Pump Up the Vol. 3

Now that Netflix isn't shipping DVDs (and we try to limit streaming subscriptions), we're kind of at the mercy of what shows up at the library. And now we've seen Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

It starts on the ramshackle Quardians HQ. Rocket (Bradley Cooper) is ruminating, and Quill (Chris Pratt) is dead drunk, mourning over the loss of love Gamora (Zoe Saldana). She isn't actually dead - there's a version of her from 2-3 years ago running around, but she doesn't even know Quill. Then, from nowhere, a golden indestructible human comes smashing in, just tearing everything up. It's Will Poulter, as Adam Warlock!

There's a big fight, and it's clear that this Warlock guy is super-powerful, and also an idiot. They dispactch him, but not before he does a lot of damage - almost killing Rocket. Then it turns out that Rocket has a kill switch - med packs don't work on him to protect his embedded IP.

That's when we get a flashback to Rocket's origin. He was a little raccoon chosen by the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) to be experimented on. He grows up in a cage with other cybernetic creatures, his friends. Of them all, he's the one who is not just intelligent, but creative. But when he tries to bust everyone out, his friends are killed, and only he survives. 

So while he is dreaming and dying, the Guardians go after the High Evolutionary to get the kill switch off code. It turns out that huge swaths of galactic society were creasted and nurtured by him. For instance, the Sovereign, the golden race of snooty bureaucrats we met at the start of Vol. 2. They were the ones who created Adam Warlock. which sort of explains why he is a moron.

The Hi-Ev's latest plan is Counter-Earth, a planet modeled after Earth (traditionally, in the Earth's orbit on the opposite side of the sun), but populated with evolved animals. The problem is, he never figured out how to make the animals creative, so he needs Rocket. And he decides to destroy the planet, with all the inhabitants, including Drax, Nebula, and Mantis. Don't worry, they save themselves. The rest of the population, not so much. 

People will tell you they cried over this movie, and I know how they feel. The theme of animal experimentation and torture is a sad one. But it was a little upsetting when, in the midst of a genocide, Rocket radios the rest of the team and says, the important thing is that we're all all right. I guess.

There's a lot of other fun stuff, like a Russian cosmonaut dog who has become sentient and telekinetic. Also, Kraglin (Sean Gunn) can't really use Yondu's whistle arrow, and takes it out on Cosmo, who he calls a bad dog. And Howard the Duck shows up in a card game, and even has a line. Did anyone see Pip the Dwarf? I didn't but you never know.

I must say, I was very excited to see my favorite superhero, Adam Warlock. I wasn't too sure about seeing him as a dumdum. In the comics as I remember, he was powerful and noble, yet naive. Then I think of how often he got manipulated and fooled, and then lashed out, well, maybe this is a good take. Anyway, I like Poulter's version, so fine. 

About the soundtrack: The first two volumes had music based on the 70s and 80s awesome mixtapes his mother gave Quill. Remember the Zune mentioned at the end of Vol. 2? So this volume has a much wider range of music.