I hope many people enjoy this movie because this might be the last solid thing to come from the MCU in a while. Since James Gunn is closing out his trilogy to become the Kevin Feige of the new DCU, we have perhaps the last remnants from the Infinity Saga.

What made the Guardians of the Galaxy movies work is that they may be MCU but they kind of got their own thing going on. I've been vocal about how tired I am about the MCU. I even waited a couple weeks to see this movie after it came out, because despite solid reviews, I felt no urge to see it opening night.

The movie has it's MCU-isms. The action I thought was solid but nothing much we haven't seen before. The movie is mostly visually pleasing but I counted a few shots with iffy CGI. Yet this feels different from many other recent MCU films is that it actually takes the story and characters seriously for once!

The attempts at humor mostly work but they never distract from the drama or stakes. I actually cheered when I heard the very first use of the word "fuck" uttered in an MCU movie. The focus here is Rocket Raccoon and his dark past. The movie has a lot to say about animal cruelty without ever feeling heavy handed. The movie has the gang trying to save said friend from death. There is a plotline about the villain trying to create his own world but it never gets too convoluted.

Unfortunately I'm not sure if this movie will help the MCU much in the long run. Although the post credit scene does suggest a new potential way to try to renew interest in the future. I'm not sure if I'll ever seen this movie again soon. That's not meant to be an attack on the movie. Even the greatest MCU movies don't have much re-watch value for me.

Still it's refreshing seeing an MCU movie that's often dark and depressing. I know that's a weird complement but I think people are getting tired of the sugar coated fluff from Marvel.