On May 5, Marvel fans welcomed a new Guardians of the Galaxy film to the MCU for the final time. As per usual, GOTG had yet another iconic soundtrack cued up by Starlord himself. Let’s dive into a few of those songs. Warning: spoilers ahead!
Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. III
Guardians of the Galaxy provides a very necessary reprieve from the gloom and doom that many Marvel movies provide. Whereas Iron Man and Captain America seemingly never catch a break, Peter Quill and his crew resort to handling conflict with comedy and one hell of a playlist. From the second Starlord graced our screens, to his final Guardians film, director James Gunn has ensured that his weapons extend beyond guns and spaceships; Quill’s walkman was all the superhero ever needed.
Volume three kicks off with an acoustic version of ‘Creep’ by Radiohead, setting the scene for an oddly transparent, grim mood with our favorite space raccoon, Rocket. If you didn’t already know, this final chapter of the Guardians surrounds Rocket, his origins, and his redemption arc. Gunn’s choice of using ‘Creep’ as an intro was a bold statement that resonated with fans. Despite being the quirky, lovable heroes on-screen, the Guardians still consist of “weirdos” that find themselves lonely from time to time. As if the song wasn’t iconic and hard-hitting enough, the choice to use the acoustic version makes it that much more special. Especially in that closing line, “I don’t belong here.”
There’s a ton of genius embedded throughout the movie’s soundtrack. Each song was meticulously chosen to complement the characters and settings involved, while staying true to timelines. Whereas volumes one and two focused primarily on music from the 70’s, volume three welcomes the late 80’s/early 90’s. And with that, comes the Beastie Boys.
From the Beastie Boys to Florence and the Machine
In addition to ‘Creep,’ there were two more songs that stood out to me as I watched the final Guardians of the Galaxy movie. The first being the hallway scene (pictured above) where the antiheroes team up in their iconic Guardians style to fight the antagonist, the High Evolutionary. As this scene begins, the Beastie Boys’ ‘No Rest in Brooklyn’ plays. This moment is some of the cast’s favorite soundtrack scenes– including director James Gunn. It truly displays the essence of the band of misfits we’ve come to know and love. In this scene, we witness the trust and chemistry the team has developed over the years, with the addition of new members (Nebula). It pulls at your heartstrings, and is equally a badass fight scene overall.
Lastly, you cannot discuss the Awesome Mix Volume III without acknowledging the closing scene of the film. When all is said and done, and the universe is saved once again, the Guardians return to their home base of Knowhere. After the original team agrees to go their separate ways and don Rocket as the future leader of the Guardians, the surviving citizens of the planet celebrate to the tune of Florence and the Machine’s ‘Dog Day Are Over’.
To wrap it all up, the closing scene embodies the euphoric joy of the old and new citizens of Knowhere. For the lives that are about to begin, and the journeys they have yet to embark on. Alas, the dog day are over, and peace is restored yet again. The last, and final, mixtape is complete.
