Moviefone Editorial

Tag: jack-champion

  • Movie Review: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’

    Oona Chaplin as Varang in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Oona Chaplin as Varang in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Opening in theaters on December 19th is ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, which is the highly anticipated third installment of ‘Avatar’, one of the most successful franchises of all time, and was once again directed by Oscar winner James Cameron (‘The Terminator’).

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    The sequel stars Sam Worthington (‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’), Zoe Saldaña (‘Emilia Pérez’), Sigourney Weaver (‘Aliens’), Stephen Lang (‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’), Oona Chaplin (‘Game of Thrones’), Jack Champion (‘Trap House’), Giovanni Ribisi (‘Saving Private Ryan’), Edie Falco (‘The Sopranos’), and Kate Winslet (‘Titanic’).

    Related Article: Director James Cameron and Kate Winslet Talk ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’

    Initial Thoughts

    (L to R) Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    I walked away from watching ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ having the same reaction I did to the last two ‘Avatar’ movies. I thought it was a completely entertaining and stunningly visual theatrical experience, and I will probably never watch it again. It’s a one-time theatrical experience, not unlike an amusement park ride or seeing a concert at The Sphere, it’s extremely satisfying, but only once.

    The movie is meant to be seen in 3D on the biggest screen possible surrounded by an audience, and in that way, ‘Fire and Ash’ is a huge triumph, and another cinematic extravaganza from the “King of the World” James Cameron. But, with vague characters that never grow or change, a limited plot and almost no real story to tell, I fear the movie will not hold up in repeat viewings, especially on smaller home screens, with no real substance outside of the visual spectacle.

    Story and Direction

    (L to R) Stephen Lang and Director James Cameron on the set of 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Stephen Lang and Director James Cameron on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Following the events of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, ‘Fire and Ash’ finds Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) family dealing with the aftermath or their son Neteyam’s (Jamie Flatters) death. With their adopted son Spider’s (Jack Champion) breathing mask running out of battery, they plan to travel back to Dr. Spellman’s (Joel David Moore) base to get a new mask but are attacked by a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, also called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin).

    Meanwhile, Spider’s birthfather and Jake’s sworn enemy Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) is still in hot pursuit of Jake and his family. Soon, Quaritch makes a deal with the Mangkwan clan and teams up with Varang to wipe out Jake and his clan. Now, Jake and his family must fight Quaritch and the Mangkwan clan to save Spider, their people, and the planet from destruction.

    That’s the basic plot, and let’s be honest, it’s a little thin. The visual effects and the world building that Cameron has created masks it in the first viewing, but once you take this movie out of the incredible theatrical experience, I fear the film will have nothing valuable to offer.

    (L to R) Director James Cameron and Zoe Saldana on the set of 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Director James Cameron and Zoe Saldana on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    But it’s not just the story that is thin, there is also no real character development, and the characters are more like archetypes than real people. There are also so many characters that it’s hard to get enough time to really care about any of them. Kate Winslet’s Ronal, who was a lead in the last film is barely in this one, and even Zoe Saldaña’s Neytiri, arguably the heart of the franchise, is regulated to the background. And the two main characters of the franchise, Jake and Quaritch, now seem like characterizations of the actual characters they once played.

    But at the end of the day, I guess you’re not going to an ‘Avatar’ movie for a great story or in-depth character development, you are going for the visuals and the spectacle, and in that sense, Cameron delivers a home run crafting a must-see theatrical experience. It’s kind of like eating at McDonald’s, the foods not good for you, but it tastes great going down!

    Cast and Performances

    (L to R) Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    With a script, story, and characters as poorly crafted as this, it seems almost unfair to criticize the actors and their performances as I’m sure they did their best, but here we go.

    After three films, and almost 20 years of playing the character, you would hope for more from Sam Worthington. His Jake Sully is still the heroic leader, but we really know very little about the character at this point other than he wants to protect his family and the actor’s performance is one-note at best.

    As previously mentioned, it was shocking to see how limited screen time Zoe Saldaña and Kate Winslet’s characters had, especially considering Saldaña was really the lead of the first film, and Winslet the lead of the second. Neither actress has enough to do in this installment, which is disappointing and a waste of the two Oscar winning actress’ talents.

    Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    However, the one standout performance of the film is from new edition Oona Chaplin, who gives a fiery performance as Mangkwan clan leader Varang. Actor Jack Champion is also quite compelling as Spider this time around, growing into the part and surprisingly having a bigger role in the story in this new installment.

    While somewhat limited, legendary actress Sigourney Weaver returns as both Dr. Grace Augustine and her Avatar’s daughter, Kiri, who was also adopted by Jake and his family. Augustine may not appear on screen for long, but Kiri is a major part of the story and Weaver is excellent playing the rebellious teenage Na’vi.

    Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Giovanni Ribisi and Edie Falco also return as members of the evil RDA military and mining operations, but like many of the other excellent actors in this film, are given very little to do other than move the plot forward with exposition.

    Finally, Stephen Lang still plays Colonel Miles Quaritch like a generic villain, and while he does have some great moments with both Chaplin and Champion, the character, who technically died in the first movie, hasn’t changed at all and is still playing the same note.

    Final Thoughts

    Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    While the story and character development are almost nonexistent, and the dialogue at times is laughable, director James Cameron still delivers a visually stunning and completely satisfying and entertaining theatrical experience, even if it will only work in your first viewing. ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is worth spending money to see it in a theater, but after that, you can forget about it and will probably never revisit the film again.

    ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ receives a score of 79 out of 100.

    'Avatar: Fire and Ash' opens in theaters on December 19th.
    ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ opens in theaters on December 19th.

    What is the plot of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?

    A year after settling in with the Metkayina clan, Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) family grapples with grief after Neteyam’s death. They encounter a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, also called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin), who has allied with Jake’s enemy, Quaritch (Stephen Lang), as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?

    (L to R) Director James Cameron and Oona Chaplin on the set of 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Director James Cameron and Oona Chaplin on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    List of James Cameron Movies:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy James Cameron Movies on Amazon

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  • ‘Trap House’ Exclusive Interview: Dave Bautista

    Dave Bautista in 'Trap House'. Photo: Courtesy of AURA Entertainment.
    Dave Bautista in ‘Trap House’. Photo: Courtesy of AURA Entertainment.

    Opening in theaters nationwide on November 14th is the new action thriller ‘Trap House’, which was directed by Michael Dowse (‘Stuber’), and stars Dave Bautista (‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’), Jack Champion (‘Avatar: The Way of Water’), Tony Dalton (‘Hawkeye’), and Bobby Cannavale (‘Ant-Man‘).

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    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dave Bautista about his work on ‘Trap House’, developing the project as a producer, balancing the action with the father/son story, his advice for young actor Jack Champion, fanboying over Bobby Cannavale, and his close working relationship with director Michael Dowse, as well as sword training to play The Kurgan in the upcoming remake of ‘Highlander’, and joining Jake Gyllenhaal for ‘Road House 2’.

    Related Article: Dave Bautista Talks George R. R. Martin Adaptation ‘In the Lost Lands’

    (L to R) Dave Bautista and Bobby Cannavale in 'Trap House'. Photo: Courtesy of AURA Entertainment.
    (L to R) Dave Bautista and Bobby Cannavale in ‘Trap House’. Photo: Courtesy of AURA Entertainment.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your work on ‘Trap House’ as a producer and the challenges of getting this movie made?

    Dave Bautista: I’d have to go back to how this happened. So, a buddy of mine who works for the NSA now, but he’s kind of been around law enforcement. He was in the military, he’s been a cop, he worked for the DOD, and he worked for Federal law enforcement. Now he’s at the NSA. Anyway, he came to me with this idea. He said, “Hey, I got an idea. I wanted to run by you. It’s about a bunch of DEA agents and they’re seizing drugs and money from drug dealers. These kids, they’re just looking for a wild ride, so they start robbing the money from their parents. I said, “I don’t love that. I don’t love the kid stealing from the government. What about this?” So, I came up with the idea of the kids really needing the money, not just wanting the money or wanting to be on the wild ride but needing the money to help a friend. They start robbing drug dealers that their parents were investigating, because their parents of course they’re not going to suspect their kids. But I like the idea of turning into a three-way kind of cat and mouse. So that’s originally how it started. Then I’d done a film called ‘Final Score’ with the producer who I ended up producing ‘Final Score’ with, Marc Goldberg. So that’s how I pitched the idea to him, and he said, “I love that idea. Let’s a hire writer, and let’s do it”. So, that’s how it all initially started. When I read the first draft, it was very different from what I turned it turned out to be, because I it was originally more like  ‘The Fast and the Furious’. I wanted it to be kind of that meets ‘Stand by Me’. I wanted it to be an adventure for the kids who kind of get in over their heads. But I wanted there to be some innocence to it and that’s kind of how it started. It took years to get the script to where we wanted it to be, and even then, there was still a rocky road after that. This was a hard film to make.

    MF: Can you talk about balancing the film’s father and son story with the action and thriller aspects of the movie?

    DB: That’s what we wanted it to be. We wanted it to be about strained relationships, but we always wanted it to be told from the kids’ point of view. I didn’t want the parents to be the star of this film. I wanted the kids to be the stars of the film. I also thought, I just wanted it to be fun, because sometimes, especially I found out with wrestling, you want the bad guy to get away with it. The kids, they’re not doing the right thing. They’re not doing the best thing. They’ve gotten themselves in way over their heads. But we went through drafts where one of the kids got shot, and I was like, “No, we can’t do that.” In one draft the kids got arrested, they went to prison, I was like, “No, we can’t do that.” It’s one of those things where it is just a fun film. This is not a documentary. We just want to have fun. We want kids to have fun watching this film. We want it to be a popcorn film. We want it to be entertaining. But it’s built a bridge between a father and his son who, where their relationship is strained and they’re trying to figure out how to bond. Then that’s how they got through all this mayhem. That’s the way my character was able to express his love to his son, which his son had never noticed before. He always thought he’d put his job first but Cody really knows that he’s sacrificing everything because he loves his son so much.

    (L to R) Sophia Lillis, Jack Champion, Whitney Peak and Zaire Adams in 'Trap House'. Photo: Courtesy of AURA Entertainment.
    (L to R) Sophia Lillis, Jack Champion, Whitney Peak and Zaire Adams in ‘Trap House’. Photo: Courtesy of AURA Entertainment.

    MF: Can you talk about creating that father and son relationship onscreen with Jack Champion?

    DB: It was so easy. Jack and I bonded immediately. We’re kind of from the same neck of the woods, and he was really starting to get into boxing and stuff. So, we had something to talk about and it just happened organically. We went and trained before we started filming. We worked out together and you really get to know people if you work out together. So, we bonded immediately. I also thought, he’s just such a nice, cool, humble kid, and I’ve worked with people in Hollywood who started out young and I feel like they lose a connection with people. They kind of get sheltered, they get in a bubble, and they lose interaction with people. Jack didn’t have any of that. He was just super friendly and humble, and he really wanted to learn. I thought, man, this kid he’s a leading man. He kind of looked at me like a mentor on this film and to be honest with you, I kind of loved it. So, we had good conversations and I thought, he’s going to have a future in this business. I wanted to share with him some of the stuff that I learned along the way, and just hope he’s on the right path throughout his career and treats people great. I really believe in treating your crew great. They don’t make as much money as you do, and they don’t get the spotlight that you do, but they are working twice as hard as you do. They’re there before you get there, and they’re there after you leave. I believe that. I learned that from WWE. I’ve always carried that with me, and I try to pass that on to anybody who will listen. Since Jack is young in this business and impressionable, I wanted to share that with him, that sentiment, that’s the way I look at filmmaking. That’s the way. That’s the attitude I go to work with. Be nice to people, courteous to people, respect people and then build that kind of positive environment. In the hard days, that kind of environment, it pays off because it’s not like somebody’s working harder than somebody else. We’re all working. We’re all on it together. We’re in this fight because days on films get long and they get hard. You’re missing your family and you’re not sleeping well and you’re not eating right. So, if you build that relationship with people and keep it in a real positive environment, that starts from the top all the way down, then you get a good environment which will translate into good filmmaking. Hopefully, good filmmaking. But you know at least everybody’s on the same page and we’re trying to create a quality project. Everybody’s got their heart invested in it.

    MF: What was it like working with Bobby Cannavale and what did you learn from watching the way he approaches a character?

    DB: I was trying not to fanboy too much. Bobby’s a quiet guy. He’s not a big talker, and I have a thousand of questions to pick his brain about, especially his stage work. He’s a real guy’s guy. He’s super into sports and he’s super handsome, which is obnoxious. He’s a New Yorker, too, so he’s just a little rough around the edges. But he’s quiet and he’s to himself. He’s super low maintenance, doesn’t have an entourage with him, and he reads a lot. But I picked my spots and just kind of picked his brain about acting and stuff. I was such a big fan of his because I thought his portrayal of his character on ‘Boardwalk Empire’ was just so fearless. I just loved it so much, and so I wanted to pick his brain about that, but also about stage work because I aspire to do stage work. But I my relationship with him, it all built from a foundation of respect for what he’s done and the person he is, because he’s just a good solid dude, and super talented.

    (L to R) Dave Bautista and Bobby Cannavale in 'Trap House'. Photo: Courtesy of AURA Entertainment.
    (L to R) Dave Bautista and Bobby Cannavale in ‘Trap House’. Photo: Courtesy of AURA Entertainment.

    MF: I know that you have worked with director Michael Dowse in the past, what was it like reuniting with him on this film and what do you enjoy about the way he directs?

    DB: We have a relationship. Michael and I go way back. We did a film called ‘Stuber’ together, which I’ve got a chip on my shoulder because I I’ve always felt like that film was super underrated. We just got smashed in the box office. I think people weren’t sure what the film was. It’s just my opinion, but I don’t think I was a big enough name to carry the film, but I still think it’s just a great film. It’s a fun film. We were also boxed between massive films like ‘Toy Story 4’, ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’. So, we just got smashed. But Mike saved us on this film because Mike stepped in last minute. We had a director and he dropped out weeks before we were supposed to start filming. So, I called Mike and I said, “Hey, we’re just in a jam.” He just jumped on it. Mike’s the type of guy who just knows what he wants. Again, he’s good to people and always has a good energy, but he’s just good at relaying what he wants. He makes things simple. He’s clearly the boss when he’s on set, he just has a vision. You never guess, who’s the boss? You’re never looking around, trying to figure it out. Like, who should I go to? Mike is the boss when he’s on set. So, people have a lot of respect for him, and I do as well. So, at that point, because we were behind and without a leader, we needed a leader and Mike stepped in and really kind of saved us. So, I always love him, and will be grateful for him for that, and other things as well, but most mostly that.

    MF: What can you tell us about preparing for your upcoming role as The Kurgan in the remake of ‘Highlander’? Have you started sword training yet?

    DB: I’ve been sword training for just about three months. It’s tough. This film is not going to be anything anybody’s seen before. I think this script is amazing. I don’t often get like super excited about scripts. I usually read scripts and then I start to think, how can we fix this? How can we make this better? There’s something there, but how can we elevate it? Not with this one. When I read it, I just got it. It was great. The characters were elevated, and there’s a lot of nods to the original, but it is very different. Also, the action on this is going to be ridiculous. I mean, it’s ‘John Wick’ amplified because it’s just never been done. Obviously, there’s going to be swords. I don’t think that’s going to a spoiler alert. There’s going to be swords, but it’s a lot of very stylized sword fighting. I mean, Chad (Stahelski) has been thinking about this for a very long time. Our ten-to-fifteen-minute meetings turn into two-hour conversations because I think he’s been obsessing over this film for years now. So, I think people are going to be really excited about this. I hope they are. I can’t wait for people to see the first trailer because I’ve seen mockups and I get goosebumps. I’m a fan of the original, and not every film should be remade, but this one had such a great and interesting premise. At the time, I don’t think it smashed box office records, but it’s got a bit of a cult following. But I want more people to be familiar with it and I’m sure this new film is going to be a box office smash, but I hope that it will bring attention to the original because I’m a massive fan of it and Clancy Brown. I got big shoes to fill, and I will be honest and say that I’m super nervous about it. I’m a little self-conscious because Clancy was in his 20’s when he played The Kurgan, and I’m over here in my 50s trying to fill his shoes. Those are big shoes to fill. So hopefully I do it justice, but I can say that it won’t be from lack of hard work because I’ve been working my butt off. I’ve been pursuing the role of The Kurgan for probably ten plus years, and so it is the dream role.

    (Left) Dave Bautista stars in 'In the Lost Lands'. (Right) Clancy Brown as The Kurgan in 'Highlander'. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
    (Left) Dave Bautista stars in ‘In the Lost Lands’. (Right) Clancy Brown as The Kurgan in ‘Highlander’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

    MF: Finally, what has it been like joining ‘Road House 2’ and working with Jake Gyllenhaal?

    DB: It’s great. This is a dream. I always tell people, I kind of measure my career by who I’m working with. I’ve been a fan of Jake’s for a very long time, and I told him that years ago because we had a mutual friend and he stuck us together on a FaceTime call. I was like, “Man, I’m a huge fan. I went, long before ‘Road House’ was even a conversation, to see him in ‘Othello’ on Broadway with Denzel Washington. I went back and talked to him, and he just blows me away. He’s a real actor. He’s the real deal. So, to think that I can say that I I’m working with him, if not to anyone else, it says to me something personally about where my career’s at, and it means a lot to me. I’ve never been an accolades guy, but when I can get respect from my peers and peers that I hold on to a pedestal, that means more to me. Plus, he’s a good dude. He’s just a great guy. He’s super down to earth, funny and smart, and just super talented. We’re having in depth conversations about things we’re doing in scenes, looks, mannerisms, backstories, and that’s what I love about acting.

    'Trap House' opens in theaters on November 14th.
    ‘Trap House’ opens in theaters on November 14th.

    What is the plot of ‘Trap House’?

    In El Paso, Texas, an undercover DEA agent (Dave Bautista) and his partner embark on a game of cat and mouse with their own teenage children, who are using their parents’ tactics and intel to rob a dangerous cartel.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Trap House’?

    (Left) Dave Bautista in 'Trap House'. Photo: Courtesy of AURA Entertainment.
    (Left) Dave Bautista in ‘Trap House’. Photo: Courtesy of AURA Entertainment.

    List of Dave Bautista Movies:

    Buy Tickets: ‘In the Lost Lands’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Dave Bautista Movies On Amazon

  • Movie Review: ‘Everything’s Going to be Great’

    Bryan Cranston and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth in Jon. S. Baird’s 'Everything's Going to Be Great' Photo: Lionsgate.
    Bryan Cranston and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth in Jon. S. Baird’s ‘Everything’s Going to Be Great’ Photo: Lionsgate.

    ‘Everything’s Going to be Great’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.

    Opening in theaters on June 20th is ‘Everything’s Going to be Great,’ which chronicles the ups-and-downs of a family who (mostly) work behind the scenes in a local Ohio theatre.

    Directed by Jon S. Baird (‘Filth’), the film stars Bryan Cranston (‘The Studio’), Allison Janney (‘The Help’), Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (‘Pinocchio’), Jack Champion (‘Avatar: The Way of Water’) and Chris Cooper (‘American Beauty’)

    Related Article: ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ is Awkwardly Hilarious High-Level Filmmaking

    Initial Thoughts

    Benjamin Evan Ainsworth in Jon. S. Baird’s 'Everything's Going to Be Great' Photo: Lionsgate.
    Benjamin Evan Ainsworth in Jon. S. Baird’s ‘Everything’s Going to Be Great’ Photo: Lionsgate.

    The sort of small-scale, yet big-hearted comedy drama that looks to carve out space among the bigger movies at the box office, ‘Everything’s Going to be Great’ looks to mostly draw attention from its two leads and a quirky blend of coming-of-age misadventures, family tension and, just to mix things up, visions of long-dead entertainment figures.

    It’s something a little different from director Jon S. Baird, who is better known for the more vulgar likes of police comedy ‘Filth’, but has certainly dipped into theatrics before via his biopic ‘Stan & Ollie.’

    Script and Direction

    Allison Janney and Chris Cooper in Jon. S. Baird’s 'Everything's Going to Be Great' Photo: Lionsgate.
    Allison Janney and Chris Cooper in Jon. S. Baird’s ‘Everything’s Going to Be Great’ Photo: Lionsgate.

    Scriptwriter Steven Rogers has been cranking out screenplays for decades –– his resume stretches back to the 1990s likes of ‘Hope Floats’ and ‘Stepmom’ and his most recent produced screenplay was 2017’s ‘I, Tonya’.

    With all that experience, you might have hoped for something a little more solid and unique from his latest, which, while it is far from a failure, meanders along through some mildly entertaining moments but never really seems to come alive. Which is disappointing for a movie about characters whose lives are mostly lived in theatrical fashion.

    Bumbling along as patriarch Buddy (Bryan Cranston) struggles and schemes to score a contract at a new bigger theatre venue, it’s also partly focused on youngest son Lester (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), who has his own dreams of stage stardom, but must first figure out more basics aspects of life, such as fitting in at middle school.

    Older brother Derrick (Jack Champion), meanwhile, has his own issues –– he’d prefer to live a more normal life, comprised of playing football and dating girls, and is sick of having to perform in musicals.

    Then there’s Macy (Allison Janney), who is really hoping things change for the family, but worries that she doesn’t have the same enthusiasm for theatre that her husband does, and is turning more and more to religion to find comfort.

    Bryan Cranston in Jon. S. Baird’s 'Everything's Going to Be Great' Photo: Lionsgate.
    Bryan Cranston in Jon. S. Baird’s ‘Everything’s Going to Be Great’ Photo: Lionsgate.

    I won’t spoil the big change that happens about a third of the way through the film, but it does at least spark some interesting, dramatic material for the characters, even the narrative doesn’t quite leave itself enough road to deal with everything effectively.

    As director, Baird mostly stays out of the way of the performances; aside from the occasional drop in from deceased creative people who offer advice to Lester from the great beyond, it’s a largely straightforward movie, visually.

    He does decent work coaxing good performances out of the younger cast in particular, but little stands out.

    Cast and Performances

    Allison Janney in Jon. S. Baird’s 'Everything's Going to Be Great' Photo: Lionsgate.
    Allison Janney in Jon. S. Baird’s ‘Everything’s Going to Be Great’ Photo: Lionsgate.

    As patriarch Buddy Smart, Cranston goes all in on the quirky, enthusiastic but humane theatre producer whose big Broadway dreams have been curtailed but whose spirit is undamped. It’s a fun performance, and he works well off of Janney and the two actors playing his sons. Even if his bushy mustache is doing half the work for him.

    As Macy, Buddy’s slightly more tamped-down wife, Janney’s always good at finding nuance in a role such as this, and when Macy moves more into the spotlight, she brings some depth of feeling and extra comedy levels to the part.

    Playing Lester Smart, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth has a few more levels to access, including the teen’s conflict between his theatrical side and the realities of young life in 1980s small-town America. He’s solid in the role and never showy, even when Lester chooses to be.

    Jack Champion manages to stay away from most of the jock/big brother cliches, and finds a good vibe with Ainsworth for a convincing sibling dynamic.

    Chris Cooper is fine as Macy’s brother, who the family has to move in with at one point, but he’s not given as much to do as he might.

    Elsewhere, Simon Rex has a good supporting part as Kyle, an actor who starts working for Buddy and Macy but causes some friction within the family.

    As for the ghostly visions of the likes of Tallulah Bankhead (Laura Benanti), Ruth Gordon (Chick Reid) and particularly Noël Coward (Mark Caven), they’re fine, but make little impact despite the talented people in the parts.

    Final Thoughts

    Jack Champion in Jon. S. Baird’s 'Everything's Going to Be Great' Photo: Lionsgate.
    Jack Champion in Jon. S. Baird’s ‘Everything’s Going to Be Great’ Photo: Lionsgate.

    While the movie is unlikely to burn up the box office or enter the cultural consciousness, ‘Everything’s Going to be Great’ is a decently funny and touching, if fairly slight, comedy drama.

    A fine cast and some good moments don’t really add up to a truly memorable movie.

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    What’s the story of ‘Everything’s Going to be Great’?

    As the Smart family wrestle with their over-sized dreams, they come to realize that the struggle to find your voice and your place in the world can happen no matter what stage of life you’re in.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Everything’s Going to be Great’?

    • Allison Janney as Macy Smart
    • Bryan Cranston as Buddy Smart
    • Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Lester Smart
    • Jack Champion as Derrick Smart
    • Chris Cooper as Walter
    • Simon Rex as Kyle
    • Jessica Clement as Selena Roach
    • Mark Caven as Noël Coward
    • Laura Benanti as Tallulah Bankhead
    Poster for 'Everything's Going to be Great'. Photo: Lionsgate.
    Poster for ‘Everything’s Going to be Great’. Photo: Lionsgate.

    Other Movies and TV Shows Directed by Jon S. Baird:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Everything’s Going to be Great’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Bryan Cranston Movies and TV on Amazon

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  • ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’s James Cameron and Kate Winslet

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    Opening in theaters on December 16th is the highly-awaited sequel to 2009’s box office smash ‘Avatar,’ entitled ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’

    Once again written and directed by groundbreaking filmmaker James Cameron, the new film picks up more than a decade after the original and sees Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family escaping from the return of Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), and looking for refuge with the reef people clan of Metkayina, a water-dwelling species on Pandora.

    In addition to Worthington and Lang, the film also welcomes back Zoe Saldana as Neytiri, CCH Pounder as Mo’at, and Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge, as well as Sigourney Weaver as new character Kiri, who is the daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine’s avatar.

    Joining the cast are Edie Falco as General Frances Ardmore, Jermaine Clement as Dr. Ian Garvin, Cliff Curtis as Tonowari the leader of the Metkayina, and reuniting with Cameron for the first time since ‘Titanic,’ Kate Winslet as Tonowari’s wife, Ronal.

    Also joining the cast for the sequel are Jamie Flatters and Britain Dalton as Jake and Neytiri’s sons, Neteyam and Lo’ak, respectively. Trinity Bliss plays Jake and Neytiri’s daughter Tuk, while Bailey Bass and Filip Geljo play Tonowari and Ronal’s children, Reya and Aonung, respectively. Finally, Jack Champion joins the cast as Spider, the long lost son of Miles Quaritch.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of traveling to London to sit down in-person with Oscar-winning director James Cameron and Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet to talk about the work on ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’

    The filmmaker discussed the sequel, the challenges of making it, how the technology has changed since the original, and his plans for more sequels, while Winslet talked about reuniting with Cameron, joining the sequel, and learning to hold her breathe.

    Kate Winslet stars in director James Cameron's 'Avatar: The Way of Water.'
    Kate Winslet stars in director James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Cameron, Winslet, Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Jack Champion, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jamie Flatters, and Bailey Bass.

    MF: To begin with, Kate, what was it like for you to reunite with James Cameron for the first time since ‘Titanic’ on ‘Avatar: The Way of Water?’

    Kate Winslet: Yeah, very long time ago. Yeah, it’s 26 years ago. It was amazing and absolutely incredible. The script was always going to be phenomenal because it’s ‘Avatar.’ Again, for Jim, it’s a world he created. He writes for women in a way that is extraordinary.

    He always creates strong, not just female characters, but female leaders, women who are powerful mothers who lead with integrity. So, I just appreciated being asked. I was excited to jump in. I absolutely loved every minute of it. It was a wonderful experience.

    MF: Director James Cameron has said that he knew he wanted to do a sequel to ‘Avatar’ pretty quickly after finishing the original. When did he ask you to be involved in the sequel?

    KW: It was I guess quite a long time. He first mentioned something to me almost in passing back in 2014 or 2015. I guess it was around that time. I had seen him for an event in LA and he said, “Oh, we have to get you big and blue sometime.” I said, “Oh yeah, I’d love that.” The seed was sown.

    Then in late 2017 was when he actually called and said, “I really do want to send you this script.” He described Ronal to me as being a female warrior goddess, and leader of a clan. I just thought, my God, if it really is that, this could be extraordinary.

    I read the script and loved it, and was particularly taken by not only the elements of family and motherhood, but also this added physical challenge of learning how to free dive and breath hold, which I was just so excited by and not remotely daunted by. I had no fear around the idea of any of that. I just loved learning something new in my 40s.

    It’s so funny, when you are young, you think you’ve learned all of the new things that you could learn, and as an adult, we close our minds off to the possibility of learning something new. So, to be in a situation that provided this wonderful opportunity for me was just amazing.

    Jake Sully, Ronal, and Tonowari in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: The Way of Water.'
    (L to R): Jake Sully, Ronal, and Tonowari in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: I understand that you broke a record on set because you were able to hold your breath for seven minutes and 12 seconds, is that correct?

    KW: Seven minutes and 14 seconds. You have to oxygenate your body, and there’s a whole breathing sequence that you do, and it’s quite a considerable process. It’s not to be tried at home and you cannot do it by yourself. Actually, that’s a very important safety thing.

    You really mustn’t do it alone because what happens is when people surface from having held their breath, there’s a particular breathing sequence that you need to do the minute you hit the surface. If you don’t do that, you could be in danger of blacking out, and that’s when people run into trouble. That was the thing I learned, first of all, which we all did, was the safety. Once you know what you’re doing, it certainly makes things a lot easier.

    I just loved the whole process. It was amazing. Yeah, seven minutes, 14 seconds. I was incredibly proud of myself and really determined that I was going to do it, I was going to do a big breath hold that day. I had my heart set on it. I even said to my husband, “Don’t come to work today to watch because I just don’t want the pressure of you being there.”

    But actually, he was there. He snuck in and he actually videoed the last part of my breath hold. We got it on camera, me surfacing and going, “Am I dead? What happened?” Straight away, I’m like, “How long was that?” It’s pretty cool!

    Director James Cameron for 'Avatar: The Way of Water.'
    Director James Cameron for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’

    Moviefone: Mr. Cameron, can you talk about the performance capture suits you used for this film, and have they changed at all from the ones you used on the original?

    James Cameron: The suits were the same. We improved the head rigs a bit. I mean, we improved everything. It was all a prototype when we did it on ‘Avatar.’ We didn’t know it was going to work and then we found out it worked pretty well, so then we improved it all. But the process is the same. It’s just there’s no real camera, there’s no set. It’s just a pure interaction between the actors. They love it and I love it.

    I don’t have to get distracted by the lighting and the camera work, and the Dolly track and the steady cam stuff. I can just work directly with the actors. I had returning cast, obviously, Sigourney, Sam and Zoe, but I also had this whole new cast with these kids, these newcomers. It was just a joy to go to work every day. Not a joy necessarily always during the day when you’re solving problems and that sort of thing. But we really enjoyed it.

    MF: The look of the sequel is incredible and is even more spectacular than the original. Looking forward to ‘Avatar 3,’ ‘Avatar 4,’ and even possibly ‘Avatar 5,’ with technology constantly improving, what do you expect those film’s will look like in the future?

    JC: I think over time we’ll shift from the novelty value of being in the world. We can assume that. You walk in, you sit down, you can assume it’ll be immersive because that’s our baseline. It’s really about, how much do I care about these characters, and where’s this story taking me? Where’s this journey taking me?

    I mean, we’re always going to try to bring in wonders, awesome moments, amazing vistas and all that sort of thing, but we’re also shifting our focus to the story of the characters and the emotion, which I think is healthy. Because it shouldn’t just be about pretty pictures. The immersive stuff, we know how to do that so they’ll all be like that.

    MF: Were you already planning for this sequel when you made the original?

    JC: Not really. No. The only thing was that when the studio wanted to take out the scene where Grace (Sigourney Weaver) dies and I said, “You can’t take that out. We need that scene. It’s very important. It’s very important for the sequel.” I hadn’t even written the story yet, but I knew that there was a connection there.

    They wanted to take it out and ultimately it just turned into a big headbutting contest, and I won. So, it’s in (the original), therefore we have this movie, at least the Kiri character, comes out of that part of the story.

    MF: Are there scenes in ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ that you kept in because you needed them for the next three installments?

    JC: Oh yeah. Like I said, it’s all written out so we know exactly.

    MF: Finally, have you already shot everything you need for ‘Avatar 3?’

    JC: ‘Avatar 3’s done. I mean, the movie’s not done, but the capture, all the work with the actors is done. So, dramatically it’s all set in stone. We have to go through the process of making it look real and immersive, and all that sort of thing. That’ll take a couple years.

    Then part of ‘Avatar 4’ is not done, but the script is done, and part of ‘Avatar 4’ has been shot. Because we had to finish with these kids because they’re not going to be kids. In fact, they’re not kids now.

    Jack’s 6 ft 8″ or whatever. He was 12 when I cast him. Trinity Bliss, she’s such a sweet girl. She was seven when I cast her, and she’s now 13 and about two feet taller. So, we had to bottle that lightning while we had it through the first part of movie 4. And then there’s a big time jump, and then we see all the characters six years later.

    So, then everybody will be the right age for the continuation of the story. I didn’t want to get caught in that ‘Stranger Things’ thing where they’re still in high school but they look 25. I like ‘Stranger Things,’ don’t get me wrong. It’s fine and I go with it that they’re still teenagers.

    'Avatar: The Way of Water'
    ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ opens in theaters on December 16th. Photo courtesy of the movie’s Twitter account.
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