Alright, let's get something out of the way right at the top: I've never been a huge fan of the Guardians of the Galaxy series.

Don't get me wrong, it's a well-executed series and genuinely funny at times but it's just never been my favorite part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I like superhero films that have a more serious tone; my favorite currently being Captain America: Civil War. All that said, I recently watched the third installment of the Guardians series and enjoyed it. I'm not sure it'll necessarily anchor itself as a pillar in the vast library Marvel films, but it's a fun film.

Pros:

• James Gunn's writing is as sharp as ever. Character dialogue is authentic and humor hits well (most of the time).
  
• Great special effects. Am I the only one who feels like visual effects in Marvel films can be hit or miss? Thankfully, this film is spectactular in the special FX.
  

Neutral:

• Soundtrack is meh. The music in this series has always (for me at least) been a highlight. This time around, I found it a bit... lackluster? It's OK but not necessarily distinct or memorable.
  
• Plot is OK, but not necessarily building towards anything. It's nice to see some backstory to characters like Rocket Racoon, but I didn't feel particularly invested in the story. It didn't feel like it was going to make a bigger impact in future films. That's not necessarily a bad thing but just a change of pace compared to the prior massive infinity war story arc we had earlier.
  

Cons:

• None.

So where does that leave us? 4 stars sounds about right. It's currently at spot 278 in my flickchart: