Writer/director/showrunner Taylor Sheridan has quietly (and not-so-quietly, depending on where you live and how aware of his work you are) been building a small screen empire with his ‘Yellowstone’ shows, which have spun off two prequels (‘1923’ and 1883’, with more on the way).
Those in turn have led to the commissioning of other series, including Sylvester Stallone-starring ‘Tulsa King’, Jeremy Renner-led ‘Mayor of Kingstown’, the upcoming ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’, which features Dennis Quaid and David Oyelowo and ‘Land Men’, boasting Billy Bob Thornton heading its cast.
Sheridan’s work has, as the lists above suggest, attracted plenty of top talent, but the needle of the Big-Name-O-Meter hit even further with the announcement of another new show (seriously, when the does this man see his family?), ‘Special Ops: Lioness’, which has dropped its first trailer and you can watch t above.
Zoe Saldana as Joe in ‘Special Ops: Lioness’ streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Lynsey Addario/Paramount+.
All about ‘Special Ops: Lioness’
The new show, inspired by an actual US Military program, follows the life of Joe (Zoe Saldaña) while she attempts to balance her personal and professional life as the tip of the CIA’s spear in the war on terror.
The Lioness Program, overseen by Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman) and Donald Westfield (Michael Kelly), enlists an aggressive Marine Raider named Cruz (Laysla De Oliveira) to operate undercover alongside Joe among the power brokers of State terrorism in the CIA’s efforts to thwart the next 9/11.
It’s all very much in the wheelhouse of movies that Sheridan has written in the past, especially ‘Sicario’, which saw Emily Blunt as an idealistic FBI agent enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.
Except ‘Lioness’ goes further into espionage territory, with plenty of meetings in darkened command centers, lots of action with guns blazing and undercover operatives under threat and comments about carrying out missions “in front of CBS news”, which makes sense, since the series from this first look comes across as something that would probably play well (if in much more limited/lower budget fashion) on Paramount+’s network sibling CBS.
(L to R) James Jordan as Two Cups, Jonah Wharton as Tex, Jill Wagner as Bobby, Zoe Saldana as Joe, Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn Meade, Austin Hébert as Randy and Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz Manuelos in ‘Special Ops: Lioness’ streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo credit: Greg Lewis/Paramount+.
In addition to the already impressive roster, ‘Lioness’ also features Morgan Freeman, playing Edwin Mullins. He’s the Secretary of State in the series and has some tough questions for the CIA program’s creators and agents.
‘Special Ops: Lioness’ will launch on Paramount+ on Sunday, July 23. Will it catch on the way ‘Yellowstone’ has and spawn 17 spin-offs all overseen by Sheridan (who will presumably have perfected cloning technology by then so he can handle the workload)? Only time will tell…
(L to R) Jill Wagner as Bobby, Thad Luckinbill as Kyle, Zoe Saldana as Joe, James Jordan as Two Cups, Jonah Wharton as Tex, Austin Hébert as Randy in ‘Special Ops: Lioness’ streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo credit: Greg Lewis/Paramount+.(L to R) Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn Meade, Michael Kelly as Bryon Westfield and Zoe Saldana as Joe in ‘Special Ops: Lioness’ streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Luke Varley/Paramount+.(L to R) Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz Manuelos, Zoe Saldana as Joe, and Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn Meade in ‘Special Ops: Lioness’ streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Luke Varley/Paramount+.(L to R) Stephanie Nur as Aaliyah and Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz Manuelos in ‘Special Ops: Lioness’ streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Luke Varley/Paramount+.Laysla De Oliveria as Cruz Manuelos in ‘Special Ops: Lioness’ streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Lynsey Addario/Paramount+.Zoe Saldana as Joe in ‘Special Ops: Lioness’ streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Lynsey Addario/Paramount+.
After an attack from Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) injures Rocket, the Guardians learn of his origins and confront his creator, the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). Meanwhile, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is still coming to terms with the “new” Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), who is now a Ravager. In order to save their friend, the Guardians must go on a dangerous mission that could lead to the team dissolving if they fail.
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Who is in the cast of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3?’
Joining the cast are actors Chukwudi Iwuji (‘Peacemaker‘) as the High Evolutionary, and Will Poulter (‘We’re the Millers‘) as Adam Warlock.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with writer and director James Gunn and Chris Pratt about their work on ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3,’ telling Rocket’s story, what the franchise has meant to Pratt, and what fans can expect from the new film.
(L to R) James Gunn and Chris Pratt attend the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood CA on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview with Gunn and Pratt.
Moviefone: To begin with, James, what would you tell fans sitting down to watch this movie now to prepare them for the theater experience they are about to have?
James Gunn: I know so many of you have grown up with ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ So many of you have seen and supported us over the years. We’re so grateful to you for that and we really put our hearts and souls in this movie. We put in every ounce of everything we could, and I hope you guys enjoy it from the bottom of my heart.
Marvel Studio’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
MF: Chris, what would you say to the fans to get them ready for this movie?
Chris Pratt: First of all, I’d say thank you. Thank you. You sitting down in these seats right now are the reason the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ are the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ We’ve been able to full on live our dreams because of the support of the greatest fans in the world. Thank you so much. We really owe it all to you. James is extraordinary. He’s led me on this journey and he’s created what I think is the best of the three films. Buckle up and I hope you have some tissues nearby.
MF: James, can you talk about the decision to tell Rocket’s origin story in this movie and how his journey is the heart of the franchise?
JG: I’ve always thought of Rocket as sort of the heart of the ‘Guardian’s story. In a lot of ways he’s the least mature of the characters, he’s just been a very angry guy. I think that throughout the series we see characters do heroic things. Rocket does heroic things, but it’s only been for himself or for his friends. He doesn’t really have a sense of empathy for anyone beyond that, and this is a movie about how he became that way. We go back to where he was born, how he came about, how he was created by the High Evolutionary, and we learn everything about him and his tragic past.
(L to R) Karen Gillan as Nebula, Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, and Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
MF: Finally, Chris, can you talk about your ‘Guardians’ experience, what playing Star-Lord, working on this franchise, and creating friendships with the cast and James has meant to you?
CP: It’s just now starting to hit me how grateful I am to have had a friend in James. It’s been amazing. He’s made my life. He’s changed my life. He’s changed the life of me and my family, my children, and probably their children. He took me by the hand. He found a working actor who had already at that point done way better than most people who come out to town. I wasn’t a waiter any longer, I was a series regular on a show. I was getting recognition. He brought me to a whole new level that ultimately changed the entire way the industry saw me. I no longer was auditioning. That was the last audition I ever had. So he changed my life.
(L to R) Writer and director James Gunn and Chris Pratt from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.’
Other Movies Similar to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3:’
Witten and directed by James Gunn, the Sci-Fi action adventure comedy ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ is scheduled for release from Marvel Studios on May 5th 2023.
(L to R) Karen Gillan as Nebula, Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, and Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
After an attack from Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) injures Rocket, the Guardians learn of his origins and confront his creator, the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). Meanwhile, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is still coming to terms with the “new” Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), who is now a Ravager. In order to save their friend, the Guardians must go on a dangerous mission that could lead to the team dissolving if they fail.
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Who is in the cast of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?’
While it’s not a perfect movie, James Gunn finishes his trilogy off with a heartfelt love letter to the franchise, in a character-driven movie that ties up loose ends and brings many arcs to a close. The actors are given room to explore their characters, and the villain is strong, but make no mistakes … this is Rocket’s movie!
Writer and director James Gunn at Los Angeles premiere of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’
Story, Direction and Visual Effects
Full disclosure: I love the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movies, in fact, they’re both in my top ten of MCU movies. But ‘Guardians 3’ is different than the previous films, its somber, character-driven, and darker, while still having James Gunn’s signature weirdness, humor, and music. The story ties up all the loose ends of the trilogy, including Quill and Gamora’s relationship, but really takes time to explore all the core characters, especially Rocket.
Obviously a lot of time is spent on Quill, Gamora, and Rocket, but Drax, Mantis, Nebula, Groot, and even Kraglin are all given their time to shine. The movie starts off slow and somber, and drags a bit in the middle, but has a very touching and action-packed third act. James Gunn clearly has an affection for this trilogy and these actors, and it shows in the film which is really a love letter to them.
For the most part, the visual effects work, and the colorful costumes and creatures are interesting and fun. But I do question the odd flesh-colored uniforms that the guards (including Nathan Fillion) wear at the High Evolutionary’s headquarters. They were just a little too weird and goofy for me, and distracted from the story.
Make no mistakes … this is Rocket’s movie! The film actually takes place in two timelines, flashing back throughout the movie to tell Rocket’s origin story. Over the course of the previous ‘Guardian’ movies and his appearances in ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame,’ Rocket’s become my favorite Marvel character and his story arc here is extremely touching. He’s the heart of the movie, and exploring his past while saying something about animal cruelty was both smart and affective. Some of the creatures we meet in his past are very creepy, but again, the message is not lost. While it’s only a voice role, Bradley Cooper’s “Gilbert Gottfried meets Bill the Butcher” performance has brought the character to life and his work here is touching, emotional, funny and makes Rocket a stronger character.
Marvel Studio’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Chris Pratt is given a lot more emotional work to do with Quill this time around, and handles it well, especially his scenes with Gamora. Zoe Saldaña returns as the ‘Avengers: Endgame’ version of Gamora, allowing the actress to play a new character, in a sense. When the original Gamora died in ‘Infinity War,’ I was really sad to see her go because she had grown so much since the original film and I loved her relationship with Quill, but the new Gamora had really grown on me by the end of this film, thanks to Saldaña’s layered performance.
In a movie with so many characters, it’s easy for some to get lost in the shuffle and not get the screen time they deserve, but the movie balances the characters well and gives them all a moment to shine. Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, and even Sean Gunn, are all given time to explore their characters and grow through the course of the movie. As for Groot, he’s not a kid anymore and like Rocket, also has a great arc over the course of the trilogy, and surprisingly, Vin Diesel gets to do a little more in this movie than just say: “I Am Groot.”
Chukwudi Iwuji plays the High Evolutionary and is actually a pretty good Marvel villain. I found the performance menacing and effective, even though his ultimate evil plan is confusing at times. But his motivations and hubris made the character believable, and Iwuji gives a fun, if not over-the-top at times, performance.
Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Is Adam Warlock a Good Guy?
Yes and no. He’s an unwilling villain in the beginning, but has a change of heart over the course of the film, which I must say is paced well and is ultimately effective. But to be honest, I didn’t like the way the character was depicted, and didn’t care for Will Poulter’s performance, although it’s through no fault of his own. In the film, the character is the son of ‘Guardians Vol. 2’ baddie Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), and is depicted as a brainless, bratty mama’s boy, and while the characterization gets a few laughs, it didn’t work for me knowing the character’s importance in the comics. Poulter physically transformed to play the role, and looks great, but for me, the character and performance just didn’t work.
(L to R) Will Poulter as Adam Warlock and Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Are There End-Credit Scenes in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?’
Yes. There are two in fact. The first sets up a possible future for the franchise, beyond the current lineup, and the second would set up a spinoff of sorts for one of the main characters. Both scenes are ‘Guardians’ centric and do not hint to any other upcoming MCU projects.
Will There Be a ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4?’
That’s hard to say at this time. James Gunn certainly is saying goodbye to the franchise, as he’ll be busy in the near future working on ‘Superman: Legacy’ and running DC Studios. As previously mentioned, the first end-credit scene does hint at a possible future installment, and the team teased for that is incredibly intriguing. As is the possibility of the spinoff teased in the other end-credit scene, with a character that is strong enough to carry their own film franchise, or at least a Disney+ series. Whether or not we will see any of the other Guardians in future Marvel projects, is anyone’s guess.
Vin Diesel as Groot in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Final Thoughts
In the end, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’ is not a perfect film, and in some ways is not quite as fun as the previous two movies, but is a very loving sendoff to the current team and a dark and emotional look at these beloved characters.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
Marvel Studio’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Other Movies Similar to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3:’
Witten and directed by James Gunn, the Sci-Fi action adventure comedy ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ is scheduled for release from Marvel Studios on May 5th 2023.
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ launches the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of traveling to Manhattan Beach, California to the offices of Lightstorm Entertainment to speak with producer Jon Landau about the digital release of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ along with several other members of the press.
We had a chance to look through the Lightstorm Entertainment Museum, as well as watch bonus material from the digital release. We also spoke to Jon Landau about the film and the future of the franchise, and watched a camera demo presentation from recent Oscar Award winner Richard Baneham.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ statues at the Lightstorm Entertainment Museum.
Lightstorm Entertainment Museum and VFX Tour
Our visit began with a tour of Lightstorm’s museum, which in addition to housing props and visual reference pieces from the ‘Avatar’ series, but it also included memorabilia from ‘Aliens,‘ ‘Alita: Battle Angel,’ ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day,’ and ‘Titanic.’
Alien Queen from James Cameron’s ‘Aliens’ at the Lightstorm Entertainment Museum.
Some of the pieces that stood out include a T-100 from ‘T2,’ the Queen and Ripley’s exosuit from ‘Aliens,’ a replica of the ship from ‘Titanic,’ as well as ‘The Heart of the Ocean’ necklace worn by Kate Winslet, and Jon Landau’s Oscar for Best Picture from ‘Titanic.’
“The Heart of the Ocean” from James Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ at the Lightstorm Entertainment Museum.
Before speaking with Jon Landau, we had a chance to experience a camera demo presentation from recent Oscar winner Richard Baneham, who explained how the underwater scenes were shot for the movie.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’s Oscar winning visual effects supervisor Richard Baneham.
What are the Bonus Features on the Digital Release of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water?’
Next, we had a chance to screen some of the bonus material from the digital release. The bonus features will be included in a section called ‘Inside Pandora’s Box,’ and will include a series of featurettes on the challenges facing cast and crew as filmmakers devise new technologies to push the limits of cinema with ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’
You can read about the different featurettes below:
Building the World of Pandora– James Cameron and a team of talented artists combine years of research with their design skills to build the world of Pandora with new characters, creatures, indigenous clans, underwater environments and the take-no-prisoners hard-tech world of the RDA.
Capturing Pandora– James Cameron’s approach to performance capture has the cast performing in a volume rigged with infrared cameras to capture their movement, and head rig cameras to capture emotion on their faces with only the boundaries of imagination to limit them.
The Undersea World of Pandora– Co-production designer Dylan Cole and his team conceive of the marine creatures required for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ while James Cameron and his stunt team devise extraordinary means to bring those creatures to life in a performance capture tank.
The Challenges of Pandora’s Waters– James Cameron tackles the “non-trivial challenge” of performance capture above and below the water’s surface, utilizing a wave machine and current generator to reproduce ocean conditions, and underwater vehicles to replicate creature movement.
Pandora’s Returning Characters– James Cameron reunites with his returning cast – Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang. Together they discuss the amazing evolution of their characters in ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’
Pandora’s Next Generation– Meet the talented young newcomers who have been cast as the next generation of Na’vi and follow them through the adventure of making ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’
Spider’s Web– James Cameron introduced the human character of Spider into the fabric of Pandora – thus creating a host of technological challenges on set…and an incredible journey for the young actor, Jack Champion.
Becoming Na’vi– The ‘Avatar’ cast is immersed in the culture of the indigenous Na’vi, living off the land in the Hawaiian rainforest and training in a multitude of disciplines in preparation for their roles.
The Reef People of Pandora– In true James Cameron-style, the Metkayina reef clan has been developed with great attention to detail, bearing unique evolutionary traits and a culture – with new dwellings, new clothes and different way of life – all a result of living off the ocean.
Bringing Pandora to Life– Once James Cameron completes his virtual production process, every sequence is turned over to Wētā FX to bring Pandora to life – with unprecedented advancements in facial performance, environments and making CG water look real.
The RDA Returns to Pandora– Co-production designer Ben Procter and his team present an armada of new vehicles and human technologies that the RDA brings to Pandora – in concept design and with practical builds.
The New Characters of Pandora– Meet the important new characters of the ‘Avatar’ saga played by Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell and Jemaine Clement.
The Sounds of Pandora– Hear how James Cameron worked with composer Simon Franglen to create the distinctive music of ‘The Way of Water’ while building on James Horner’s brilliant score for ‘Avatar,’ and learn how Chris Boyes created the immersive sounds of Pandora.
New Zealand – Pandora’s Home– The production of the ‘Avatar’ sequels is so thoroughly ensconced in New Zealand that James Cameron considers The Way of Water a “New Zealand film.” Hear reflections from the cast and crew, including the remarkable New Zealand crew, on making the film.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’s Oscar winning producer Jon Landau.
Jon Landau Q&A
Finally, we had a chance to speak with Oscar winning producer Jon Landau, along with other members of the press, about ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ working with James Cameron and the future of the franchise.
Can you talk about your experience working with James Cameron over the years, and particularly with ‘Avatar: The Way of Water?’
Jon Landau: I think that I got to know Jim as a studio executive. I was the suit when he was doing ‘True Lies.’ But my objective was always the same as his objective, make the best movie. I didn’t come at it with a different agenda. That’s how I think we look at it. I think that what has developed over the 30 years, and Jim calls it a marriage that we’ve had, is we divide and conquer. I think there are certain things that I can’t do. Jim’s an engineer and I’m not. I don’t profess to be. But there are things as it relates to Wētā and problem solving that Jim would allow me to go tackle and take something much further down the line for him. We even created what we called FLFs, First Look Finals, which Jim was amazed at when that started to happen, where we would present something to him and he was able to sign off on it because we solved some of these other problems. So I think one of the keys is communicating. I think one of the keys is identifying when you have a problem, because sometimes you don’t recognize that. On the first film, there was a day we were doing performance capture and we did something and we stopped to name it. Because if we ever wanted to do it again, we needed to be able to refer to it. We couldn’t go, “Oh, that thing we did 12 weeks ago.” So we named something. So it’s taking that time and saying, “Okay, let’s stop for a minute and solve this.”
Can you talk about the scheduling process on a movie like this?
JL: So the scheduling, it’s really interesting. The first thing we had to figure out because we were not just filming ‘Avatar 2,’ we were actually filming and capturing for ‘2,’ ‘3,’ and the first act of movie ‘4.’ So, how do you do that? What are the things you do? The first thing we did, if you ever have seen a script, the scene numbers usually start at one and they end whatever number the scene is. I came up with the idea that our scene numbers for this movie would start at 2,001. The two at the beginning of 2,000 would tell us it’s movie ‘2.’ If you look at a script for movie ‘3,’ it’s 3,001. That way we would know, “Okay, what scene?” Because you couldn’t say, “We’re working on scene 56.” Of what movie? So we had to do that. Then we had to say, “Okay, let’s figure out what needs to be shot in what order.” We quickly realized that we needed to do performance capture before we could do live-action because it impacted the live-action filming. If we knew what the CG character was supposed to do, we would then line it up and do that. So we started out with the scheduling of the performance capture. There, we had a lot of flexibility because we weren’t limited to saying, “You’re on a set.” Because our sets are just these gray scale pieces and they could be very easy to reconstitute and the lighting went into it. So we tried to do that in two different waves. One is non-wet work, because our tank wasn’t built yet, and we tried to do that in as much continuity order for the cast as we could. Then we dove literally and figuratively into the tank work. Then we did some more capture work. When we went to do the live-action, we then treated it more like a traditional movie and said, “Okay, if we are in this set that’s the screening room, let’s shoot out every scene, whether it’s in movie ‘2,’ ‘3’ or that first part of ‘4,’ and knock that off right at the beginning.” So we did it logistically that way when we went down to New Zealand for our live-action filming.
(L to R) Jack Champion and Stephen Lang in director James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’
As a producer, how do you budget a project as large as this?
JL: Look, I think you learn to budget based on experience. We sit there and we know there’s uncertainty. So we sit there and say, “Here’s what we know. We’re going to put a fudge factor on top of it.” Look, when we went and did ‘Titanic,’ and this was a big learning lesson for us on ‘Titanic,’ there was a time where in pre-production we were under a lot of pressure not to spend money and we didn’t spend money on engineering the ship being raised and then tilted. We put it in a ballpark number. We were way off. So one of the things we now really try to do as we budget is bring in people early on and put in money in our early development budget and say, “Okay, we need an engineer.” Perfect example. On ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ we brought in engineers to design our tank before we signed off on a budget. We didn’t build the tank, we didn’t buy the steel, but it was engineered and it put us on a much sounder ground. So I think it’s about going and doing your homework and recognizing that you don’t have all the answers and not to be overly optimistic and say, “Here’s what we think it’s going to be.” When you look at our movies, these movies are challenging and they’re big in scale and scope and we acknowledge that upfront.
Can you talk about the future of the franchise?
JL: So we have ‘3,’ ‘4,’ and ‘5’ written right now. We didn’t set out to make a sequel. We set out to make a movie that happened to be based on a world and characters that were created, almost like you look at the first ‘Avatar’ as if it was a novel. We’re now doing something that was inspired by that. In these three more scripts we have, we believe that each movie is a standalone film that comes to its own story resolution, its own emotional conclusion. I don’t think people need to have seen the first ‘Avatar’ to enjoy ‘Way of Water.’ That’s how we want each one of these movies to be. Now, I believe that Pandora and these characters and people that we will continue to meet have many other stories to tell. From a new cast standpoint, each movie we’ll introduce new biomes and new cultures. Because we’re introducing new cultures, we have new characters. But just because we are introducing a new one doesn’t mean we’ve lost an old one. They will stay with us. So the sea people, they’ll have different roles, the Metkayina, will be in and out of these stories, but they are a part of the canon that we’ve created. But we’re going to meet at least two new clans in the next movie, culturally, and go on and on as we continue that.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ will be available exclusively to purchase on Digital March 28th.
Have you already shot ‘Avatar 4?’
JL: The first act. Because truth be told, there’s a time cut after the end of the first act and we needed to get all the kids before they got older and shoot all that out. We still have roles to cast in ‘4’ and ‘5,’ in the latter part.
You’ve said that you learn on each movie how to make the next one better, what did you learn from making ‘The Way of Water’ that you will apply to the next project?
JL: The visual effects side of things is never revolutionary, it’s evolutionary. Something that we are doing tomorrow is going to be better than if we’re doing it today because we’re learning more. Wētā FX is learning more. ILM, who we work with, is learning more. So we will continue to push and to strive to create an even higher product. One of the things that people say is, “What type of people do you want to hire?” I go back to people who don’t want to rest on the laurels of their past. People who are not afraid to push the boundaries. When you do that, people have to be prepared to fail. Because when you’ve gone down a path that’s never been traveled, failure needs to be an option and we need a system that’s going to support them.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ will be available exclusively to purchase on Digital March 28th.
Other Films By James Cameron and Lightstorm Entertainment:
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ will be available exclusively to purchase on Digital March 28th from Lightstorm Entertainment and 20th Century Studios.
Directed by James Cameron, and written by Cameron, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, the film stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet.
Watch Moviefone’s interviews with James Cameron and the cast of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ below:
13 years after the first film’s release, Academy Award-winning director James Cameron takes the audience back to the world of Pandora and introduces a new tribe of Na’vi. The film sees the return of Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, and Stephen Lang.
Despite the long wait for its sequel, ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ was already smashing records on opening weekend. Soaring past Marvel’s ‘The Avengers‘ in domestic box office rankings, raking in $625.6 million. Needless to say, the 13 years gap between the first and second movies did not dampen the fans’ excitement for this film.
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Just like the 2009 film, this installment also utilizes 3D. With updated technology, ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ is visually stunning, and looks even more vibrant and lifelike than its predecessor. Filming begin in 2017 and took over the course of 3 years, mainly due to the director wanting to film ‘Avatar 2’ and ‘3′ at the same time. The majority of ‘The Way Of Water’ took place underwater, requiring the cast and stunt team to film inside a 900,000-gallon tank.
Filming underwater made it difficult for the motion capture process because scuba gear often got in the way. So the actors received special training on how to hold their breath for an extended amount of time. Kate Winslet held her breath for an astonishing 7 minutes.
Cameron has plans for three more ‘Avatar‘ films. The third installment is set to release in 2024 with ‘Avatar 4‘ and ‘5‘ scheduled for a 2026 and 2028 release.
The official synopsis for ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ is thus:
“Jake Sully lives with his newfound family formed on the extrasolar moon Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na’vi race to protect their home.”
It’s been over a decade since the events of the previous film, Jake and Neytiri have started a family – the eldest son Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), the second son Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), and the youngest daughter Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss). On top of the three children, they also have an adoptive daughter in Kiri (Sigourney Weaver). The family lived in peace until the Sky People returned to Pandora causing destruction and chaos. The family is uprooted, and forced to seek safety and shelter within the oceans of Pandora and the Metkayina tribe.
The sci-fi fantasy/adventure also sees Cliff Curtis as Metkayina Chief Tonowari and Kate Winslet (who reunites with the ‘Titanic‘ director after 26 years) as Ronal. The newly introduced tribe of Na’vi looks different than Neytiri and Jake, as they have larger and stronger tails built for swimming. We’re also introduced to many new creatures such as the tulkun, skimwing, and ilu.
Stephen Lang who played antagonist Colonel Miles Quaritch in the first film is back for the sequel as a different character (sort of).
You can still enjoy the movie on the big screening at your local theaters. The movie is available in various formats but it is an absolute treat to watch it in 3D if it’s available to you. Another great way to enjoy ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ is in IMAX, which will make you feel like you’re fully immersed in the world of Pandora.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ was released on December 16th, 2022, and has a total runtime of 3 hours and 12 minutes.
When Will ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Be Available To Stream Online?
‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ is currently only in theaters, but it will surely make its way to streaming services in the future. As this is a 20th Century Studio film it will definitely be available on Disney+ once it is released for streaming. Currently, you can watch the original film on Disney+.
The visionary director has had many of his films break box office records. The first ‘Avatar’ film opened to $77 million domestically on opening weekend in 2009. Now, it has grossed $749.7 million domestically and $2.7 billion worldwide. ‘The Way of Water’ opened to $134.1 million domestically and has grossed $625.6 since. It is currently the fourth-highest-grossing film worldwide of all time, has surpassed Marvel Studio’s ‘The Avengers’ ($1.5 billion worldwide), and is closing in on ‘Titanic’, another James Cameron film.
On top of the film’s success at the box office, the franchise giant is also popular amongst theme park goers. You can find The World Of Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida. There are two attractions based inside the Avatar-inspired land – “Flight of Passage” and “Na’vi River Journey.” In “Flight of the Passage,” guests can fly on the back of a mountain banshee over Pandora, complete with 3D, of course. “The Na’vi River Journey” takes riders on an immersive river ride, exploring the caves, bioluminescent rainforest, and an extremely life-like audio-animatronic.
Director James Cameron for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’
Other Films By James Cameron
The three-time Academy Award-winning director may very well be adding another golden statue to his mantle. ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ has received four Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Sound, Best Production Design, and Best Visual Effects.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ was released in theaters on December 16th, 2022 from Lightstorm Entertainment and 20th Century Studios. Directed by James Cameron, and written by Cameron, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, the film stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet.
Watch Moviefone’s interviews with James Cameron and the cast of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ below:
Marvel Comics’ Adam Warlock. Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
If you’ve watched the moody trailer for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’, you’ll know that the third ‘Guardians’ outing, once again written and directed by James Gunn, promises to be an emotional capper to at least this incarnation of the team.
Though Gunn insists that it’s not some huge cull that will leave everyone permanently off the board (particularly as, thanks to their participation in the ‘Avengers’ movies, they’re important to the fabric of the MCU), it seems like we’ll be saying goodbye to more than one member (and comments by Dave Bautista about leaving Drax behind makes us suspect he could either die heroically or sail off somewhere else in the universe).
And one of the biggest issues that the Guardians––Bautista’s Drax, Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill, Zoe Saldana’s Gamora, Karen Gillan’s Nebula and Pom Klementieff’s Mantis, plus CG characters Rocket Racoon (brought to life by Sean Gunn in performance capture and voiced by Bradley Cooper) and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel)––will face is Adam Warlock, played by British actor Will Poulter.
Created by gold-hued Sovereign leader Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki) after the Guardians double-crossed her in ‘Vol. 2’, Warlock promises that this prime example of the Sovereign race will destroy our morally changeable heroes. He’s a powerful warrior… But is he entirely a bad guy?
“It’s kind of more complicated than that,” Gunn tells Empire. “But he’s definitely not a good guy. What we’re seeing is the infant form of Warlock, newly out of the cocoon, and he does not understand life very well. He’s basically a baby.”
Will Poulter as Adam Warlock in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo courtesy of Empire Magazine.
After a long search for the right actor to bring him to life, Gunn settled on Poulter, known for films such as the ‘Maze Runner’ movies and, more recently, horror title ‘Midsommar’.
“People online were saying, ‘Oh, Tom Cruise should be Adam Warlock,’” says Gunn. “I wanted somebody who was youthful, and I wanted the person who had the dramatic chops and the comedic chops, not only for this movie but for what Marvel will use Adam Warlock for in the future. He could become this really important character.”
Yes, in true Marvel style, Warlock looks to be hanging around the MCU for a while yet, and he’ll certainly be handy for the future of the Multiverse Saga, which is the overarching title for Phases four, five and six.
For now, though, we’ll have to wait and see how Warlock pans out in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’, which will also feature Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary, who promises to be even more of a problem for our heroes.
Arriving in theaters on December 16th, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ represents James Cameron attempting the same high wire trick he pulled with the 2009 original, with the added pressure of 13 years between releases.
But as the old maxim in Hollywood goes, it’s best not to bet against Jim Cameron! This is a man who was told that his film about a troubled, true-life ship would sink without trace. That he couldn’t come up with a solid sequel to a movie about a killer cyborg. And, most tellingly, that no one could turn 3D from a gimmick to a worthwhile format, especially not with a movie about some blue creatures whose storyline seemed to be an expensive, live-action remake of ‘FernGully: The Last Rainforest’.
It’s safe to say that, while the original may not have left the same lasting cultural crater as it did on the box office (it took until ‘Avengers: Endgame‘ to truly dethrone it, and a recent re-release has seen Cameron claim the crown back again), ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ looks set to go over just as well.
The story picks up more than a decade after the events of the original film (for those who somehow find themselves in a theater watching the new movie without having seen that, there is a helpful exposition dump from Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) himself.
Jake, see, was a paraplegic human brought to the moon of Pandora to replace his late brother, a marine who was part a mission to subdue the local populace, known as Na’vi, so humanity could continue strip-mining the place. Your basic colonialist narrative with the added wrinkle of “Avatars”, lab-grown versions of the Na’vi to which a human consciousness can be connected – one of which had been earmarked for Jake’s sibling.
Instead, Jake encountered the Na’Vi, met warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) fell in love and fought back against the human forces, led on the military front by Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), a burly, blustering marine who sees it has his job to take down the Na’vi.
‘The Way of Water’ fills in some of the gaps between movies––Jake and Neytiri have a family, including three kids of their own (Jamie Flatters as eldest son Neteyam, Britain Dalton as Lo’ak, second-born son and Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Tuktirey/“Tuk”, their eight-year-old daughter) plus adoptive teenage daughter Kiri, played by Sigourney Weaver. And yes, she has a connection to Weaver’s character Dr. Grace Augustine from the first movie that we won’t specify here.
Sigourney Weaver plays Jake and Neytiri’s adopted teenage Na’vi daughter In ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’ Photo courtesy of Empire Magazine.
Though the family and their tribe have lived peacefully in the intervening years, humanity––and Quaritch, who was killed by Neytiri at the end of the first movie––are back to finish the job. Soon, Jake and his brood are running for their lives, ending up with the Metkayina clan (led by Cliff Curtis’ Tonowari and Kate Winslet’s Ronal), who live and thrive around and in Pandora’s voluminous oceans.
As for the film itself, it shares both the many strengths and some crucial weaknesses of the original.
On the positive side of things, this shoves the “spectacle” right back into “spectacular”––Cameron and his technological and creative team have pushed the boundaries of what’s possible once again, realizing truly dazzling visuals that will absolutely be held up as groundbreaking and state of the art.
Cameron has plenty of experience of his own in the water, and he brings all of it to making the oceanic scenes look as real as possible. It’s clear that team ‘Avatar’ didn’t spend all this time sitting on their laurels––mammoth amounts of research and development have gone into making the Na’vi look even more lifelike this time (and figuring out clever ways the Metkayina would differ from Jake and Neytiri’s tribe, such as their more powerful tails, which aid in swimming).
The world around them is brimming with fresh creatures, which are just as incredible as the forest-dwellers from the first run-around. And when the humans arrive to cause problems, they do so in machinery that looks chunky, real-world and immaculately designed.
3D hasn’t really been much of a thing these past few years, but ‘The Way of Water’ uses it in such a way as to draw you right back in. And while the high frame rate still has some issues at moments, this is lightyears ahead of the likes of ‘The Hobbit’.
Yet we did mention the weaknesses, and this first sequel (Cameron currently plans three more) carries them over too. Primarily it’s in the storyline, and despite the director assembling a writers room to help crank out an overarching story and four distinct outings, the characters and plot remain lacking.
With a script for this one credited to Cameron, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (who were part of the ‘Avatar’ sequel creative quorum and also wrote on the likes of ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’), you might have hoped for more polish. Instead what we’re offered are a second helping of basic tropes, easily foreseeable plot turns and embarrassingly base-level initial squabbling between the kids from the tribes before they learn to put aside their differences.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ opens in theaters on December 16th. Photo courtesy of the movie’s Twitter account.
Lang, though he immerses himself in the role despite being big and blue this time, is still saddled with cheesy dialogue and first-draft motivations.
And while the likes of Weaver and the rest of the Sully-Neytiri clan are the focus here, spare a thought for poor Saldana who, aside from some heroic third-act moments, is mostly called upon to worry.
And while the visuals are near-flawless, you could be forgiven, at times when humans are sharing the screen with Na’vi, for thinking that you’re watching the movie that plays before a theme park ride. Then there’s several character and action moments that feel like the director making a greatest hits album––the chatty marines and sturdy tech of ‘Aliens’, the parental worries of ‘Terminator 2’ and the watery finale of ‘Titanic’ all sharing space here.
Those quibbles aside, if you give yourself over to the action, the lavish (virtual) locales and the rush of emotions that Cameron is looking to generate, and is mostly successful in doing so, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ will give you reason to celebrate returning to Pandora.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ receives 4 out of 5 stars.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ opens in theaters on December 16th. Photo courtesy of the movie’s Twitter account.
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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.’
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.
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.’
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’ opens in theaters on December 16th. Photo courtesy of the movie’s Twitter account.
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The special follows Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) as they set out to give Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) the best Christmas ever, after discovering that Yondu (Michael Rooker) ruined the holiday for him as a child. So, the two Guardians travel to Earth to kidnap Peter’s childhood hero, the ‘Footloose’ actor Kevin Bacon (playing himself), as the ultimate gift for Peter.
The result is a fun and heartwarming holiday special, and while the plot is somewhat predictable, it features great alternative Christmas music, a funny Kevin Bacon performance, and tees up ‘Guardians Vol. 3’ perfectly.
Pound for pound, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is probably my favorite MCU movie, and the story was expanded well in ‘Guardians Vol. 2.’ But those two movies take place back to back, and with ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’ taking place before ‘Guardians Vol. 3,’ and the untimely firing and rehiring of Gunn by Disney, I’ve been concerned that the third ‘Guardians’ movie would not be what the filmmaker originally conceived for the trilogy. Remember, had Gunn not been fired, ‘Guardians Vol. 3,’ would have been released towards the beginning of Phase Four rather than the end.
Also, with the original Gamora (Zoe Saldana) dead, and a younger version of her running around the universe, this is not the Guardians team we began with and the ‘Holiday Special’ does a great job of setting up where our characters will be when ‘Vol. 3’ begins.
The Guardians now comprise of Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, Nebula (Karen Gillan), Kraglin (Sean Gunn), Rocket (Voice of Bradley Cooper), new member Cosmo the Spacedog (Voiced for the first time by Maria Bakalova) and Groot (Voiced by Vin Diesel), who is now in his late teens but almost fully grown. We soon discover that they have inherited Nowhere from the Collector (Benicio del Toro) and are helping the locals rebuild their community. Other Marvel secrets revealed include the identity of Mantis’ father, and that Gamora is still missing at the time of the special.
Since this is a Disney+ special, and not a theatrical movie, obviously it did not have the same budget as other ‘Guardians’ films, but for the most part it never compromises the project. However, there were two scenes that could have used more effects work.
The movie begins with a flashback to Peter’s first Christmas with Yondu, and crude animation is used instead of live-action. One can assume this is because Michael Rooker is not in ‘Guardians Vol. 3,’ and was not available on set when they shot the special. The animation is rough, which matches Peter’s foggy memory, but distracted from the rest of the production. If animation was the only way to go with this sequence, using similar animation to the Disney+ series ‘What If…?’ would have fit the project better.
While Rocket and Groot are used sparingly, probably for budget reasons, Rocket looks good and is on par with his big screen appearances. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Groot, who at times looks more like the theme park character at Disneyland. In the special, Groot looks like someone in a rubber suit, rather than the CGI character we are used to.
But it’s the music, holiday themes, our beloved characters, and Gunn’s unique storytelling style that puts the “Special” in ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.’ Gunn clearly understands the spirit of Christmas and knows what works in a project like this, with obvious influences from holiday specials of the past like 1964’s ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,’ 1966’s ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!,’ and of course, 1978’s ‘Star Wars Holiday Special.’
The filmmaker also fills the special with non-traditional Christmas music like “Christmastime” by The Smashing Pumpkins or The Pogues’ classic song, “Fairytale of New York.” The underrated rock band the Old 97’s actually makes an appearance as an alien rock group on Nowhere learning about Christmas, and has a great performance at the end of the special with Kevin Bacon, who don’t forget is a musician himself.
Bacon is great playing a confused version of himself when Drax and Mantis abduct him, and he eventually befriends the whole group, becoming an honorary Guardian, which is fitting. The actor, who appeared in Gunn’s ‘Super,’ is a good sport spoofing his own persona and clearly understands what Gunn was aiming for. It’s also worth noting that Bacon’s real-life wife, actress Kyra Sedgwick makes a vocal cameo in the project.
As far as the core actors, Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff have the largest roles, and have become a fantastic comedic team over the last few films. Drax and Mantis’ platonic friendship is one of the most engaging relationships in the franchise, and I’m intrigued to see where it goes in the next installment.
But the other Guardians have smaller roles. Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord does not have a lot to do but react to Mantis and Drax’s spontaneous Christmas, which he is emotionally touched by until he realizes that they kidnapped Kevin Bacon! Pratt’s basically just there to react, but has a touching scene with Mantis at the end, which I imagine will have large repercussions moving forward.
While Sean Gunn’s Kraglin is involved in the retelling of Peter’s first Christmas with Yondu, he’s basically in the background with Karen Gillan’s Nebula, who could have had a larger role. I also would have liked to see more interaction between Rocket and Groot, two fan-favorites, but we’ll have to wait for the next movie as Rocket mostly shares his scenes with Cosmo the Spacedog, who was originally introduced in the first film. But it was nice to get a tease of ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’s Maria Bakalova as the voice of Cosmo.
In the end, ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ may not be the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.5’ fans were hoping for, but it is a very funny and entertaining Christmas special that should offer enough character interaction, humor, and music to hold fans over until ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ hits theaters on May 5th, 2023.
‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ receives 4 out of 5 stars.
(L to R) Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington in director David O. Russell’s ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios.
Opening in theaters on October 7th, ‘Amsterdam’ reveals David O. Russell’s talent for attracting quality actors, but also comes across as his weakest script and resulting movie in quite some time.
It’s the sort of cast that most filmmakers would sell their grandmothers to acquire, but unfortunately it’s a lot of impressive people in service of an underbaked narrative that is more about quirks and screwball comedy – until it isn’t.
Bale plays Burt Berendsen, an idiosyncratic doctor with a glass eye and a complicated back brace who works to help World War I veterans like himself to feel whole again with prosthetics and other techniques.
(L-R): Christian Bale, John David Washington, and Margot Robbie in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
John David Washington is Harold, Burt’s lawyer, but also his old war friend, who served with him in an integrated unit commanded by Ed Begley Jr. Immediately following the conflict Harold and Burt spent a few years in a bohemian throuple with a nurse named Valerie (Robbie), who also happened to be a rebellious trust fund hipster.
The three spent their time in an artists’ loft in Amsterdam, living, loving and, in Valerie’s case, making art. But it didn’t last once they returned home.
When Begley Jr.’s general dies – suspiciously, according to his daughter, played by Swift (who, yes, has the chance to sing briefly) – Burt and Harold are thrown into investigating what really happened to the military man. And that, in turn, brings them into contact with the likes of Saldana’s heroic nurse and a much wider conspiracy and fully reconnects them with Valerie.
Before too long, Burt and Harold are framed for a crime themselves, and must work to clear their own names. That mission leads to them meeting De Niro’s hero general, a friend of Begley Jr.’s. He’s the pawn in the bigger plot, but comes to play a much important part, even if it is late in the film.
With a seemingly compelling set-up, you might think that the movie would roll along merrily, bringing opportunities for slapstick humor, twists and turns. And it does – but there’s very little that is merry about this mess.
A big problem is one of clashing tones, even within the main cast. While Bale (never one to pass up the chance to throw himself into an odd character, shed some weight and adopt a make-up prosthetic) and Robbie go full tilt with their quirky personas, Washington appears to have been dropped in from another film all together. He puts the “dead” into “deadpan”.
Yes, people are not one type, yes, different personalities can work when portrayed on screen, but here it simply doesn’t blend, the oil/water combo leading to an awkward, distracting experience that clouds any possible benefit from the story.
It’s such a frustrating experience, putting weirdness and silliness before narrative.
As he weaves his mystery story, Russell loads up the movie with more and more side characters and only barely manages to make them all connect.
(L-R): Christian Bale and John David Washington in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Though the writer/director clearly has a lot on his mind – personal freedom vs. responsibility, the joy of expression through art, life in the interwar period and the necessity of standing up to fascism – but it’s all mashed together into an ungainly stew of messages and madness.
That final topic, the seemingly endless struggle against the forces of racist totalitarianism and power-hungry elites, is so watered down by everything that has come before that it lacks any real punch. It’s not so much a well-crafted allegory for life than it is a lesson driven home with all the subtlety of a carpenter using the world’s heaviest hammer.
The cast does their best to keep it all afloat – Bale commits, of course, and Robbie brings her considerable charm to bear on the role of Valerie. All that really serves to do, though, is push Washington further into the background, a waste of his own considerable (if straight arrow) charisma.
Others, such as Malik and Taylor-Joy barely get a chance to register, though there are a few who push through the noise, such as Alessandro Nivola as the confused, angry Detective Hiltz or Rock, who finds the funny in every line he’s given (his reaction upon discovering that Bale and Washington are looking to move a dead body is a fine example). Many are less real human beings and more collections of tics, such as Myers and Shannon as government agents.
In the movie’s defense, there are some typically superb examples of production and costume design, while cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki brings light and life to the whole thing. Russell and his editor Jay Cassidy try to keep the whole thing together, but the whole is most certainly less than the sum of its parts.
But if Russell was intending to blend farce with fact (a title card at the start announces that “some of this actually happened, which feels more like a lazy stab at meaning than a commitment to anything real), he’s way off with this one.
Coming from the director of ‘Silver Linings Playbook’, ‘Three Kings’ and ‘The Fighter’, it has the feeling of a filmmaker who never wants to be pigeonholed into one particular style or genre, but has this time settled for madcap and serious all at once. It doesn’t work.
‘Amsterdam’ is proof that even the highest wattage of star power can’t always supply the energy that a film needs. Especially once as poorly conceived and structured as this one.
‘Amsterdam’ receives 2.5 out of 5 stars.
(L-R): Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
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