A Satisfying Conclusion That Wears Its Heart On Its Sleeve

In case it wasn't clear, this movie may call itself "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," but it's 100% Rocket's film. It delves into his background in a way that is emotionally manipulative but effective, giving him a heart-wrenching origin story that had only been alluded to in the prior films. Will you be furious at James Gunn for having the sheer nerve to take this subplot into truly dark places to wring every last drop of sadness from audiences? Yes. Is there a good chance you might still cry? Also yes. It has all the subtlety of a Sarah McLachlan ASPCA commercial, but it gets the job done. 

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" wears its influences on its sleeve, and that's most evident with Rocket's storyline; it has heavy allusions to "Frankenstein," with the god-like creator equal parts horrified and fascinated by the promise of its creation, and "The Island of Dr. Moreau," with its fairly tragic animal-human hybrid designs. (Fair warning: There is a naked mole rat character who will haunt your dreams.) There's also a gruesome, almost-Cronenbergian quality to the character designs of the denizens of Batch 89, the experimentation group from whence Rocket came. These elements do well to emphasize the poignant bond between Nebula and Rocket, which hasn't been fully explored in the past but makes perfect sense — no one in the world could understand what it feels like to have your entire being changed at the whim of another more than these two.