The pillar of cinema, Marvel, has struck again. During the past decade, its universe has evolved into a tireless machine spewing movie after movie and bringing in loads of cash while doing it. But the flaws of the movie-making-Marvel-machine have become apparent, as some of their recent films felt formulaic and boring, using beloved characters as something of a cash grab. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is an exception, a shining gold piece in an endless flow of superhero films.

What puts it in front of all these other superhero movies? It covers some surprisingly dark topics. We’re given the backstory of Rocket Raccoon, which was a tear-jerker. We are also shown violence unseen in most Marvel movies, blood, broken bones, mass death and some bone-chilling scenes that will not fail to send a few shivers down your spine. The story is good, but not revolutionary. It still feels like a formulaic Marvel movie, albeit a good one. As the third installment to the series, most people watching the movie are familiar with the Guardians and the friends they’ve made. The movie uses this to propel the story, as minutes after the movie starts the story is moving forward on full throttle. This is both a great thing because the movie is dense with interesting plot-driven scenes, but also a terrible thing, because there is less time for the audinece to enjoy the charismatic and beloved main characters interacting with each other.