That final flashback scene is emotionally brutal (Spoilers)

This film resonated with me on an emotional level that I'm still trying to comprehend lol.

I've watched it twice and I don't know if I can watch it again any time soon. It's both one of the best comic book supehero films I've ever seen whilst also being something that I will only watch every once in a while to have a good cry. In terms of MCU films I'd say that Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Ragnarok are the most fun to rewatch but Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is by far the most emotional. I thought James Gunn was going to kill off one of the Guardians and break my heart that way but it turns out that Rocket's backstory was one of the most devastating and heartbreaking things I've ever seen in a film.

That evolution guy was unnecessarily cruel. He could have just let his imperfect experiments live out their lives, he didn't have to murder them.

It was very difficult to watch. They were tortured and disfigured but still they had dreams and hopes, which were ended just because. And the movie is full of those moments, like the alternate Earth people who helped the heroes but all of them were killed.

That lunatic should have been stopped way earlier.

That's what happens when a filmmaker takes the time to get the audience invested in a story, and doesn't rush through anything. It's clear that Gunn had that moment in mind even while filming the first Guardians film. Most films shoehorn emotion in at the last minute, or take shortcuts, but that doesn't work for most audience members. I agree that it was a painful scene to watch, but it wasn't just because of what was done. I can list dozens of films with more brutal moments, but very few with moments that were built towards so carefully, and that's where the impact is born.

The failed escape scene was very hard to watch. It took the audience to a dark place of humanity. I'm sure it wasn't lost on many Jewish people the parralles between someone wanting 'the perfect creation' and 'the pure race', ie caging people, experimenting on people, murdering people when done because they're useless, etc.

But many megalomaniacs end up like High Evolutionary.

He had a very sad backstory, that's for sure!

You could not have watched many good movies if it's the most emotionally brutal scene you have seen in a movie. This is what happens when a generation was completely raised on superhero films. Not saying it wasn't a good movie. But come on... 😂

Yep

I'm still amazed at the whole concept. I thought the MCU was finished when they announced the introduction of a talking raccoon.

Turns out the raccoon was one of the best characters in the entire set of films

Gunn did the same with Peacemaker - made a sympathetic protagonist out of a douchebag zealot with a toilet on his head

Can't wait to see what he pulls off with DC