Zoe Saldaña and Chris Pratt in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Marvel Studios/Disney)

What a difference nine years makes. When the first Guardians of the Galaxy premiered, no one had any expectations for James Gunn’s bizarre space adventure, co-starring a talking tree and a gun-toting raccoon. But this post-“Avengers” ensemble quickly became the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s breakout stars, a cosmic team of misfits whose personal baggage were as fun to explore as their wacky adventures. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 offers both, but provides something just as important: resolution.

It’s impossible to separate the “Guardians” IP from Gunn, a man whose creative journey over the last few years has been volatile, to say the least. Following Vol. 2, he was fired from Marvel Studios, hired to direct The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, reinstated by Marvel, and will now oversee the future of DC Comics adaptations going forward—the ultimate turnaround. Thus, Vol. 3 is his true MCU swan song, a journey that, however small its galactic stakes, never loses sight of the Guardians’ bonds as it wraps up their arcs with finesse and tons and tons of tear-jerking moments.

After briefly reintroducing us to the Guardians members in their spaceport Knowhere, Vol. 3 kicks things off with a bang. Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) is suddenly attacked by newcomer Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), and his teammates’ attempts to subdue the intruder goes quite poorly. Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Drax (Dave Bautista), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) all get their asses kicked, and while Adam’s mission to retrieve Rocket fails, the team must contend with the damage he’s done to Rocket. A problem they cannot immediately fix, as Rocket’s genetic/cybernetic mutations prevent the Guardians from administering a traditional cure.

Thus, Quill and the gang embark on a quest to save their friend, with each mission revealing a new layer to the sadistic machinations of Rocket’s creator: the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). Complicating matters is Gamora’s (Zoe Saldaña) return, who remembers neither being a part of the group nor her romance with Quill, a loss he’s still struggling to accept.

The third time around is not quite as grand as prior “Guardians” films, but that’s not a bad thing either. Avengers and Thor: Love and Thunder cameos aside, the Guardians often worked independently of other Marvel properties, thus freeing them of the baggage that currently dominates the MCU Phase 4 to 5 discourse. Even as it addresses key Guardian of the Galaxy Holiday Special reveals (Mantis being Peter’s biological sister), all one needs to enjoy Vol. 3 is a love of the Guardians themselves.

Gunn’s flair for the bizarre are on full display here, not to mention his blend of the hilarious and traumatic. Nearly every scene involving Mantis and Drax, or an extremely canine-themed argument between Cosmo the Space Dog (voiced by Maria Bakalova) and Kraglin (Sean Gunn), are gutbusters. But the film keenly reminds us that each character is severely traumatized: Quill by his mother’s death, Nebula and Gamora for how their adopted father Thanos treated both sisters, and so forth. Vol. 3 makes it clear Rocket had it worst. His flashbacks, chronicling the High Evolutionary’s experiments on Rocket and his animal friends, might rank as some of the darkest story lines ever shown in the MCU. Not just the animal cruelty angle but the emotional scars that haunt everyone’s furry, foul-mouthed Guardian, illuminating Rocket’s aversion to making connections with others.

Paired alongside Thanos or Vol. 2’s Ego, the High Evolutionary’s just an egomaniacal scientist prone to spit-flying tantrums. But there’s something unnerving about the High Evolutionary’s pursuit of Rocket. He deems him a failed experiment while obsessing over a memory of young Rocket unknowingly undermining the creator’s intellect. He cannot accept his creation’s free will, especially as he justifies untold acts of cruelty and subjugation under the guise of building a perfect utopia. In that regard, he fares batter than Adam and returning Vol. 2 villain Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), who, however funny, come off as tacked-on additions to the story.

One can certainly nitpick Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Gamora and Nebula’s relationship feels underdeveloped compared to Vol. 2, its supporting cast aren’t working with that much, and at nearly two and a half hours, the movie feels long. Yet you’re never checking phone every five minutes. You’re laughing with the Guardians’ antics, cheering them on in fights with perfect musical accompaniment (one Daredevil–inspired hallway battle deserves a “most iconic” label), and crying when the movie wants you to cry. That’s the special sauce which made these Marvel D-listers household names, and it’s the same formula Gunn applies to their finale. It’s not just what Marvel Studios needs right now. It’s what the Guardians, their actors, and this franchise’s director equally deserve.