Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is scoring big numbers at the box office and mostly positive reviews with critics. If there’s been one criticism, or word of warning, it’s that the movie is pretty damn dark — and PETA, for one, appreciates that.
As The Wrap reports, PETA is praising James Gunn for offering an uncensored look at the cruelties of animal testing via some pretty disturbing scenes that show us Rocket Raccoon’s backstory. Via senior VP Lisa Lange, the animal rights organization offered a statement to the media about the latest chapter in the MCU:
“Through Rocket, James Gunn has put a face, a name, and a personality on the millions of vulnerable animals being cycled through laboratories as we speak. PETA is celebrating this as the best animal rights film of the year for helping audiences see animals as individuals and suggesting that just because we can experiment on them doesn’t mean that we should.”
As disturbing as the scenes in question are to some viewers, they’re integral to the plot of the movie, which traces Rocket’s road to becoming a Guardian.
“The flashbacks build to a climax where Rocket confronts the abusive scientist who is both responsible for putting him on the road to becoming a hero and putting him and his friends through unspeakable pain, resolving in the end to prevent other animals that he was once just like from suffering the same fate,” writes The Wrap’s Jeremy Fuster, adding that: “It’s an ending that PETA praises for “reminding viewers that all animals deserve a life of freedom under the open sky rather than confinement to laboratory cages.”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is in theaters now.