Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: Replacing Creativity with Safety
Regardless of how you feel about the MCU post Endgame, there is no real argument that things are different. Some like the sprawling stories and the less focused approach on how all these stories connect. Others (myself included) have criticized it for its lack of direction. Either way it’s different and it’s thriving. Even with the promise of a trimmed down slate, Marvel continues to pump out movies, series and announcements. Coupled with undeniable box office success, there is no doubt that the MCU is still king. Next up for the juggernaut is Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3. A film with beloved characters but garnered much of its intrigue from marketing that positions the film as a finale of sorts. Ultimately, the film is a perfect reflection of the current status of the MCU.
While the MCU reigns, that reign is still met with its fair share of criticism. The passion behind the debate and the scale of the subject has made Marvel polarizing in the worst way possible. Polarizing like political debates or the Lebron/Jordan argument. The hyperbolic hot take discourse is less about the films and more about the people talking, that any substantive conversation around the MCU is rare. Quality of work being the best example of the strange dichotomy that has become the MCU. It’s almost irrelevant if these movies are any good. Which may have been true all across the Infinity Saga, but feels particularly true now.
The desire for moments, cameos, and something to look forward to has replaced the desire for good storytelling. Guardians enters the fray as a great example of this because much like all its post Endgame predecessors it falls somewhere on the scale between good and bad. As much as has been written and said about the MCU “formula” it appears the formula is as strong as ever. One that takes the creative and replaces it with the safe. The innovative with the consistent and the character driven stories that built the behemoth we all grew to love with the casing of that.
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 isn’t bad. It’s not even really all that close to bad. Some of the elements that brought about the success of this franchise, presents itself from time to time. You’ll most certainly laugh. Dave Buatista’s Drax remains incredible pretty much every time he opens his mouth. It’s driven by its music and its off footedness, which at times is engaging. The Rocket storyline is good, in spite of its delivery mechanism being less than stellar. Thus it is a film that is built to please fans of these characters. It ticks those boxes, making it an easy recommendation for those of us who really connected with the Guardians.
The other side of that coin, however, is that the film isn’t very good either. Much like the films before it, the charm seems to be missing. It’s overlong, overstuffed and void of enough substance. With the decider of enjoyment mostly predicating on the goodwill these characters have garnered from previous films. All of this together feels like the MCU experience as a whole post Endgame.
Which begs the question: what is the point? Without getting too nihilistic, I’m struggling to find the point. With Guardians specifically, its creativity drew attention. It was unique, bright, self-referential and like a shot of adrenaline to the MCU. Volume 1 is a film that still stands on its own and can be credited with much of the innovative presentation that came after. Volume 3 feels like the watered down version of that. Which is something I don’t place at the feet of James Gunn or anyone else involved in the creation of the film. It feels more like the formula. It’s too big to be creative because creativity brings risk and risk can bring failure. So everything about it feels safe and thus forgettable.
Herein lies the intrigue because this appears to be enough. Rehashed storylines, aimless storytelling, muddy visuals and watered down action are sustaining audiences. While it’s not quite as bad as the previous list suggests, all those elements are present. The payoff of Endgame has seemingly granted Marvel with enough goodwill as to not force the standard of higher quality. Again, these films aren’t bad. I wouldn’t call any one of the post Endgame films “bad” (except Thor: Love and Thunder). But there is no excitement either. They just release, become fodder for discourse and more or less are forgotten. It’s more indicative of a Disney problem than a Marvel one. This is also true for Pixar who is struggling to find the impact it once had. The live action remakes of beloved animated classics are at my most generous, needless (barring a small handful). It’s a lack of importance.
At one time everything Marvel said or did felt essential. No matter the character, familiarity or interest in it. You had to partake because it was essential. No longer is that the case. Not only do these films not feel essential, they don’t feel necessary. While your stance on quality will vary, there is no real argument to be had because it doesn’t really matter. They are fine. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 is fine. I wouldn’t argue with anyone of their admiration or hatred because it falls in line with Shang Chi, Eternals and Multiverse of Madness. I can’t tell you much about any of them but I don’t dislike them. That seems to be the goal now, one in which they are finding plenty of success, but also one that has stripped the MCU of what makes it special.
