It’s the end of the Guardians of the Galaxy as we know them in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Not only will the on-screen team not be the same in future films, but it’s also director James Gunn’s departure from the brand as he transfers to helm DC Studios. In many ways, the film feels like the end of an era, despite being the second film introduced in Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Where does this film fit into the interconnected story Marvel is telling? That’s not yet clear, but for now, you might want to hold on to a copy of the film so you can refer back to it in the future. And the best way to do that is with the Cinematic Universe Edition, which includes the film in 4K Ultra-HD, Blu-Ray, and a digital copy.
(Marvel)
Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, the Gamora (Zoë Saldaña) that loved Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is dead and replaced by a younger version of herself without the capacity to love. Her sister, Nebula (Karen Gillan), has been forced to become the group's de facto leader when the other members don’t step up, particularly Drax (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and young adult Groot (Vin Diesel). So they’re not exactly set up for success when the mysterious Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) arrives on Knowhere on a mission to destroy Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) on behalf of the shadow organization that created him.
The star of the bonus features on this release is a very revealing feature-length commentary with director Jame Gunn, who points out Easter Eggs, spills behind-the-scenes secrets, and even talks about his DC move. As per usual lately, a proper making-of feature has been withheld from the disc release for the Disney+ series Marvel Studios Assembled, but fans of deleted scenes will only see them by picking up this release.
Bonus Features
- The Imperfect, Perfect Family (11:08) – View the evolution of the Guardians through the cast and crew’s passion for each other and the entire franchise. Join this tight knit “found family” as they leave behind a legacy and recount their best memories wrapping up this epic trilogy’s final film.
- Creating Rocket Raccoon (9:25) – Director James Gunn talks about bringing Rocket to life and how personal the character is to him. Uncover BTS footage, the research and development of the visual effects process, and the inspiration for Rocket through conversations with cast and crew.
- Gag Reel (5:59) – Take a look at some of the fun outtakes on set with the cast and crew of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
- Deleted Scenes (8:27)
- A Bit Much – Adam Warlock explains to Ayesha what he plans to do with the Guardians.
- A Lending Hand – Peter lends a hand to an injured humanimal on Counter-Earth and shows he means no harm.
- Drax's Analogies and Metaphors – Drax gives Peter some interesting life analogies and metaphors.
- The Perfect Society – The High Evolutionary reveals his mission to perfect the universe.
- The Search for 89P13 – Behemoth brings not-so-good news to The High Evolutionary.
- Annoyed Peter – Peter gets annoyed while altering the shield.
- A Burning Escape – Peter runs back to grab his music player before escaping a blazing inferno on the Arête.
- Knowhere After the Battle – The High Evolutionary is brought back to Knowhere and locked up while Kraglin recruits Adam Warlock.
- Director’s Commentary (2:30:02) – Watch the film with audio commentary by director James Gunn.
Video
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 looks breathtaking in 4K Ultra-HD, with dark blacks and bright colors that almost pop off the screen. The Blu-Ray transfer is also highly detailed, but compared to the 4K version, loses out on some of the extreme color variances. In terms of aspect ratio, the version offered here is mostly in 2.35:1, with about 45-minutes of the film expanding to a fuller screen 1.85:1. This is reportedly James Gunn’s favorite way to experience the film, making it somewhat of a director’s choice in favor of settling on one theatrical aspect ratio (of which there are many variations for this film). But fans looking for a version that fills the majority of their TV screens will be relegated to Disney+, the exclusive home of the IMAX formatted version of the film.
Audio
The primary audio mix on 4K Ultra-HD is a Dolby Atmos track that is fully immersive, with sound effects traveling throughout the room. Other audio options on the 4K disc include a 2.0 Descriptive Audio mix, French 5.1, plus Spanish and Japanese 7.1. The Blu-Ray replaced the Dolby Atmos mix with an English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, losing Japanese and reducing Spanish to a 5.1 track.
Packaging & Design
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 comes in a standard black Blu-Ray case. There are disc holders on either side of the interior, but only the 4K disc contains artwork. There are two inserts, one for the digital copy (redeemed through Movies Anywhere) and an ad for Disney Movie Club. A foil embossed slipcover is included with the initial pressing. The menu on both disks features Kraglin’s whistle arrow leading to static artwork of the cast.
Final Thoughts
The Cinematic Universe Edition of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the best way to experience the film at home. James Gunn’s feature-length commentary gives a great overview of the making-of process of not only this film, but all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies. However, the set lacks an in-depth making-of experience, which is a shame.
Purchase Options
(Please note this article contains affiliate links. Your purchase will support LaughingPlace by providing us a small commission, but will not affect your pricing or user experience. Thank you.)