Summary and Impact:
At the start on the planet Knowhere, where the guardians live, they’re attacked by a golden man named Adam. Adam critically injures Rocket, and the guardians are unable to revive him due to a kill switch inside him placed by a scientist and his company. The guardians fly to the scientist, the High Evolutionary, and the company Orgocorp’s headquarters to find Rocket’s override code and save him. Meanwhile, Rocket is having flashbacks from when he was young and was experimented on. The High Evolutionary aimed to create an ideal society from other animal life forms for Counter-Earth. We are then shown Rocket’s friends Lylla, Teefs, and Floor, who give Rocket hope during this time. The High Evolutionary loathes Rocket’s intelligence because it surpassed his own. Rocket helps figure out how to perfect the High Evolutionary’s creation. Rocket attempts to free his friends from the High Evolutionary plan to harvest and research Rocket’s brain and slaughter his friends but fails. Rocket attacks the High Evolutionary in retaliation and manages to escape in a spaceship. The guardians then try to break into Orgocorp headquarters. After breaking in, they find out Rocket’s code was removed, likely by one of the High Evoltionary’s advisors. They depart after the advisor, and on Counter-Earth, Groot, and Quill enter Arete Laboratories, an Orgocorp research company established by the High Evolutionary. Adam follows the guardians and tries to steal Rocket, but Gamora saves him. A battle between the High Evolutionary and Peter at the headquarters leads to the destruction of Counter-Earth, killing the life forms inhabiting the planet. Quill retrieves Rocket’s code before the planet is completely destroyed and is rescued by Gamora on Arete. While using the code, Rocket almost dies and has a near-death experience seeing his old friends who tell him it’s not his time yet. Quill manages to save Rocket, and then the guardians notice many modified humanoid children imprisoned on the ship. The guardians battle the High Evolutionary and then are able to transport the children safely off Arete to Knowhere. Before departure, Rocket finds captured animals and tries to free them before Arete is entirely destroyed. The High Evolutionary finds Rocket and tries to stop him, but the guardians come to Rocket’s rescue. At the end of the movie, Quill decides to return to Earth and visit his grandfather, Mantis goes on a self-journey, Gamora returns with the Ravagers, Drax and Nebula take care of the new children, and Rocket and Groot continue to take on missions. This series strongly impacted me because it showed the importance of having friends and a solid team to be there for you. This movie’s ending specifically showed me that branching off and exploring your own path is essential. Quill also had to face his past with Gamora throughout the movie trying to save Rocket, and it showed the importance of facing your past instead of hiding from it. Lastly, the movie conveyed a strong message about animal cruelty and the dangers of testing on animals. The movie gave a brief insight into the harsh reality of animals’ conditions while being test subjects and how they’re mistreated.
- Release Date: May 5, 2023
- Writer and Director: James Gunn
- Producer: Marvel Studios
- Rating: ★★★★✩
- Box Office: $845.6 million
Movie Trailer: