James Gunn made a perfect trilogy

Guardians of the Galaxy is part 3 of that rare thing…a perfect trilogy.

Went to the cinema to see Guardians of the Galaxy 3. First scene of Rocket’s backstory I was manfully trying not to cry. Second scene broke me.

I spent today writing, shooting and editing an essay on James Gunn’s Guardians trilogy, and trying to figure out what it was that had snapped my emotions in two.

I mean, it’s small animals that can talk being tortured by a sociopath, so it might not need more explanation. But I think Gunn has captured something more, which I get into in the essay.

There are many good Marvel movies, and a few excellent ones. But I think James Gunn’s contributions are the only part of the MCU that have something to say for themselves. It took Marvel a while but they did eventually remember what made the comics marvellous — creators. Once Marvel started handing over characters to specific creators for a run of movies the MCU came alive. Gunn got the misfit crew which are the characters he excels at writing.

But it’s still I think surprising that Gunn managed to take such a whacky and weird movie series and make something meaningful of it. And turn the story of a talking racoon into an emotionally shattering experience that I’m going to feel for a long time.

And make a perfect movie trilogy. I may have slightly overplayed my hand in the essay by calling it one of only two perfect movie trilogies. But trilogies are hard and very few deliver on all levels. But I genuinely believe the Guardians do.

Well played Mr Gunn.