In the end, it was all about Rocket.

When we met the genetically modified raccoon in the first Marvel Studios’ Guardians Of The Galaxy movie, he was a smart-mouthed, brash mercenary with his mind on his money and his money on his mind. Over his appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Bradley Cooper-voiced creature has proved to be a brave warrior and a loyal friend to the rest of the Guardians.

But it turns out there was more to Rocket. After he is attacked by a Sovereign warrior called Adam at the start of Marvel Studios’ Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3, we see in flashback how he carries the memory of his own creation by a crazed scientist known as the High Evolutionary. Racked with confusion over his origins and guilt about the sacrifices that allowed him to escape, Rocket carries painful shame that fuels his anger.

It’s the story of a true hero in search of redemption. And now it’s available to buy and keep on Virgin Media Store to watch whenever you want!

With Rocket incapacitated, it’s down to the rest of the Guardians to head out into space and find the cure that will revive him. Peter Quill aka Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Drax (Dave Bautista), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) – reluctantly helped by the alternative-timeline version of Peter’s late girlfriend Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) – are ready to face anything to help their friend, no matter how weird.

And there’s plenty of weird. A squidgy organic planetoid housing a worryingly unregulated scientific lab? Check. A planet that closely resembles Earth, but populated by a variety of human-animal hybrids? Check. And not forgetting Adam (Will Poulter), designed by the golden-hued Sovereign race – who the Guardians irritated previously – as a relentless assassin set on wiping out our heroes.

The Marvel Studios’ Guardians Of The Galaxy films have always been among the most reliably funny, quirky and entertaining of the Marvel movies – but there’s real heart there too. The characterisation of Rocket and Groot, using CGI and motion-capture technology, is amazingly convincing. You’ll have to remind yourself repeatedly that trees can’t really walk and talk.

The script, again by director James Gunn, is a rollercoaster of emotions. Rocket’s backstory is as devastating as the deranged, galaxy-endangering ambitions of the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuju) are unsettling. But the comic bickering among the Guardians is still present and correct, providing big laughs and underlining how they’ve become a family.

Plus, as you’d expect from a Guardians movie, it’s got an absolutely killer soundtrack, with highlights including Spacehog’s anthemic “In The Meantime”, the insistent funk-metal of Faith No More’s “We Care A Lot”, The Flaming Lips’ philosophical lullaby “Do You Realize??” and the euphoric “Dog Days Are Gone” by Florence And The Machine.

It’s a phenomenally entertaining movie with everything you could want from an action blockbuster, basically – and it’s available to buy and keep to watch as many times as you want! You can buy Marvel Studios’ Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (cert 12) now on Virgin Media Store and rent it from Thursday 31 August.

If you have a TiVo^® box or Virgin TV V6 box, powered by TiVo^®, go to On Demand > Movies. If you have Virgin TV 360 box or Stream, go to Box Sets & Movies > Store. You can also buy the earlier films in the series, Marvel Studios’ Guardians Of The Galaxy and Marvel Studios’ Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2.

Thanks to Virgin Media Store, you can see the biggest releases in the comfort of your own home with a couple of clicks. Watch whatever you fancy, whenever!

Haven’t signed up to the Virgin Media Store?

It’s the place where you can buy the latest and greatest movies and TV Box Sets, yours to watch again and again, at home or on the go. Sign up now at virginmediastore.com, and go to On Demand > Movies to choose from hundreds of films and TV Box Sets and start watching instantly.

Enjoy your purchases on your Virgin TV Box (TiVo^®/V6/Virgin TV 360). Or you can access online and on your registered iOS and Android devices with the Virgin Media Store app.

You can also rent the latest films

If you have a TiVo^® box or Virgin TV V6 box, powered by TiVo®, go to On Demand > Movies. If you have a Virgin TV 360 box, go to Box Sets & Movies > STORE.

Search for a title, or browse by category such as Out This Week, Best Sellers or Collections. Once you’ve found the movie you want to rent, select Watch now to start watching instantly. Then, sit back and enjoy! You’ll have up to 48 hours to finish watching your film.