Is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Scary for kids? What Parents Should Know
If you’re thinking of taking your kids to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and looking for a spoiler-free parent review, don’t worry, I gotchu. And details (without spoilers) to help you decide if Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is scary for kids in your home.
The guardians we’ve grown to know and love through two standalone movies and various MCU crossovers, come together once again to complete the trilogy. I went in pretty blind, only watching one trailer, which gave me some clues to the action-packed and emotional ride we’d be on. But more so I could tell other long-time Guardians fans went in with the knowledge of this being the end of an era. Namely with director James Gunn who is leaving the MCU and now heading up DC.
What Parents Need to Know About Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3
Parents need to know that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is an action-packed finale to the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy featuring the same characters we’ve grown to know in the first two films. The movie wastes no time jumping into the action in the first act and there’s no shortage of it throughout the film. There’s the usual mild swearing in the film and one quite pronounced F-bomb.
The movie focuses some time on Rocket’s backstory which is both informative and heartbreaking. It doesn’t completely diverge from a lot of the humor and upbeat music we have grown to expect, however, due to the tone and storyline, it often feels fleeting. There’s some flirting among some of the characters but not much sexual content. A fun watch for families fans of the Guardians movies, however a word of caution for the youngest and most sensitive of fans. I’ll get into more of the scary parts in a bit.
What I thought of Guardians of the Galaxy 3: My Spoiler-Free Parent Review
Overall the movie is a wild ride, and I was fully captivated from beginning to end. Not only that, I was on the edge of my seat, and if I wasn’t holding my breath I was laughing or crying. The story is definitely my favorite Guardians of the Galaxy movie to date, however part of that could be because I’ve had more time to understand these characters as they’ve developed in the MCU. It’s exciting, funny, and surprisingly moving. My only complaint, that perhaps is more of a TBD is how this movie will hold up upon re-watch. So much of my enjoyment came from the many surprises and plot twists. Knowing them going in would completely change the experience and the way I enjoy it.
Black Panther, Infinity War, and End Game, all just as fantastic as I watch them again and again. Spider-Man No Way Home, though still great upon re-watch, some parts (mainly one scene) just hit differently. Is this movie worth going to see in theaters? Absolutely. Should you bring your young kids? That’s up to you to decide. Next, I’ll share some things to consider on that front.
Is ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3’ Scary for Kids?
For the first time since Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and Eternals, I’m definitely pausing and strongly considering how my kids would react to this movie but it’s not for the same horror or sexual reasons as the others. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is less scary in terms of monsters, blood and jump scares, and more psychologically taxing as well as emotionally draining with several intense scenes with characters you’ve grown to love are in harm or face peril.
As far as blood, gore and violence go there is some of that including explosions, gunshots, battle scenes, limb chopping, alien gore spewing, bodies spliced in half, bones breaking and more. There’s a scene where a deformed face is shown that has been mauled and an eyeball is kinda just sitting there. Most notably for me was the animal cruelty, though fictional, makes you think, and can be uncomfortable to watch. Parents with sensitive kids might prefer to watch the movie first before bringing them.
Should You Bring Your Kids to See Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3
Every family can answer that for themselves. After seeing it with my mom, I’m definitely pausing and strongly considering how my kids would react to this movie. Lee Lee, a HUGE fan of Rocket (she sleeps with her weighted plushy every night) already has been exposed to more Guardians content than is appropriate for a 4-year-old so she will definitely not be seeing this movie for a while.
My 10-year-old son Ty has seem most of the movies in the MCU. Aside from Eternals and Doctor Strange 2 (here’s the full checklist if you’re behind on MCU movies). The storyline of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is mature in that it deals with the idea of science, evolution, death, personal growth and more. A lot of the humor, especially the relationship humor, would probably go over my son’s head. But the simple humor involving Drax and Mantis he’ll probably enjoy. If I do decide to take him to the theaters I’ll probably prepare him with some background information so he can understand what’s happening, the mission, and a reminder that the story is fictional and the animals aren’t real. I know he will appreciate Cosmo, the space dog, which surprisingly gets a lot of screen time.
My 12-year-old daughter Jayda is not a big fan of action movies or violence so this movie wouldn’t be her cup of tea. She says she’s down for an emotional rollercoaster so maybe we’ll go see it when it comes out on May 5th.
If I do take my kids to see it I’ll come back and update this review with their thoughts.
Are you planning to see Guardians of the Galaxy 3? Do you think you’ll bring your kids?
Wondering how our review of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 might compare to yours? Check out some of our other movie reviews.
- ‘SHAZAM 2’ REVIEW
- ‘CREED III’ REVIEW
- ‘BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER’ REVIEW
- ‘STRANGE WORLD’ REVIEW
- ‘THOR LOVE AND THUNDER’ REVIEW
- ‘JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION’ REVIEW
- ‘DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS’ REVIEW
- ‘SONIC 2’ MOVIE REVIEW
- ‘TURNING RED’ MOVIE REVIEW
- ‘SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME’ REVIEW
- ‘ETERNALS’ MOVIE REVIEW
If you like watching movies together as a family you’ll love our Family Movie Night Journal! Created by me and my oldest daughter Jayda. It’s bringing a family tradition of movie watching and rating to families around the world.
Tags: guardians of the galaxy, marvel, marvel movies, movie reviews
Love your review! And yes definitely update us with your kids thoughts on the movie( if you take them) they are always so honest lol
Took my son to see the film, but thought the movie was very emotionally intense and the background story behind Rocket was way too dark like the Island Of Dr. Moreau. The characters and actors, set, production etc was great but if only they could keep a lighter tone and strayed away from that. For that reason I simply do not recommend to younger children.