Should be like 45 mins shorter but this series remains more heartfelt and inventive and plain fun than the rest of these movies. They tell essentially small stories (well, relatively) rooted in characters and remain blissfully self-contained (well, relatively), so they can have, you know, actual endings and (some) character-growth and stuff. Also good on Gunn for realizing that Karen Gillan is the secret MVP of this series and giving her more to do.

The Rocket flashbacks didn’t do anything for me, though (isn’t the whole concept of Rocket Raccoon that he *isn‘t* the cutesy animal sidekick he looks like? Dialing the sugary cuteness on him and his animal buddies to eleven seems like missing the point to me). And I don‘t know if this of all movies needed to throw in some kids in cages at the end, but whatever.