Karen Gillan’s Nebula is more acerbic than ever, and Vin Diesel’s Groot has grown up to be a much bigger tree, although his vocabulary hasn’t improved very much. The interplay among them is frequently delightful, especially between the mind-controlling Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and the big doofus Drax (Dave Bautista), who come across like alien versions of Laurel and Hardy.

Nonetheless, this edition largely succeeds like the other ones, thanks to the chemistry of the main ensemble, who have grown into their characters with relaxed ease. And since the film aims to bring the trilogy to a close, rest assured that there are so many cameo appearances from past and subsidiary characters that the shoot must have felt like a high school reunion. And the storyline is too complicated by far, with so many things going on at so many different times and places that multiple viewings are practically necessary to keep it all straight (not that Disney has a problem with that). 2 over some controversial tweets, only to be rehired thanks in large part to the campaigning of the loyal cast members, would make a compelling drama in itself - doesn’t fully succeed in tying all these threads together into a coherent whole. Writer-director James Gunn - whose getting fired after Vol.

Rocket’s story, which also involves numerous other adorable animal characters that should gladden the heart of toy manufacturers, forms the heart of the film, which really swings for the fences in its efforts to combine pathos, irreverent humor, and lots and lots of action into its ambitious mix. As with most Marvel villains, he doesn’t really think he’s bad, merely misunderstood. This leads to flashbacks involving the fan-beloved raccoon’s backstory and his relationship with the film’s villain, the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji, using his Shakespearean acting background to excellent imposing effect), who wants to create a new, higher evolved master race. He doesn’t have much time for moping, however, as the Guardians must rally themselves to save their beloved Rocket (Bradley Cooper), who’s at death’s door. The new, younger Gamora has little use for Quill, which doesn’t exactly improve his mood as he vainly struggles, like a depressed high school student, to remind her of what they once had. Of course, she’s an alternate version, since the Gamora he loved was killed by that pesky Thanos in one of those Avengers movies. Not long afterward, Quill is reunited with Gamora. Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, Maria Bakalova

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