Part 1 - Rocket 🦝

   After an attack on Rocket, the Guardians venture on a mission to save their friend, discovering dark, traumatic secrets from his past all while Peter copes with the loss of Gamora and an unhinged scientist recklessly tries to play God. This last instalment of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy is nothing short of humorous yet heart-wrenching. A story on friendship, loss and trauma, it’s an emotional send-off to a few of the MCU’s most imbecilic and comical characters that have stolen the hearts of millions.

   This movie has multiple constituent themes to it, and Rocket’s backstory is definitely a huge aspect of the movie. Throughout the MCU films, the anthropomorphic raccoon has mostly been portrayed as indifferent and hilariously mean, with a few fleeting peaks under the mask of stoic he puts on so well. One of the most prominent examples would be this moment in the very first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, where he laments over his cruel maltreatment as a young raccoon while drunk. In Volume 3, the mask of cold-heartedness Rocket wears shatters, finally giving viewers and the Guardians themselves an understanding of Rocket’s traumas which they had no idea about.

   In reality, it is very difficult to notice the baggage someone carries, and the movie reflects this excellently. More often than not, people may carry their baggage well, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t heavy. Rocket was a victim of inhumane experiments and more saliently, psychological torture. Being the meanest and the toughest MCU character (imo), who could imagine that he was once full of love and sweetness? Who could imagine the losses he endured? Who could imagine that he used to be so afraid? 

   Rocket has truly come so far, and it’s admirable to watch his development. The film starts off with a timid Rocket while he was still a kit, enclosed in a cage with many other kits doomed to the same fate as him. During a close up of his countenance, his eyes well up with tears as he trembles in fear. Then, the scene fades to present Rocket, who is strong and brave as ever. The transition suggests how much he has evolved from being a scared, helpless animal to being hero who can fend for himself, accentuating that he has become an impregnable steel of a character built through his tough experiences in a lab.

   However, growth doesn’t always mean someone has fully healed from a traumatic experience. Rocket still broods over his past in the film, albeit internally. In the beginning of the movie, the song ‘Creep’ by Radiohead plays, a despondent start to the movie as Rocket walks around a rusty town in Knowhere. Around 4:08, Rocket says to Peter “I’m not a damn raccoon”. As if speaking his mind (or maybe it really is), the song plays the lyrics “But I’m a creep” in a deep, despressing tenor following that line. I believe that lyric emphasises Rocket’s belief that he is disfigured and “wrong” due to his artificial creation. Therefore, he dislikes the way he’s been made and wishes that he was normal, and that his life was more peaceful. I think it really shows that, even though we come out of our sufferings stronger, there will be moments of relapse where we recall our dark pasts, and it takes a mental toll on us. Also, I thought that 5 second scene was quite creative. Songs in movies are under-appreciated imo. They can be used to echo the thoughts of characters or create a specific mood in a scene, which makes them eminently necessary.

   All Rocket knew as a kid was pain. The movie reveals that the first word Rocket ever spoke was “hurts”. Like…😭😭😭. It truly accentuates that he had only known despair and physical torment, and he was completely unloved and uncared for. Ok, maybe not “completely”. Despite the anguish from going through unscrupulous surgeries, he made friends with three other animals who are so lovable you just want to reach out for them through the television screen! They played and had amusing moments together, and even planned to spend their futures together in the “New World”. The four friends believed that the High Evolutionary would gift them with a beautiful home. They were more than prepared for it, and even came up with names to call each other by in the “New World” - Lylla, Teefs, Floor and Rocket. They were so full of hope and love for each other, and are proof that candles can still burn during the gloomiest days. 

   I noticed that the High Evolutionary had a habit of calling Rocket “it” or “89P13”. His objectification of a live creature shows that he regarded Rocket as a mere experiment destitute of the ability to feel, amplifying his cruelty and wickedness. His heart was stone cold, for sure, and his lack of sympathy was what tore Rocket apart during his years as a prisoner. Around 1:01:56, he says a series of things to degrade Rocket’s self-esteem. 

   “Look at you. As if you were cobbled together by fat-fingered children” indicates that the High Evolutionary regards Rocket as a poorly and clumsily made project that can be easily thrown away, making Rocket feel deformed and ugly. (well, has the High Evolutionary looked in the mirror? His face looks clumsily made too). “Simply a medley of mistakes” suggests that Rocket was only seen as a flaw to get rid of in the High Evolutionary’s reckless endeavours. This could have caused Rocket to feel like a fault that cannot be fixed and makes him feel unworthy of existence. “But you couldn’t figure that out?” was the final blow at Rocket as the High Evolutionary taunts him for clinging onto hope the whole time, making Rocket feel dumb for seeing a silver lining. Rocket’s confidence had crumbled because of the words of the diabolical High Evolutionary, affecting the way he thinks about himself. I believe that the first two quotes emphasise an earlier point made where Rocket believed himself to be disfigured. The last quote was probably a learning point for Rocket, causing him to never trust and never hope, so that his feelings don’t ever get hurt.

Getting your hopes crushed is a very difficult experience to process and go through more than once. Thus, it can be very challenging for those who have been through such a thing to feel positive again as they are afraid of getting hurt. They may bury those feelings and lock them up as a way to defend themselves from emotional agony. As someone who has unconsciously done this, I empathise with Rocket. I’d do anything to never get hurt again.

   When Rockets was this close 🤏🤏 to dying, I was in absolute tears 😭😭!!! Who else???? I couldn’t afford to lose him after knowing how much heartbreak he had encountered. And the Guardians would never be the same without him!! I think it just goes to show that the writers did an impeccable job in creating a character who is rather brutal but still cherished. They successfully broke the hearts of millions and made us feel so sorry for Rocket that we weeped watching him in severe pain and nearly dying.

   The psychological torment Rocket was put through scarred him for life. It’s no wonder why, on hearing the High Evolutionary’s voice after waking up from his coma (thank God he woke up), that he cowered in fear. The sudden fright in his expression was foreign and heart-wrenching. I don’t think audiences have seen Rocket so afraid before. 

   I don’t think anyone could really imagine what Rocket had been through. 

   Nearing the end of the film, Rocket finds himself in a room teeming with animals fated to suffer like he did. He remembers being one of them, especially after seeing the baby raccoons in one of the cages. As he looked at the animals around him, tears roll down his face - an unfamiliar sight. Watching this scene, I was reminded of this heated exchange between Yondu and Rocket in Volume 2, where Yondu exposes Rocket for being a lot less brave than he appears to be. Indeed, Yondu was right.

   Rocket receives closure when he, the Guardians and the population of Knowhere save all the life forms trapped on the ship, both the higher life forms and the animals. There was definitely no better way to satisfy Rocket than ensuring no other creature will have to suffer the wrath and imprudent ambitiousness of the High Evolutionary. I’m so happy that Rocket could save the other victims even when he couldn’t save his friends in the past (it’s giving Andrew Garfield’s Spiderman saving MJ iykyk). That was the “purpose” Lylla was referring to when she spoke to Rocket - he can save the remaining victims.

   GOTG Volume 3 had a didactic message to convey to viewers, and that is that you’ll never really know what anyone is going through. So just love them, like how the Guardians all loved Rocket despite how harsh and arrogant he can be. Just love everyone. 

   I think the film also shows that despite all the hardships we have persevered through, and the number of times we have been hurt, we can fuel that pain into helping others. It’ll be great closure, and making sure others don’t suffer the same way you do is the best form of recovery. 

   Ok ok, I know I have been ranting on and on about Rocket’s miserable past (can you blame me???), but there are other important aspects in the film too. 

   Part 2 is coming soon!!