As is so often the case with social media reactions, early word on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was almost ridiculously positive when the embargo lifted. We'd argue that much of it was justified, but the reviews obviously offered a much better idea of what to really expect from the threequel.
Now, with 225 of those reviews counted on Rotten Tomatoes, James Gunn's MCU farewell has received an 80% score and is officially Certified Fresh!
Thus far, it appears fans loved it even more than critics as the Audience Score currently sits at an impressive 96%. For comparison's sake, Guardians of the Galaxy has 92%/92%, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has 85%/87%, and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special has 93%/80%.
The current Critics Consensus on the review aggregator says, "A galactic group hug that might squeeze a little too tight on the heartstrings, the final Guardians of the Galaxy is a loving last hurrah for the MCU's most ragtag family."
It's still too early to say what sort of weekend the threequel will have at the box office, though all signs point to it being a hit. Despite some hard-hitting moments, we're guessing word of mouth will be very positive among moviegoers over the coming days.
"As heart-wrenching as it is hilarious," we said in our review earlier this week, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is James Gunn’s masterstroke and a showcase for both his filmmaking talent and a cast that makes everything about this movie simply awesome. An absolute triumph."
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now playing in theaters.