April 5, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

FILM REVIEW GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Vol. 3

By Kathryn Boole 

FILM REVIEW
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Vol. 3
Rated PG-13
150 Minutes
Released May 5th

After seeing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, I felt like writer/director James Gunn had decided on his music playlist first and then built the story around it. That was a correct guess, as my research revealed. Gunn is acutely aware of the importance of music in cinema, to the point where his films are often crafted, very successfully, around a playlist. While his previous two Guardians films were built from mostly 1960s and 1970’s songs (and some early ‘80’s,) the list of classics on Vol. 3 is from a later vintage, later ’70s, ’80s, 90’s and some from this current century. Among its 17 songs are “Creep” by Radiohead (1993), “Reasons” by Earth, Wind & Fire (1975), “Badlands” by Bruce Springsteen (1975), and most notably, “Dog Days are Over” by Florence & the Machine (2008). 

Music is part of the cultural history of the Guardians’ stories. In the first two “volumes,” the greatest treasure of our hero “Peter Quill” (Chris Pratt) is a mixtape left to him by his late mother. Not surprisingly, Gunn started his career in a rock band called “The Icons.” He also wrote novels and created comic strips for underground and college publications.

Gunn gives his actors the movie’s playlist on set so they can listen to it and become absorbed into the environment of the story. The actors do seem to transform into their imaginative characters completely. Pratt seems genuinely awed by the journey he’s been drawn into as Peter Quill. Chukwudi Iwuji endows his villainous “High Evolutionary” with a hint of conscience. 

I love Pom Klementieff as “Mantis,” and I wished that she was featured more in the first Guardians. Here she is a major character, her innocent demeanor masking an instinctive intelligence. Dave Bautista as “Drax,” Zoe Saldana as “Gamora” and Karen Gillan as “Nebula” are all able to give their exotic characters human emotion. 

Will Poulter is introduced as “Adam Warlock,” a bad guy at first, who experiences an arc of the character. Poulter has been acting since his teens and is best known for The Revenant and Chronicles of Narnia. He and Gunn worked closely together fleshing out his Warlock. 

In the end, it’s the characters that carry this movie, not its relationship to the comic books, nor the fantastic sets, or the special effects. The music sets the environment. There is a scene close to the end which I believe will become iconic, played to the music of “Dog Days Are Over.” This is the heartbeat of the movie and the Bollywood Climax of the story. 

While die-hard Guardians fans are spending nervous energy speculating if this is the last installment in the Guardians franchise and what its place is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, why worry about it? Forget all that and take it out of context. Just enjoy this movie as the wonderful modern-day Fairy Tale that it is!

Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. You can email her at kboole@gmail.co

in Film, News
Related Posts

Suspect Arrested and Charged in March 27 Hit-and-Run Death

April 4, 2025

April 4, 2025

The Victim Was on the Way to His Job at the Beverly Hills Hotel  A 20-year-old man has been arrested...

LAPD to Conduct DUI Checkpoints and Saturation Patrols Across L.A. This Weekend

April 4, 2025

April 4, 2025

Checkpoints and Saturation Patrols Target High-Risk Areas, Come With High Penalties The Los Angeles Police Department will conduct a series...

Man Arrested After Violent Robbery During Camera Equipment Meetup

April 4, 2025

April 4, 2025

One Suspect Caught, Two Still Sought in Culver City Armed Robbery A suspect connected to a recent armed robbery involving...

(Video) Adorn Your Home With Plants and Pottery from Urban Jungle

April 4, 2025

April 4, 2025

Go To Urbanjungleplantsandpottery.com For More Info Go To https://t.co/WwF5r95s90 For More Info⁠ pic.twitter.com/Ejled24yhJ — Westside Today (@WestsideLAToday) April 4, 2025

Join UCLA’s Innovative Memory Research Study!

April 3, 2025

April 3, 2025

Are you ready to contribute to groundbreaking research and help shape the future of memory treatments? Do you sometimes find...

Coming Soon: Easter Extravaganza at Regent Santa Monica Beach

April 3, 2025

April 3, 2025

Book your Delectable Brunch, Easter Festivities This Easter, step into a world of celebration and refined delight at Regent Santa Monica Beach....

Scoop Dreams Come True: Van Leeuwen Launches New Beverly Hills Shop

April 3, 2025

April 3, 2025

Van Leeuwen’s Beverly Hills Opening Comes With Sweet Perks Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, a New York City-born brand celebrated for...

WeHo’s WeHappy Wednesdays Serve Up Big Discounts In Addition to Zero Parking Fees

April 3, 2025

April 3, 2025

Free Parking and $5 Cocktails? WeHo Makes Wednesdays Worth It The City of West Hollywood and the West Hollywood Chamber...

Saijo Hand Roll Rolls into Culver City with Premium Japanese Ingredients

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Binchotan-Fired Perfection: Saijo Rolls Out Premium Sushi in West LA A new destination for hand rolls and Japanese culinary craftsmanship...

(Video) Check Out Bernie’s, a New Pop Up at Citizen Public Market in Culver City

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Made with fresh frozen fruit and a toasted merengue topping these flavors are irresistible. The pop up will be at...

From Cocktails to Coffee: U.S. Tariffs Threaten Imports, Jobs, and Your Grocery Bill

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Major Price Hikes Expected for Coffee, Wine, Chocolate, and Butter  A sweeping new set of tariffs announced by former President...

Levain Bakery to Open Venice Location with Special Guests and Charitable Twist

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Bigger Than a Cookie: Levain’s Venice Opening Is a Flavorful Fundraiser Levain Bakery, the cult-favorite cookie destination founded in New...

LAX Airport Server Finds Hate-Filled Message From Unidentified Diners

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Waiter Says He Was Stunned by the Message Left by Customers Guillermo Ortiz, who works at Planet Hollywood inside the...

Sunset Strip Staple Le Petit Four Shuts Down After Landlord Pulls the Plug

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

End of an Era: Le Petit Four Forced to Close in West Hollywood In a stunning reversal to the upbeat...

Metro LA Pushes Back Sepulveda Transit Community Meetings

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Environmental Review Delay Prompts Metro to Reschedule  Metro announced that community meetings scheduled for early April to discuss the Sepulveda...