“Guardians of the Galaxy. Volume 3” now on Blu-ray and DVD!

In the latest film, a beloved team of misfits work to repair the massive damage done by Thanos. The Guardians are determined to make the Knowhere acquired from the Collector a safe haven not only for themselves, but also for all refugees displaced by the hostile universe. Soon their lives are turned upside down. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must assemble his team for a dangerous mission to save Rocket’s life – a mission that, if not successful, could lead to the end of the Guardians as they are.

As in any of the previous films, the music plays a key role in telling the story. James Gunn, who has mastered the ability to draw audiences into a scene with a song like no other, thought about the choice of songs as always – from the first draft of the script. As he admits, this time the task was extremely difficult:

I wasn’t really convinced of my choices until the very end. I could have stuck strictly to the 70’s like in the first two movies, or I could have gone further and just used 80’s or 90’s music where I could easily find a lot of cosmic brit pop. In the end, I decided to make a mix of different types of music, hoping that it wouldn’t clash with each other.

The task was accomplished, and the choice of music was warmly welcomed not only by the viewers, but also by the actors, for whom work on the set also included communing with these songs. Sean Gunn admits:

It’s hard not to admit how helpful it is in the filming process to understand the scenes by listening to these songs on set. That’s one of the coolest things about working on Watchmen. The songs are just built into the fabric of the scenes. It’s an important creative part of the process, just like set design or costumes. The texture of sound is built into everything we do.

Although Chris Pratt argues that the latest film, like the entire trilogy, has always been the story of the legendary outlaw – Peter Quill , the final film really focuses mainly on the story of Rocket – a character who for James Gunn himself was a character from the very beginning the most intriguing. This idea accompanied him from the very beginning of work on the first film in the series:

I always knew that the heart of the story for me would be Rocket. Where did he come from and who was he? It was very important for me to tell this story in its entirety.

In making this film, Gunn felt he could afford more than his previous adventures in terms of making artistic decisions. The style in which he made the last film is, he says,  more emotionally raw than the first two films. Rocket’s story actually comes to the fore, which is the embodiment of the idea he had for this series from the very beginning:

When I first spoke to Marvel about the possibility of making Guardians of the Galaxy, I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to do it. I didn’t know if it was something for me, and I never wanted to work on a film that I wouldn’t be able to devote myself to entirely. I quickly began to think about the character of the talking raccoon, and it seemed to me that it must be the saddest creature in the entire universe. This little animal had to be taken and turned into something it shouldn’t be. Rocket was completely excluded, unlike any other life form in the universe, and all his rage really came from sadness. It is solitude that lies at the heart of Guardians of the Galaxy.

As he explains himself:

It’s funny how people usually perceive these movies as light, funny stories, but all that drives the narrative is this emotional crack that is shared by both Rocket and the other Guardians. They are outsiders who really don’t feel they belong to anyone. Only sometimes there are some shifts and some heroes open up and get closer to each other.

James Gunn maintained a cohesiveness around the central theme of family in all three films:

We’ve seen Guardians fight together, form bonds, and eventually become a family of their own. Not by blood, but by choice. It was something that viewers could relate to in some way.

Zoe Saldaña, the actress who portrays Gamora, expands on this thought by saying:

What makes James Gunn a unique director is that he explores authentic, universal, shared emotions and shared conflicts, and processes and incorporates them into cosmic-scale stories. We can all relate to this because we all feel weak at times. We all suffer when we are neglected, rejected or treated unfairly. But we are all capable of compassion for one another. It makes for a beautiful story with all these universal feelings.

Dave Bautista, the movie Drax, nods:

I think there are more connections because Guardians are so imperfect and therefore so close. There’s just a real, genuine kind of family love, a love of choice that I think a lot of people in the world can relate to. The Guardians’ past is not clean. They did things that they are not very proud of, but they tried to make up for it. I think it’s something everyone can identify with.

After all, the Guardians of the Galaxy is a group where neither Rocket, nor Peter Quill, nor any other hero is more important than the others. Each of these films tells stories about amazing cosmic events, but at the same time becomes very close to almost everyone who watches them. In the end, the whole trilogy talks about universal issues – about love for loved ones, but also about love for yourself. About accepting your own and others’ otherness.

Commenting on this general tone, executive producer Sara Smith says:

Guardian movies are always full of heart and humor, and this one is no exception. I’d say maybe the emotion and heart of the movie comes through a little stronger this time around, because the story is anchored around the beloved Rocket, and the bittersweet nature of Peter Quill’s relationship with Gamora comes right next to it. Added to all this is the feeling that the final end of the series is coming with the finale of the film.

Executive Producer Simon Hatt concludes:

We are all very proud of the work we have done over the past ten years and the journey we have taken our heroes on. In this film, we discover new emotional heights and new depths of these characters brought out by the actors, as well as layers of story that have not been seen before in a film like this one. James really outdid himself here.

Chris Pratt adds:

These films took more than ten years to make, and all the time there was an exceptional James Gunn behind everything – his voice, writing, directing, love of animals, comedic and dramatic talent, unique tone. I am very grateful that he was our maestro in all three films.

Nearly 800,000 viewers saw Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 in Polish cinemas . This is the second movie of Phase 5 of the MCU and at the same time the most watched Marvel movie in 2023. Coming August 14 on Blu-ray™ and DVD, as well as a DVD bundle featuring the complete James Gunn trilogy.

Blu-ray™ Edition Specials:

• An imperfect, perfect family
• Rocket Raccoon
• Gags from the set
• Director’s audio commentary
• Unused scenes

You can read our review of this production at this link .