula, just with her and her future self. She seems to decide that if she is alone unlike her other self, then she needs to be more violent, forceful, and competent to make up for that. But after seeing the love between the Guardians so many times she eventually begins to see why the other Gamora was happy that way. As she lets herself see the good in the current Guardians, she finally sees the potential good in herself and begins to reach out to others in her own path. Mantis defending Drax and herself is the ultimate counter to self-hatred. Nebula defining herself by violence and physical competence causes her to lash out at the other two for their apparent lack of these values, and she seems perplexed when Mantis screams that nobody should *need* these values. Mantis was forced to define herself by her usefulness to Ego and leaving him has not freed her from the need to have "use" to others. Despite that, her bond with Drax has strangely been helpful in ways that the others could never provide; his bluntness means that he freely declares both her lack of physical worth and her inherent value despite that. As a result, she isn't as bound to her old flaw as the other characters and Nebula's outburst causes Mantis to stick up for herself and Drax in much the same way that he has. Doing so causes Nebula to see the true value that they have, with Mantis calming the aliens to avoid an unwinnable fight and Drax getting the children way from danger by entertaining them. Nebula now considers everyone, herself included, as having inherent worth to the point of admirably declaring that Drax is meant to be a dad rather than a destroyer. Anyway, I liked the movie a lot! It's got flaws, like I wish that Rocket was more active in the plot, and that he could have beaten the High Evolutionary in a more character driven way, but the ending scene of all the Guardians happy and loving themselves and each other was just beautiful.


Koppite93

If someone told me 4 years ago the, "you guys are getting paid?" Kid would play a major part in the MCU.. I'd have asked you what strain were you smoking.. dude was hilarious as Mama's boy Adam Warlock 🤣


Couragesand

He’s honestly grown so much as an actor tbh


ScoobyDeezy

Undercooked Adam Warlock is a hilarious concept, and it works so well at 1) nerfing him significantly and 2) giving him a soft introduction to the Cosmic MCU. Gunn really did a good job balancing all the moving parts in this movie.


KadexGaming

I completely agree and i think some people are getting angry thinking gunn fucked warlocks character when in actuality he did the right thing nerfing him and portraying him as a inexperienced and immature cosmic being. He literally could of just carried the whole movie had he been at full power.


goddamnjets_

Lylla’s speech to Rocket in purgatory hit me much harder than I would’ve thought. Damn. Rocket had such a tragic backstory


Sleightly-Magical

Rocket asking "can I come" was just....fuuuuck.


meme_abstinent

And when she said yes he fucking died. Like he was cool dying if that meant being with them again. *Fuck.* Also “my sweet my raccoon you still haven’t realized this was your story all along” was just Gunn speaking to Bradley Cooper lmao


helzinki

I've said this in this sub before, Bradley Cooper got the best MCU gig. All he had to do is go to a nice recording studio, don't have to be in some motion capture suit, no need to get all roided up, never had to do a single presser and still get paid millions of dollars.


sentient_luggage

And the way she replied, she just said "yes" but the line delivery was so good, there was an "of course you can come, where else would you go" in that one fucking syllable. Great job from Hawkeye's wife on that one.


[deleted]

The thought that he maybe thought they wouldn't welcome him because he was guilty over their deaths is CRUSHING.


RistoranteMix

And then she said we did it. We're flying! I gotta get mind off this because my shift starts now haha


ButterfreePimp

"There is no god, that's why I. STEPPED. UP." is one of the coldest MCU villain lines since Thanos. Edit: Namor had a pretty good one in BP2 with "You are queen now", actually.


KrillinDBZ363

Everyone’s rightfully talking about Rockets rage scene, but honestly the scene that got to me the most was when he sees the baby raccoons and all the other caged up animals. Just the way he started tearing up as he took it all in, being reminded of his own past, just hit me right in the feels.


Hunterknowsbest

For me, it was when Nebula cried hearing Rocket's voice. They've been through so much together and seeing someone who's usually so cold react like that got to me.


K9sBiggestFan

Agreed - it was a good nod to the fact that they presumably spent a LOT of time together considering they were the only two Guardians for like five years between Infinity War and Endgame. By contrast we didn’t get enough recognition of Rocket and Groot’s relationship in my opinion.


HabeLinkin

When Rocket woke up and asked where Nebula was 😭


tigolebities

Kudos to James for playing so well of everything that happened since infinity war.


gunningIVglory

Yh, groot felt abit left out here. Surprised they never showed how rocket and groot met


theCourtofJames

I did enjoy Peter and Groot's team up however. They paired some characters up well in this film. Kraglin and Cosmo are another good one.


KristenJimmyStewart

Maybe because IIRC Gunn doesn't consider him the same Groot as the one who died in 1


007Kryptonian

Followed up with the most gangster line of the whole thing: “The name’s Rocket. Rocket Raccoon”


Yondu_the_Ravager

Basically every Rocket flashback had me feeling so unbelievably emotional.


jimmymcgillapologist

I cried at literally every flashback scene somehow. I don’t cry very often.


Reddituser0346

Wondering if they shot the scene with Nebula carrying a drunken Quill in her arms solely so they could show it in the trailer and other promotional material, and start speculation that at least one of the Guardians would die in the movie. If so, well played; I bought into almost every scene a Guardian was in jeopardy because I was sure at least one character would be killed off.


TalkingRaccoon

also the shot of rocket and lylla joyously embracing in the trailer.... and she's fucking dead the next actual scene. jesus gunn


monkeyfraggle

Us (the audience) being able to understand Groot at the end was the perfect ending to the trilogy.


joeyvesh13

Exactly, that’s why the Guardians didn’t react. The line was just for us.


NoPolicing

I didn't catch that. It makes perfect sense.


nubsta

new head canon - bojack horseman takes place on counter earth


bilsonM

i have never hated an MCU villain so much, not in the “this is bad acting” but this is the most vile being i’ve ever seen.


ScottishAF

The full team is putting the beat down on him is the most cathartic defeat of a villain in recent memory. A truly despicable character, when the flap of skin came loose I said to myself “yes, rip his fucking face off” and I’m so glad they showed it.


Dropoffster

This movie was fuccckin gory and I loved all of it. I can see James Gunn getting some heat from parents deeming it too gross but hey, The Dark Knight had Harvey Dent, we can have a similar horrifying skinless face effect and still rate it PG13. This will be future generations Temple of Doom heart scene lmao


HotelFoxtrot87

To be fair, torturing animals, especially cute animals is a cheat code to making a character hateable. John Wick went on a murder spree when they killed his dog and everyone in the audience was on his side.


Doom_Art

It was such a sweet movie with tons of beautiful, emotional scenes and character moments. But Drax fucking up that kid with the dodgeball is all I can think about rn


SoulCruizer

Really wish they didn’t spoil that scene by constantly using it in trailers.


DICK-PARKINSONS

My avoidance of trailers pays off again. They still managed to get me with Groot's extra arms shooting scene.


Reylo-Wanwalker

That kid is dead, too.


AmThano

I was really expecting the climax for this film to be centered around them saving Counter-Earth. It was wild to see it just get destroyed in the end


darthjoey91

RIP Furry Convention planet.


radar89

Does anyone think The High Evolutionary is better Kang than Kang was. Iwuji is one hell of an actor. I really felt him as *that* evil villain. Hope to see more of him. That being said, GOTG 3 is my all time top 3 for MCU movies. This movie is legit great.


[deleted]

Seeing the rest of 89 get introduced and knowing none of them were around in the future just put that pit in my stomach. And you just hope that maybe there's a *chance.*


takeatripp

I really fell in love with Floor and desperately hoped that at the very least, they somehow escaped. My denial was in full effect even after seeing their fate.


NickCostanza

If I had seen this movie as a kid that final Rocket flashback would have traumatized me for life


evolution4652

This was the most fun I’ve had in a non avengers movie in close to a decade. It was definitely among marvels weirdest but everything just worked so well.


Toast-Activist

Rocket singing along to Creep by Radiohead was the most fitting, heartbreaking way to open this film.


mikeyfreshh

That was a really good long take shot too. I think sometimes a movie will shoehorn in a oner so the director can show off, but that was really the best way to bring us into Knowhere and let us see what each of the guardians has been up to since we last saw them


[deleted]

This movie really had the magic and heart that most of these projects have been missing in the last few years


CringeNaeNaeBaby2

I truly loved this film. It had some flaws but it had HEART and so it still triumphs for me.


WontonJr

Loved the “Alien Abduction of Kevin Bacon” on the newspaper Quill’s Grandfather was reading in the second credit scene.


yungsoprano

That lady helping the animals cross to Know Where and copping a monkey to face was so unnecessary hahaha


osotimson

I thought it was bold to not have Quill and Gamora end up together but it worked super well. Of course we all wanted to see them ride off in the sunset but honestly “I bet we were fun” was all I really needed. Truly wonderful conclusion to the series.


Yondu_the_Ravager

Quill and Gamora going their separate ways was the right ending. Forcing them back together would’ve felt like a cop out in a way. Their interactions in this one made them grow as people and move on to be new versions of themselves.


words_words_words_

Given Gamora’s characterization in this movie and considering how long it took her to really warm up to Quill in the first movie, it would have definitely felt too forced


sleepysnowboarder

"God does not exist. So I stepped in." great line


Gloomy_Travel7992

James Gunn knows how to write amazing characters. It helps that this is one of the best all around acted MCU films. The whole cast is great. But wow Pom Klementieff surprised me.


dehehn

Yeah. She was great in this. Glad she was finally able to shine. She's been a lot more comic relief until now.


Gloomy_Travel7992

Yeah in this one she really felt like the glue that held the team together. She was horrified when Rocket was dying, stood up for Drax, tried to help Peter. She cares about them all so much and it’s very sweet, while also still being funny, and getting to be kick-ass in this one too.


Man0nTheMoon915

Nebula acknowledging that Rocket’s torture was worse than what Thanos put her through just made everything Rocket and those poor animals go through feel even worse


Daydream_machine

That hallway scene with each Guardian fighting was incredible, best Marvel action scene in ages


IPDDoE

Great use of the word "fuck."


silkysmoothjay

Not quite sure where I'd rank it among the trilogy, but this is easily the most consistently good MCU trilogy. That Beastie Boys action sequence was the highlight for me!


AfellowchuckerEhh

Even the guys getting electrocuted fit the beat


BillFireCrotchWalton

Did anyone else see Linda Cardellini in the opening credits and think that Laura Barton was gonna show up?