Set on an alternate planet earth in a retro-futuristic version of New York City in the early 1960s, the film is about four people who had returned from outer space with superpowers as they face a threat who wants to devour their planet unless they give him something he wants. It is a film that is about a family that is about to have a new addition to the family while dealing with a threat that wants to destroy Earth unless they give him their unborn child. The film’s screenplay is set in 1964 just four years after these four people had gone to outer space and return with new powers as they have become celebrated superheroes and a beacon of hope for Earth. Even as they live in the Baxter building in the middle of New York City as well as resolving issues in and around the city. That all changes when a mysterious figure known as the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) arrives with a warning that Earth is to be devoured by a gigantic cosmic being known as Galactus.
The first act is about this family in Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), his wife Susan Storm (Vanessa Kirby), her younger brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn), and Richards’ longtime friend Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they all have different superpowers while they also cope with this new threat in Galactus. Richards, whose power is to stretch his body as wide as it can be while he is also one of the smartest scientists in the world, is not so smart when it comes to being social while the idea of becoming a father has him worried about everything. Storm is a woman that can turn invisible and project force fields while is also someone who is good at resolving issues whether it is in the city or for the United Nations as she is also the most grounded of the four. Storm’s brother Johnny has the power to fly and can control fire as he is also someone that likes to be a heartthrob and make jokes with Richards often being the target. Grimm is a man that has a body that is like gigantic rock figure, but he has great strength and is also a man that is down-to-earth as he often visits Brooklyn and is also an accomplished cook. The four together are a family as they are also with their robotic companion named H.E.R.B.I.E. (voice of Matthew Wood) and a new arrival as Susan is pregnant which adds to the stakes of the film as it becomes an unlikely bargaining chip for Galactus.
The second act is about the group’s first encounter with Galactus as they travel through space by tracking through the Silver Surfer’s energy signature as they learn what Galactus wants. During this time, Johnny’s encounters with the Silver Surfer has him trying to get to know her where he would decipher recordings Richards made as he would learn about her ties to Galactus. Even as time is running out for Earth with the Fantastic Four facing backlash over what they are not willing to do upon facing Galactus in the film’s third act.
Matt Shakman’s direction plays into a visual style that is based on its comic and the design work of one of the comic’s creators in Jack Kirby. Shot on location at the Pinewood Studios at Buckinghamshire, England along with some exterior shots set in England and the United Nations building shot at the Palace of Congresses in Oviedo, Spain. Shakman creates a film that does play as a retro-futuristic world set in the 1960s during the space race as the Fantastic Four are already celebrated with Grimm often visiting Brooklyn to get food from local Kosher groceries. There is also a bit of hand drawn animation that highlights the Fantastic Four as an animated TV series created by a team of animators in the style of the 1960s. Shakman’s direction would include a lot of wide and medium shots as it plays into this idea of New York City but also outer space during a key scene where the group confront Galactus in his home base. There are also close-ups and intimate moments in how the group interact with one another as well as Johnny’s own encounter with the Silver Surfer as he admits to be attracted to her while also wondering why she is linked with Galactus.
Shakman does play at the stakes of what the Fantastic Four must deal with as they get a look at what Galactus does with Richards trying to find a solution. Yet, there is the other problem as it relates to the arrival of the new addition to the family as this child is the one thing that can stop Galactus from devouring Earth. It is a sacrifice that Storm refuses to take as the team try to figure out what to do despite the public turning on them after learning from Richards in what Galactus wants. The third act is not just about an experiment that Richards has been working on early in the film but also in luring Galactus out of his throne and spaceship. There is a lot that happens as well as this sense of urgency while there is also some humor throughout the film. Still, the climax is happening where these four superheroes face off against this giant cosmic figure as well as making big moves to save their planet. Overall, Shakman crafts a gripping and compelling film about a family of four superheroes trying to protect their planet from a gigantic cosmic figure who wants to eat the planet.
Cinematographer Jess Hall does brilliant work with the film’s colorful cinematography from the exteriors of New York City as well as the nighttime scenes at the Baxter Building interior and exteriors of the city including some gorgeous interior shots for the scenes in the spaceship during the film’s second act. Editor Nona Khodai and Tim Roche do excellent work with the editing in allowing shots to linger for a bit in some of the tracking shots as well as utilizing fast-cuts for some of the action scenes while making sure the audiences understands what is going on. Production designer Kasra Farahani, along with set decorator Jille Azis and supervising art director Nick Gottschalk, does incredible work with the look of the film from the interior/exterior design of the Baxter Building as well as the look of New York City including Times Square as it has this retro-futuristic look that is just astonishing to watch as it is a highlight of the film. Costume designer Alexandra Byrne does fantastic work with the design of the costumes that the Fantastic Four wear in their adventures as well as the casual clothing they wear that plays to the look of the early 1960s.
Hair/makeup designer Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou does terrific work with the look of the hairstyles of the characters as it plays into the look of the 1960s. Special effects supervisor Alistair Williams, along with visual effects supervisor Robert Allman and Scott Stokdyk, does amazing work with the visual effects including the usage of puppetry for the robot H.E.R.B.I.E. as well as the motion-capture design of the Silver Surfer and the Thing as it is a highlight of the film. Sound editors Josh Gold and Matthew Wood do superb work with the sound as it plays into the sound effects in some of the gadgets as well as how crowd sounds from outside a building and other sparse sound effects.
The film’s music by Michael Giacchino is phenomenal for its exhilarating music score that features sweeping orchestral flourishes and themes that play into the drama, suspense, and action with lush string arrangements and bombastic brass and percussive arrangements as it is one of Giacchino’s finest scores. Music supervisor Justine von Winterfeldt creates a fun soundtrack that features a lot of music from the 1960s including Juan Garcia Esquivel, Brenton Woods, George Bruns, Chet Baker, the Bad Seeds, Paul Martin, and Bobby “Boris” Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers as well as an original song from Andrea Datzman played in the film’s final credits.
The casting by Sarah Halley Finn is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Mark Gatiss as the TV show host Ted Gilbert, Natasha Lyonne as Grimm’s love interest in the schoolteacher Rachel Rozman, Sarah Niles as Susan’s friend Lynne Nichols who runs a foundation created by the Fantastic Four, Matthew Wood as the voice of H.E.R.B.I.E., Ada Scott as one of the babies playing Richards and Storm’s newborn son Franklin, and from the 1994 unreleased film version produced by Roger Corman. Alex Hyde-White and Rebecca Staab as two news reporters while Jay Underwood and Michael Bailey Smith as two power plant workers who salute Johnny after he saves them. Paul Walter Hauser is superb as Harvey Eller/Mole Man as a former villain who runs an underground civilization as he becomes a key figure in its third act where he is asked to play a role in saving humanity. Julia Garner is fantastic as the Silver Surfer as a woman with a body covered in silver who rides a surfboard who serves as a herald for Galactus while hiding secrets of her own that allows Garner to flesh out the woman who would become the Silver Surfer through her encounters with Johnny Storm.
Ralph Ineson is excellent as Galactus as this gigantic cosmic figure who has an insatiable hunger that will not stop where Ineson provides calmness to his voice that is chilling while he can be reasoned with but at a price where Ineson does make Galactus an antagonist that is compelling to watch. Finally, there’s Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn in spectacular performances as the Fantastic Four. Moss-Bachrach’s performance as Ben Grimm/the Thing is a delight as this rock-like figure who has accepted what he has become while is also this big brother figure to everyone as he is also full of life and joy as well as remaining humble in his visits to Brooklyn and its Jewish community. Quinn’s performance as Johnny Storm/the Human Torch is fun as this young man who is a heartthrob to women but is also a lot smarter than people give him credit for where he would decipher the Silver Surfer’s language as he is attracted to her but also puts in a lot of time to find out who she really is adding a lot of depth to a character that is often presented as immature and arrogant.
Pascal’s performance as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic with the power to stretch his body to great lengths adds humor to a man that is extremely intelligent but is socially awkward as he tries to do what he can to protect his unborn child while struggling to find answers to save his planet and child where Pascal adds layers to the character. Kirby’s performance as Susan Storm/Invisible Woman is the heart of the film as a woman that can bring everyone together while is also dealing with a child coming into her life where Kirby has a gravitas to a woman that is so hellbent on protecting her child. Whether it is through her force fields and ability to be invisible or through just talking to the people as it is a performance for the ages as Kirby creates one of best portrayals of a superheroine captured on film.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a sensational film by Matt Shakman that features great performances from Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as the titular heroes. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, outstanding art direction, dazzling visual effects, a heartfelt story on family, and Michael Giacchino’s enthralling music score. It is a film that exceeds its namesake in many ways while also being a superhero film full of adventure, humor, and heart. In the end, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a phenomenal film by Matt Shakman.
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers
Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man and the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Eternals - Spider-Man: No Way Home - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - Thor: Love and Thunder - Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - The Marvels - (Deadpool & Wolverine) – (Captain America: Brave New World) – (Thunderbolts*)
Phase Six: (Avengers: Doomsday) – (Avengers: Secret Wars)
© thevoid99 2025
Set years after an event on the planet of Hala in which Carol Danvers destroyed the Supreme Intelligence, the film revolves around a new Kree extremist who has found a bangle that can allow her to create wormholes in the hope of gaining resources from other planets to save Hala after a civil war had left the planet barren while also hoping to destroy Danvers. It is a film that has Danvers deal with not just the consequences of her actions against the Kree but also having to team up with two others in stopping this person from destroying the universe. Even as it also forces her to deal with other things in her life while also making discoveries that would allow her to make some serious changes. The film’s screenplay is largely straightforward as it opens with the new Kree leader Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) who had found a Quantum Band as she is confronted by Danvers only for something to happen in which she gets entangled with both Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan who all switch places for due to Danvers’ encounter with Dar-Benn.
Throughout the script, there is tension hinted between Carol and Monica as it relates to the fact that they hadn’t seen each other in years as well as the fact that Monica is still dealing with the loss of her mother Maria (Lashana Lynch). Yet, it is Kamala that would help them sort their issues out as both Carol and Monica would meet Kamala’s family as does Nick Fury who would take them to the S.A.B.E.R. space station as it would add some humorous moments between Fury and the Khans. For a film that does have some serious stakes as it plays into Dar-Benn’s quest, the script does manage to not take itself seriously as it plays into some of Danvers’ other lives in other planets including one called Aladna where its citizens talk through singing as Carol is very famous in the planet. It is among some of the odd and hilarious moments in the film as the script does try to balance the tone of seriousness and humor though some of it isn’t perfect but there is still a lot of weight into the story.
Nia DaCosta’s direction is stylish as it does blend into many genres such as comedies, drama, action, suspense, hand-drawn animation in a brief sequence by senior animator Josh Janousky and lead animator Nicholas St. Clair, and Bollywood-inspired musicals as it plays into these different worlds that Danvers, Rambeau, and Khan would encounter. Shot largely on various studios in the U.K. as well as additional locations in Tropea, Italy and Los Angeles, DaCosta does create something that feels loose in its presentation as well as otherworldly considering the many places the characters go to. There are some wide and medium shots that play into the scope of the different planets and places these characters go to yet DaCosta grounds the film with its emphasis on family as well as playing to what is at stake. Notably as it involves a flashback in which Dar-Benn witnessed Danvers destroying the building where the Supreme Intelligence is held as it plays into her own legit grudge as it lead to Hala in a barren state with a civil war emerging. Danvers’ actions towards Hala do lead to consequences as well as why she and Monica became estranged where the two and Kamala would go to a Skrull colony where things go wrong due to Danvers’ involvement.
While the film is uneven in its approach to its different genres, DaCosta does however keep things exciting as well as knowing when to be serious as well as not to be serious. Most notably a subplot in which Fury takes the Khans to his space station where something serious does happen as it relates to Goose and the many people at the space station when it gets threatened by Dar-Benn. Its third act does take place around Earth as it relates to what Dar-Benn wants and what she can get with the quantum band that Kamala has gotten from her grandmother. Yet, the eventual confrontation between Dar-Benn and the Marvels has a lot at stake but it comes with an aftermath which forces Carol to confront her mistakes as well as realize what is more important. Even as it would also play for a couple of key events in one post-credits scene and an ending that would involve something big. Overall, DaCosta crafts a compelling and exciting film about a trio of women with superpowers who team up to save the universe from a Kree extremist who wants to save her home planet by any means necessary.
Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its vibrant usage of colors in the way scenes on Earth and Aladna are shot along with low-level lighting for the scenes in Hala and parts of outer space. Editors Catrin Hedstrom and Evan Schiff do excellent work with the editing with the usage of split-screens, jump-cuts, and other stylish cuts to play into the humor, action, and suspense. Production designer Cara Brower, along with set decorators Jille Azis, Fergus Clegg, and Naomi Moore plus supervising art directors Andrew Bennett, Ben Collins, and Andrew Palmer, does amazing work with the look of the film from the different planets the characters go to as well as the interiors of the S.A.B.E.R. space station, as well as the home of the Khan family. Costume designer Lindsay Pugh does incredible work with the film’s costumes from the suits that the Marvels wear as well as many clothes that the citizens of Aladna wear including a special dress Danvers wears as well as the uniforms the people at S.A.B.E.R. wear.
Hair/makeup designers Sian Wilson and Wakana Yoshihara, along with special makeup effects designer David White, do fantastic work with the many different looks of the alien creatures including the Kree and Skrulls as well as Carol’s own different hairstyle during her time at Aladna. Special effects supervisor David Watkins, along with visual effects supervisor Tara DeMarco and Sarah Eim, does terrific work with the special effects in the way some of the powers from the Marvels are displayed as well as the look of outer space in other parts of the film along with the design of some of the Flerkens that would appear in one of the most hilarious sequences ever on film. Sound designer Tim Nielsen, along with sound editors Addison Teague and Katy Wood, does superb work with the sound in the way Dar-Benn’s weapon sounds when it lands on the ground as well as other sound effects to play into the action and suspense along with some natural sounds for some of the humorous moments in the film.
The film’s music by Laura Karpman is phenomenal for its mixture of orchestral flourishes with Bollywood-inspired pieces as well as themes that are full of bombast along with some somber pieces and choir pieces in which is a key factor for the scenes in Aladna as it is one of the standout cuts in the film’s music score. Music supervisor Dave Jordan creates a fun music soundtrack as it features a diverse array of music from M.I.A., Skrillex with Missy Elliott and Mr. Oizo, the Beastie Boys, James Murphy, a couple of score pieces by John Ottman, and a hilarious usage of Memory sung by Barbra Streisand.
The casting by Sarah Halley Finn is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Leila Farzad and Abraham Popoola as a couple of S.A.B.E.R. officers working directly with Fury, Daniel Ings as the Kree scientist Ty-Rone, Gary Lewis as the Skrull leader Emperor Dro’ge who runs a Skrull colony until he is threatened by Dar-Benn, the cats Nemo and Tango as Carol’s pet Flerken Goose, Lashana Lynch in a flashback scene as Monica’s mother Maria during a memory entanglement with Carol, and Tessa Thompson in a special appearance as Valkyrie who helps Carol out after a serious event involving the Skrulls. The trio of Saagar Shaikh, Mohan Kapur, and Zenobia Shroff as Kamala’s family in their respective roles as her older brother Aamir, father Yusuf, and mother Muneeba are a joy to watch as a family who would have their own dangerous encounter with a couple of Kree soldiers while traveling to space where they help Fury as they add a lot of humor to some of the chaos that occurs in the film. Park Seo-joon is superb in a small role as the Prince of Aladna in Yan as a leader whom Carol knows as he helps out as he provides a lot of charm and humor though it is a very small role that is fun to watch as it needed more of him.
Samuel L. Jackson is great as Nick Fury as the head of S.A.B.E.R. who works closely with Monica while he deals with this new threat to the universe as he also has some funny moments in his encounter with the Khan family as well as Goose where he gets more than he bargains for with what is happening with Goose. Zawe Ashton is excellent as Dar-Benn as the new Kree revolutionary who has a legitimate grudge towards Danvers after witnessing the event that lead to Hala into a civil war as she is determined to save her planet with the help of the Accuser hammer. While it is a character that isn’t fully-fledge in the writing, Ashton does bring in a lot of emotional weight to her performance as someone who is desperate to save her world by destroying other planets.
Finally, there’s the trio of Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. Vellani’s performance as the 16-year old Pakistani high school student from Jersey City is full of delight and charisma as someone who is a total fangirl of Danvers while also is aware of the seriousness of what is happening as she brings in a sense of joy but also someone who knows how to keep everyone together. Parris’ performance as Rambeau, whose late mother was Danvers’ wing-woman in the air force as Danvers was also considered to be her aunt, is full of complexities as someone that isn’t eager to deal with Danvers over some personal issues while is also still trying to figure out her own powers.
Larson’s performance as Danvers is fascinating as someone still trying to regain lost memories but also has become distant in some ways where she also deals with her actions from the past. Larson also displays some humor and wit into the performance as well as facing revelations of her own faults as it relates to Dar-Benn. Larson, Parris, and Vellani together make this tremendous trio that all bring in the best of each other as they are the highlight of the film.
The Marvels is a marvelous film from Nia DaCosta that features a trio of great performances from Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani as the titular group. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, colorful visuals, high stakes, its humor, and an exhilarating music soundtrack. It is a film that knows when to not take itself seriously and know when to be serious though the overall results aren’t perfect yet DaCosta does manage to craft an entertaining and engaging film about three ladies saving the universe. In the end, The Marvels is a remarkable film from Nia DaCosta.
Nia DaCosta Films: (Little Woods) – (Candyman (2021 film))
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers
Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man and the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Eternals - Spider-Man: No Way Home - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - Thor: Love and Thunder - Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)
Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
© thevoid99 2023
Set years after events involving Thanos and his eventual defeat and months following their kidnapping of Kevin Bacon, the film revolves around the gang of misfits who have settled into their home as they are attacked by a mysterious figure who gravely injures Rocket (voice of Bradley Cooper) as it relates to a new foe who has a past with Rocket prompting the team to try and save him while they learn more about Rocket’s past. It is a film that is about these misfits from different galaxies trying to one of their own despite the fact that they’re all dysfunctional with its leader Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) misses Gamora (Zoe Saldana) as a variant of hers from another timeline is around. After this attack by Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) who comes from the Sovereign who still holds a grudge on the Guardians that left Rocket near death as the team are unable to operate on him. They go on an adventure to save him where they get help from the Ravagers leader Stakar Ogord (Sylvester Stallone) whom Gamora is working for much to Quill’s surprise as she is reluctant to help the team out having no knowledge of the romance she had with Quill.
James Gunn’s screenplay does have this reflective narrative as it relates to Rocket who had been taken as a baby raccoon to be experimented on by this scientist known as the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) who is trying to create the perfect being by experimenting on animals. It is around this time Rocket befriends other creatures in the otter Lylla (Linda Cardellini), the rabbit Floor (Mikaela Hoover) and the walrus Teef (Asim Chaudhry) as they continue to be experimented with Rocket showing high intelligence and aptitude that impresses the High Evolutionary until Rocket learns about what the High Evolutionary is trying to do leading to chaos and tragedy that Rocket would never tell the gang. The narrative moves back and forth from the team trying to save Rocket and his past as they would learn about Rocket’s past during a heist with Gamora to retrieve Rocket’s file as they also learn about the High Evolutionary where they confront him though Gamora remains uninterested with her android sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) trying to persuade her. Even as they learn more about what the High Evolutionary wants to do as there is a lot at stake in not just for the universe but also in those that the High Evolutionary has experimented on.
The script doesn’t just play into the stakes of what the Guardians face but also in themselves as Quill, Nebula, Groot (Vin Diesel), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) all go through some development as it help provide some humor but also drama as they’re all desperate to save Rocket whom they care about. Gamora’s development is also crucial as she feels out of step with the team since she has no memory of ever being around them except for Nebula due to the fact that another version of her had been killed by Thanos. New members in Kraglin (Sean Gunn) and the telekinetic dog Cosmo (Maria Bakalova) stay at Knowhere as the former tries to master Yondu’s arrow trick as they would encounter the threat from the High Evolutionary where all of them bring the best in them to stop him.
Gunn’s direction is lavish as it opens with baby raccoons in a cage where a large hand retrieves the baby Rocket as it cuts to Rocket playing a song from Quill’s MP3 music player as he walks through Knowhere as Quill is passed out drunk. It is a scene that does feel like the calm before the storm when Rocket is attacked and severely injured by Warlock as it sets the tone for what it to come as it play into a conflict that the Guardians might not win. Shot largely on location at the Trilith Studios in Duluth, GA along with additional shooting in London and parts of Atlanta, Gunn maintains this sense of dread that looms into the film as it play into Rocket’s past where there are a lot of medium shots and close-ups to play into the world the young Rocket is in and his interactions with his friends inside the cage. There are also some wide shots to not just establish some of the places the Guardians go to but also deal with the situations they’re in.
There are moments that are funny as it plays into Gunn’s sensibility in mixing humor and action as well a scene where Quill tries to reach Gamora about what they had only for everyone else to hear the conversation as it is hilariously awkward. Even as Gamora complains about it in another scene as it leads to a hilarious exchange between Quill and Nebula. Still, Gunn does play into the stakes that relates to Rocket as well as what the High Evolutionary wants from him forcing the team to do what they can to protect with Gamora eventually realizing what is going on. The film’s third act has the team discover more of what the High Evolutionary is doing but also his own dark views on the world as it isn’t about perfection but really about getting rid of the things he doesn’t like to create perfection. This forces the Guardians to not only save the universe once again but to stop this madman from destroying everything that makes the galaxy so great. The film’s ending is definitely the end of something but there is an acceptance as it showcases the growth among these individuals who all mean something to each other as they’re more than just a gang. They’re a family. Overall, Gunn crafts a gripping and adventurous film about a gang of misfits trying to protect one of their own from an evil mad scientist.
Cinematographer Henry Braham does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography for the sunny daytime exterior scenes set in a planet known as Counter-Earth where animal creatures live in that is similar to Earth along with the lighting for many of the interior scenes as well as the look of Knowhere. Editors Fred Raskin and Greg D’Auria do excellent work with the editing as it does have some fast-cutting to play into the action while also creating some invisible cuts for a key fight scene in a hallway that is presented as one-entire take in a tracking shot. Production designer Beth Mickle, with set decorator Rosemary Brandenburg plus supervising art directors Alan Hook and David Scott, does amazing work with the look of the Guardians’ new ship in its interiors as well as the buildings on the planet Knowhere as well as the weird lab-like planet of Orgoscope and the High Evolutionary’s pyramid-like spaceship. Costume designer Judianna Makovsky does fantastic work with the costumes from the colorful space suits the Guardians wear at Orgoscope as well as the clothes of the High Evolutionary.
Makeup designer Mo Meinert and key hair stylist Linda Traxler do nice work with the look of some of the characters including the High Evolutionary, the human-animal hybrids at Counter-Earth and some of the other aliens that the Guardians encounter. Visual effects supervisors Stephane Ceretti and Susan Pickett, along with senior special effects supervisor Daniel Sudick, do incredible work with the look of some of the alien creatures that the team encounter as well as the design of some of the animals where there is a lot of attention to detail in the way baby Rocket looks in the close-ups as it shows how much soul is put into an animal. Sound designer David Acord does superb work with the sound in the way some of the creatures look as well as objects from the planets and such. The film’s music by John Murphy is wonderful for its mixture of electronics and orchestral elements that play into the suspense and action while music supervisor Dave Jordan creates a fun music soundtrack that features songs by Radiohead, Rainbow, Heart, Spacehog, the Flaming Lips, Alice Cooper, Earth, Wind, & Fire, The The, the Beastie Boys, Florence + the Machines, Redbone, the Replacements, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Faith No More, EHAMIC, X, and the Mowgli’s.
The casting by Sarah Halley Finn is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and cameos from Seth Green as the voice of Howard the Duck, Pete Davidson and Lloyd Kaufman as the voices of a couple of the High Evolutionary creatures, Judy Greer as the voice of a War Pig who works for the High Evolutionary, Dee Bradley Baker as the voice of a Ravager pet in the F’saki known as Blurb that Warlock is fascinated by, Molly Quinn as a Ravager working for Ogord, Kai Zen as a child prisoner of the High Evolutionary in Phyla, Michael Rosenbaum as a high-ranking Ravager in Martinex, Tara Strong as the voice of one of Ogord’s old friends in Mainframe, Jennifer Carpenter as a Orgocorp security administrator, Daniela Melchior as a Orgocorp receptionist that Quill flirts with to get a file for Rocket, and Nathan Fillion in a hilarious small role as the Orgocorp security officer in Master Karja who always says funny things. Miriam Shor and Nico Santos are terrific in their respective roles as Recorder Vim and Recorder Theel who both work for the High Evolutionary as the former becomes troubled by her boss’ ideals while the latter is the weaker of the two who would hide something that the Guardians want.
The quartet of Noah Raskin, Linda Cardellini, Mikaela Hoover, and Asim Chaudhry are superb in their respective voice roles as baby Rocket, the otter Lylla, the bunny Floor, and the walrus Teef as animals who have been experimented with mechanical limbs and such whom the young Rocket befriends as they would be like a family to him until he learns about their fates after a successful experiment. Elizabeth Debicki is fantastic as Ayesha as the Sovereign leader who is eager to get revenge on the Guardians while is someone who fears the High Evolutionary as she was created by him. Sylvester Stallone is excellent as Ravagers leader Stakar Ogord who helps the Guardians in planning their heist while warning them about what they will face. The duo of Slate and the voice of Maria Bakalova are brilliant as Cosmo as a telekinetic Soviet dog who is one of the newer members of the Guardians as she stays behind at Knowhere while arguing with Kraglin over being called a bad dog. Sean Gunn is amazing as Kraglin as a former Ravager who is trying to master Yondu’s arrow’s weapon as he spends time arguing with Cosmo and prove his worth.
Will Poulter is incredible as Adam Warlock as a Sovereign creation who is tasked to get Rocket only for things to go wrong as he is a powerful being but has trouble understanding things since he had just come out of his cocoon. Chukwudi Iwuji is great as the High Evolutionary as a mad scientist who wants to create something perfect as he is this chilling figure that brought a lot of trauma towards Rocket and wants Rocket’s brain to complete his experiment as he is also this mad figure with powers that is hell bent on destroying everything that isn’t up to his liking or expectations. The voice of Vin Diesel is awesome as the tree-like humanoid in Groot who proves to be a cunning warrior despite only saying three words as he is also concerned for Rocket whom he sees as a father figure. Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff are phenomenal in their respective roles as Drax the Destroyer and the empathic powerful Mantis as they both provide not just comic relief but also the two who are goofs with the former often saying wrong things and the latter being the straight woman who tries to restrain Drax.
Karen Gillan is remarkable as Nebula as the android-like warrior who is desperate to save Rocket while is also trying to resolve issues with Gamora as they were both raised by Thanos where Gillan also brings some funny moments. Zoe Saldana is tremendous as Gamora as an alien warrior who is now a variant from an alternate timeline that doesn’t have memories of her time with the Guardians as she is someone still trying to find herself while dealing with stories of her romance with Quill. Chris Pratt is marvelous as Peter Quill/Star-Lord who is desperate to save Rocket as well as dealing with seeing Gamora again while is also an idiot who means well while determine to save the universe. Finally, there’s Sean Gunn and the voice of Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon as Cooper is magnificent in bringing the soul of this raccoon who hides a dark past as he is largely seen in flashbacks as someone that is filled with a lot of intelligence but also love for his friends and family.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a spectacular film from James Gunn. Featuring a great ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, high stakes in its screenplay, riveting visual effects, and a fun music soundtrack. It is a film that isn’t just full of adventure and fun but it is also a film that is about a family protecting one of their own as it plays into fallacies of perfection from the eyes of a madman. In the end, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a tremendous film from James Gunn.
James Gunn Films: (Slither) – (Super (2010 film)) – The Suicide Squad (2021 film) - Superman (2025 film) - (The Auteurs #76: James Gunn)
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers
Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man and the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Eternals - Spider-Man: No Way Home - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - Thor: Love and Thunder - Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - The Marvels – (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)
Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
© thevoid99 2023
The film revolves around titular heroes and a few of their family members who create a device to make contact with the Quantum Realm only to be sucked in as they deal with not just a growing rebellion but also this evil figure known as Kang the Conqueror. It is a film that has a lot happening as it plays into a family not only dealing with this evil figure but also what he plans to do with the multiverse. Jeff Loveness’ script does do enough to establish some of the characters as well as insight into what Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) had been doing in the Quantum Realm for 30 years. It unfortunately gets bogged down by not just a lot of exposition but not enough urgency into the stakes over how dangerous Kang the Conqueror is where Janet would unveil her own fears towards Kang. A key sequence during the film’s second act about Janet’s first encounter with Kang does play into why Janet never told her husband Hank and their daughter Hope/the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) about her time in the Quantum Realm. Yet, it features a lot of exposition into Kang’s true motivations but also something much bigger though it ends up being clunky while there’s not enough weight into this rebellion towards Kang and his empire.
Still, the script does focus on Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) who hasn’t done much since the Battle of Earth as he’s written a memoir and sort of became a celebrity but hasn’t done enough to bring attention to his daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton) who has become an activist. Yet, it is an invention she had developed during the Blip with Hank’s help that would suck everyone into the Quantum Realm where she and Scott would meet these people in the Quantum Realm who are rebellion against Kang where Cassie wants to help them. The script unfortunately doesn’t do enough to establish these people living in the Quantum Realm where Lang and Cassie not only deal with Kang but also a mysterious being known as M.O.D.O.K. who is someone that Scott and Cassie knew. There is also a lack of humor throughout the film as some key characters from past films doesn’t appear in the film but are barely mentioned as the few moments in the attempt of humor is uninspired and forced at times. Notably a scene where Lang tries to retrieve an object for Kang where he meets multiple versions of himself that is suspenseful but its attempt to be funny doesn’t work.
Peyton Reed’s direction does have some incredible moments in terms of the visuals and world-building though he is bogged down by its clunky script. Shot largely at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire in Britain with additional shots set in San Francisco and parts of Turkey, Reed opens the film with Janet’s time in the Quantum Realm and how she first met Kang which then cuts to what has Lang done since the events of the Battle of Earth. While a lot of Reed’s compositions are grand in the way he presents the Quantum Realm with its wide and medium shots, Reed does maintain some intimacy in the close-ups to play into the character interactions as well as their reactions to their surroundings. Reed does manage to infuse energy into the action scenes along with some moments of suspense as it relates to Kang in his initial meeting with Lang. Yet, the need to try and infuse humor in some of these moments don’t work as it gives the film an inconsistent presentation where it wanted to be all of these things only to not find balance in blending all of these genres.
Reed’s direction does suffer from not just the exposition that does drag the film in bits of the film as there isn’t enough weight into the stakes of what Kang wants and how he used Cassie to force Lang to retrieve this energy source that he needed for his own personal mission. While Reed does provide enough back story into Kang but also revealed how he came to meet Janet, the fact that there isn’t enough urgency into defeating him other than Janet’s own warnings doesn’t give the film that intensity that it needed. Though its third act with its grand set pieces allow Reed to go all out where there are a few funny moments but also some intense ones. Its aftermath is clunky where Reed isn’t sure how to end things since Kang is a much bigger threat than everyone realizes while there’s also this sense of confusion into whether the good guys have won or they just created something worse. Overall, Reed crafts a wondrous but undercooked film about a two superheroes and their families dealing with a new threat in the Quantum Realm.
Cinematographer William Pope does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its approach to stylish lighting for many of the exterior scenes set in the Quantum Realm as well as its approach to natural lighting for the scenes on Earth. Editors Adam Gerstel and Laura Jennings do terrific work with the editing as it does play into some fast-cutting for some of the action scenes but also in some stylish moments when the characters are sucked into the Quantum Realm. Production designer Will Htay, with set decorator Richard Roberts and supervising art director Nick Gottschalk, does amazing work with the look of some of the places the characters go into at the Quantum Realm as well as Kang’s home base. Costume designer Sammy Sheldon does fantastic work with the costumes from some of the clothes that the Van Dyne/Pym clan would wear in disguise as well as the super-suits that Lang, Hope, and Cassie would wear.
Hair/makeup designer Jan Sewell does nice work with the look of the characters such as Janet’s hair during her time in the Quantum Realm and her white-hair look following her return from the Quantum Realm. Special effects supervisors Paul Corbould and Noah Meddings, along with visual effects supervisors Axel Bonami, Cristian Camaroschi, Jeff Campbell, Alex Cancado, Jesse James Chisholm, Russell Earl, Roy Malhi, John Mangia, and Malte Sarnes, do excellent work with the look of not just some of the creatures and people in the Quantum Realm but also the look of it as it is a major highlight of the film. Sound designer Kimberly Patrick does superb work with the sound design in not just creating sound effects in some of the weapons, vehicles, and creatures at the Quantum Realm but also in the way natural sound would be presented in the Quantum Realm. The film’s music by Christophe Beck does wonderful work with the music as its usage of orchestral bombast help play into the action and suspense that include some soaring themes that relates to Kang while music supervisor Dave Jordan provides a low-key soundtrack as it features John Sebastian’s theme song to the 1970s show Welcome Back Kotter.
The casting by Sarah Halley Finn is incredible as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Randall Park in a cameo as FBI Agent Woo, Gregg Turkington as Lang’s old boss at Baskin-Robbins, and Ruben Rabasa as a coffee shop attendant who mistakes Lang for Spider-Man. William Harper Jackson and Katy O’Brien are terrific in their respective roles as Quantum Realm freedom fires in the telekinetic Quaz and the warrior Jentorra who both meet the Langs while doing what they can to fight Kang’s forces. David Dastmalchian is superb as the slime-like creature Veb who is fascinated by holes while proves to very powerful during the film’s climax. Bill Murray’s performance as a Quantum Realm governor in Lord Krylar is pretty much a waste as he is an old friend of Janet that works for Kang where he doesn’t really do anything in the one big scene he’s as it is a real waste of Murray. Mark Weinman’s on-set performance as M.O.D.O.K. is quite funny at times though it is the reveal of its identity that provides laugh as a guy who has a grudge towards the Langs yet is also forced to face his own faults.
Kathryn Newton is fantastic as Cassie Lang as Scott’s daughter who has become an activist in her time in her desire to help people have created something she had hoped would’ve gotten her father back years earlier where Newton does provide some humor but also a lot of weight as someone who does feel responsible for her actions and wanting to make up for it as she would become her own superheroine in Stature. Michael Douglas is excellent as Dr. Hank Pym as the scientist who created Pym Particles who doesn’t just deal with the chaos of what is happening but also discovers something that happened around him during the moment he and his family got sucked into the Quantum Realm that would play a key part in the film’s third act. Evangeline Lilly is good as Hope Van Dyne/the Wasp as Lang’s partner who doesn’t just deal with the chaos of the Quantum Realm but also the stakes though Lilly’s character doesn’t really get much to do but react and take action while sporting an awful haircut. Paul Rudd is brilliant as Scott Lang/Ant-Man as this superhero who can shrink himself as the size of an ant who has chosen to not really do anything until he’s in the Quantum Realm where he deals with what is happening as he is trying to protect Cassie but also deal with the evil force that is Kang.
Michelle Pfeiffer is incredible as Janet Van Dyne as Hank’s wife and Hope’s mother who had been in the Quantum Realm for 30 years as she is eager to not return only to get sucked in with her family and the Langs as she is forced to reveal a terrible secret while also being cunning in trying to save her family from this terror that is Kang. Finally, there’s Jonathan Majors in a phenomenal performance as Kang the Conqueror as a man who is eager to destroy everything including variants of himself in the hopes to just conquer and destroy those who oppose him as Majors has this commanding presence that is chilling to watch as he just owns every moment he is in.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a terrible film from Peyton Reed. While it is a film that does feature some entertaining moments, incredible visuals, and stellar performances with Michelle Pfeiffer and Jonathan Majors being the major standouts. It is a film that unfortunately tries to be a lot of things but doesn’t deliver in terms of its stakes while also lacking a lot of the humor that made its predecessors enjoyable to watch. In the end, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is an underwhelming and bloated from Peyton Reed.
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers
Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man and the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Eternals - Spider-Man: No Way Home - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - Thor: Love and Thunder - Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Marvels – (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)
Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
© thevoid99 2023
The special revolves around the Guardians of the Galaxy taking a breaking as they settled on the planet of Knowhere where it is Christmas time on Earth where the Guardians decide to celebrate Christmas to cheer up Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) with Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) going to Earth to get Quill the ultimate Christmas present. That is pretty much the premise as it play into a bunch of aliens learning about Christmas based on a story Kraglin Obfonteri (Sean Gunn) tells to the other Guardians about Quill as a teenage boy celebrating Christmas and angering Yondu Udonta (voice of Michael Rooker) who despises Christmas. James Gunn’s teleplay’s main narrative involve Drax and Mantis traveling to Earth to find Kevin Bacon in the hopes he could cheer them up while Mantis also has a secret of her own as it relates to Quill where she hopes this present would help cheer up Quill who still misses Gamora who remains missing following the final battle against Thanos. Yet, things eventually go insane and such while Drax and Mantis learn about Earth culture along the way and get drunk.
Gunn’s direction is stylish as it opens with an animated sequence about the young Quill and Kraglin celebrating Christmas and how it raised the ire of Yondu as it plays into Quill’s melancholia over the holiday as well as missing Gamora. Shot mainly at the Trilith Studios in Duluth, GA with additional locations in Los Angeles, California for the scenes on Earth. Gunn keeps a lot of the compositions straightforward as he makes Knowhere this place that has been rebuilt and a haven for all alien beings as well as a home for the Guardians where there’s a scene of Rocket Raccoon (voice of Bradley Cooper) talking with Cosmo the Dog (Fred with the voice of Maria Bakalova) putting something up in a medium-wide shot as the opening credits sequence have aliens playing a song where it is a comical moment on their view on Christmas and Quill’s reaction to it. There are some unique wide shots such as Drax and Mantis chasing Kevin Bacon in their attempt to take him to Knowhere while there are also some funny close-ups that Gunn creates to play into reactions. Even the moment where Mantis and Drax learn who Kevin Bacon really is as their reaction is just hilarious. Still, Gunn maintains that sense of heart while the animated sequences has an element of 70s/80s-inspired hand-drawn animation as it play into this sense of homage to Christmas specials of the past. Overall, Gunn crafts an exhilarating and heartfelt film about aliens trying to cheer up their half-human friend by giving him the ultimate Christmas present.
Cinematographer Henry Braham does brilliant work with the cinematography from the sunny look of the daytime exteriors in Los Angeles along with stylish holiday lighting for some of the scenes at night including scenes at Kevin Bacon’s home. Editors Greg D’Auria and Gregg Featherman do excellent work with the editing as it has some stylish moments including a montage in which Mantis has Drax take pictures at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre along with some rhythmic cuts to play into the humor. Production designer Beth Mickle, with set decorator Rosemary Brandenburg and supervising art director David Scott, does amazing work with the exteriors of decorations outside Kevin Bacon’s home as well as the decorations for the main area of Knowhere. Costume designer Judianna Makovsky does fantastic work with some of the Christmas-inspired clothes including the ugly sweaters.
The makeup work of Alexei Dmitriew and Sabrina Wilson do nice work with the look of the characters including a few ravagers and aliens that live in Knowhere. Visual effects supervisor Stephane Ceretti does terrific work with the visual effects in the design of the Guardians’ spaceship’s cloaking device as well as other visual bits to play into the world of outer space. Sound designer Nia Hansen, along with sound editors Coya Elliott and Steve Slanec, does superb work with the sound in some of the sound effects for some of the things at Knowhere as well as other sparse moments for scenes in Los Angeles. The TV special’s music by John Murphy is wonderful with its low-key score filled with holiday orchestral elements while music supervisors Dave Jordan and Trygge Toven create a fun mix of music that largely features holiday-based songs from Hanoi Rocks, the Pogues with Kirsty MacColl, Julian Casablancas of the Strokes, Smashing Pumpkins, Little Jackie, Low, the Waitresses, the Wombats, Fountains of Wayne, and a couple of original songs performed by the Old ‘97s including one with Kevin Bacon.
The casting by Sarah Halley Finn is incredible as it features an un-credited voice appearance from Bacon’s real-life wife/actress Kyra Sedgwick, Mark Hamill as a drunk ravager, Flula Borg as a bartender in Los Angeles, Luke Klein as the voice of the young Quill, the Old ‘97s as the alien band on Knowhere, and Michael Rooker in a superb voice performance as Yondu Udonta for the animated sequences. The duo of the dog named Fred and the voice of Maria Bakalova as Cosmo the Dog is fantastic for the humor it brings but also the powers that Cosmo has to set up her future role for the Guardians. Sean Gunn is terrific as Kraglin Obfonteri who tells the Guardians the story of Quill and Yondu’s Christmas as he also does what he can to organize Christmas in Knowhere. Karen Gillan is excellent as Nebula as the most cynical of the group as she is reluctant to celebrate Christmas while she would end up bringing a big surprise for Rocket. Vin Diesel is brilliant in his voice performance as Groot as the tree-like alien who has bulked up as he also has created something special for the Guardians. Bradley Cooper is amazing in his voice role as Rocket Raccoon who also tries to do something special for Quill while getting something really special from Nebula in the end.
Chris Pratt is incredible as Peter Quill/Star-Lord as the half-human/half-Celestial space warrior as he copes with missing Gamora and dealing with Christmas as he also deals with the chaos that is around him as it allows him to play the foil. Kevin Bacon is great as himself as the famed actor who finds himself being abducted by aliens unaware of their intentions as he brings a lot of humor to his performance but also a lot of joy in what he does for Quill and the Guardians. Dave Bautista is phenomenal as Drax the Destroyer as the hulking alien who says a lot of dumb things but is also strong as he brings a lot of humor also revealing his loathing for Go-Bots. Finally, there’s Pom Klementieff in a sensational performance as Mantis as the empath-alien who wants to do something special for Quill as Klementieff doesn’t just bring a lot of heart and joy but also allows the character to have depth while also proving she can kick ass and be a team player.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a spectacular TV special from James Gunn. Featuring a great cast, wondrous visuals, a hilarious appearance from Kevin Bacon, and a killer music soundtrack. It is a special that isn’t just something that brings out the Christmas spirit in all of the right ways but it is also a special full of heart and laughter with its offbeat approach that is all in good fun. In the end, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a tremendous TV special from James Gunn.
James Gunn Films: (Slither) – (Super (2010 film)) - The Suicide Squad (2021 film) - Superman (2025 film) - (The Auteurs #76: James Gunn)
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers
Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man and the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Eternals - Spider-Man: No Way Home - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - Thor: Love and Thunder - Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Marvels – (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)
Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
© thevoid99 2022
Set one year after the unexpected death of King T’Challa of Wakanda aka the Black Panther, the film follows those close to T’Challa trying to move forward as Queen Mother Ramonda assumes the throne as she and the country are aware of other countries wanting to have their vibranium yet is faced with a new threat in an underwater nation lead by a warrior named Namor. It is a film that isn’t just an exploration of grief and legacy but also a young woman coming to terms with loss as she discovers this new threat and why they’re angry at Wakanda as things eventually go into chaos with the country having lost its leader and great protector. The film’s screenplay by Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole is really about the journey that T’Challa’s sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) endures as she is wracked with guilt in not being able to save her brother as she spends a lot of time in the lab and trying to figure out things as a way to cope. Yet, she would be among the first to encounter Namor with her mother as well as other things that have put Wakanda in danger with other countries including the U.S.
The script doesn’t just play into Wakanda’s newfound vulnerability following T’Challa’s death and his own plans to open the doors for the country from its isolationist status. It also show why the country’s vulnerability also leaves this underwater nation known as Talokan becoming just as vulnerable due to the creation of a machine that detects vibranium. After attacking a base in which the Wakandans are accused of, Shuri and the Dora Milaje leader Okoye (Danai Gurira) travel to Boston to find the young scientist that created the machine in Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) who had no clue that the CIA had taken her creation as she helps them until they’re targeted by the FBI and later the Talokan in which Shuri goes to the Talokan home where she meets Namor and learns about his culture and where he and his people are from as well as his own issues with the people on the surface dating back to the 16th Century when he was a child and saw the horrors of humanity and how they saw him as it also play into Wakanda’s own disdain towards colonialism. Yet, things become complicated as it also has these big questions about imperialism where the script has a scene where Queen Ramonda is at Geneva talking to the United Nations about the reasons why Wakanda refuses to share their vibranium because of politics and how it can be used in the wrong hands. Even as the Talokan has vibranium in their world that has allow them to thrive without any threats until recently as it raises more tension with them and Wakanda.
It’s not just a lot of the thematic elements that Coogler and Cole are exploring with the script but also in the characters with Shuri being the one with a major arc while Okoye, Queen Ramonda, T’Challa’s former lover Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), and the Jabari mountain tribe leader M’Baku (Winston Duke) also go through developments as they encounter an ever-changing world with Nakia living in Haiti during the Blip while M’Baku becomes concerned for Shuri’s own issues following his own encounter with Namor and the Talokan. Okoye whose duty as the Dora Milaje leader would also endure her own arc following a fight with a Talokan general that didn’t go well but also be stripped of the identity that she has only known forcing her to take on a bigger role for its third act.
Coogler’s direction is vast in terms of not just the different locations the film is set as a lot of it is shot at the Pinewood Studios Atlanta in Duluth, GA as well as locations in Boston and Puerto Rico yet the film is set in many places including Haiti, Mexico, and Switzerland. For a film with grand set pieces on the surface and underwater, it doesn’t open with something big but rather a scene in Shuri’s lab as she and other scientists are scrambling for a solution until Queen Ramonda comes in and tells Shuri that her brother has died despite a small chance that Shuri took to create a cure. It would then be followed by a funeral ceremony that is just beautiful in its presentation as well as the scope of this ceremony with its usage of close-ups, medium shots, and wide shots in the Wakandan capital city streets where T’Challa’s casket is at the center of this set piece. The usage of the different locations including the scenes at the Talokan city underwater are among some of the finest set pieces created with unique wide and medium shots as they were shot in studio soundstages in actual underwater.
While the film has serious thematic elements as well as intense action set pieces that include some unique fight scenes that are wonderfully choreographed by Micah Karns that include Okoye’s fight on the bridge against a few Talokan warriors including Attuma (Alex Livinalli). There are a few comical moments such as Shuri and Okoye’s meet-up with CIA agent Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) and their first meeting with Williams who would later go to Wakanda to create her own suit similar to the Ironman suit as she would become Ironheart. Coogler also play up into a lot of the suspenseful moments in how the Talokan would introduce themselves as they would attack a couple of scientists underwater while they search for vibranium as would the dark shadow of Namor would appear in the film’s first act and his first meeting with Ramonda and Shuri during a moment between the two women as it relates to grief. Coogler also play up into Shuri’s own reliance on technology and how it would force her to look inward into her mother’s idea of faith as it is something that is key to coping with grief as it is something Namor had dealt with as it relates to his own mother (Maria Mercedes Coroy). Since this is a film set in a global scale, many different languages are used in the film in not just English, Spanish, French, and various African dialects but also Mayan as it is a language that the Talokan use to communicate.
The film’s third act is definitely the most intense not just in terms of its climax but also in terms of its emotion as it relates to Shuri confronting her own grief and guilt but also take on a role that is bigger than herself. Yet, she is also troubled by the fact that she is still a young woman as Nakia, Okoye, and M’Baku are concerned knowing that their backs are against the wall with the rest of the world and the Talokans. The film’s climax is grand and intense as it forces everyone to think about their roles in the world but also lessons learned in the aftermath. Even as it all play into grief and having to move on but also make decisions for a country whose back is against the wall by other countries who are more likely to do more damage than good. Overall, Coogler crafts a majestic and visceral film about a royal family and their country in the middle of Africa dealing with new threats as well as the loss of their great protector.
Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of low-key lighting for the underwater scenes including the shots of the Talokan city as well as a lot of naturalistic photography for the scenes in the day as well as exterior scenes at night. Editors Michael P. Shawver, Kelley Dixon, and Jennifer Lame do excellent work with the editing as it has some unique rhythmic cuts and some stylish transitions as it is a highlight of the film. Production designer Hannah Beachler, with set decorator Lisa K. Sessions and supervising art director Brad Ricker does amazing work with the set design from the look of Shuri’s lab, M’Baku’s palace, and the home of the Talokan with a lot of attention to detail that is inspired by Mayan culture. Costume designer Ruth E. Carter does phenomenal work with the costumes from the funeral garb that Shuri and Ramonda wear for T’Challa’s funeral as well as some of the new designs that Shuri has created for Okoye and the look of the Talokan in their Mayan-inspired clothing.
Special makeup effects artists Erin Keith, Tonilee Marrone, Greg McDougall, and Mark James Ross do fantastic work with the look of the Talokan with their blue-skinned look as well as some of the makeup the Wakandans wear for battle. Special effects supervisor Daniel Sudick, along with visual effects supervisors Geoffrey Bauman and Reetu Aggarwal, does terrific work with the design of Riri’s Ironheart suit in its final form as well as some of the design of Talokan as well as the force fields from Wakanda. Sound editors Steve Boeddeker and Benjamin A. Burtt, along with sound designer David C. Hughes, do superb work with the sound in the way some of the Wakandan tech are used as well as some of Riri’s designs as well as scenes underwater at the Talokan as it is a highlight of the film.
The film’s music by Ludwig Gorransson is incredible for its bombastic score that mixes orchestral music with African percussions and woodwinds as well as old Mayan woodwinds and percussions as it is a highlight of the film while music supervisor Dave Jordan help cultivate a music soundtrack that mixes elements of hip-hop, electronic music, and pop in different arrays of style that also include African and Mayan-elements in the music features contributions from Burna Boy, Tems covering Bob Marley’s No Woman, No Cry, Snow tha Product featuring E-40, Stormzy, Tobe Nwigwe and Fat Nwigwe, Fireboy DML, OG Day V and Future, Aleman with Rema, Bloody Civilian, and two original songs co-written and performed by Rihanna.
The casting by Sarah Halley Finn is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances as Lake Bell as a scientist trying to find vibranium only to have a bad encounter with the Talokan, Trevor Noah as the voice of Shuri’s A.I. Griot, Richard Schiff as the U.S. Secretary of State who wants access to Wakanda’s vibranium for his government, Maria Mercedes Coroy as Namor’s mother in flashbacks, Mabel Cadena as Namor’s cousin Namora who is also a warrior, Alex Livinalli as a Talokan general in Attuma whom Okoye would battle against, Connie Chiume as a royal elder stateswoman who used to be the mining tribe elder, Danny Sapani as the border tribe elder, Isaach de Bankole as the river tribe elder, and Dorothy Steel in her final film performance as the merchant tribe elder. Florence Kasumba is superb as Ayo as Okoye’s second-in-command in the Dora Milaje as she would later become its new general. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is fantastic as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine as the new director of the CIA who helps her ex-husband in Everett K. Ross in investigating what is going with Wakanda while having motives of her own.
Micaela Cole is excellent as Akeena as a Dora Milaje warrior who is bit of a rebel in terms of the weapons she likes as she would also play a key role in the third act as it relates to a new role that Okoye would also play. Martin Freeman is terrific as Everett K. Ross as a CIA agent who helps Okoye and Shuri in finding Riri Williams while trying to keep them away from the authorities. Dominique Thorne is brilliant as Riri Williams as a MIT student who has created a machine that would help find vibranium that she didn’t realize would be used by the government as she becomes a target for the Talokans where she joins the Wakandans in dealing with them while creating a suit of her own that would become Ironheart. Winston Duke is amazing as M’Baku as the leader of the Jabari tribe who lives in the mountain as he would have some comical lines in how he would deal with the Talokan while later being aware of how powerful they are as he tries to counsel Shuri about the dangers of war. Danai Gurira is incredible as Okoye as the leader of the Dora Milaje who is devoted to her role until her encounter with the Talokan in Boston has her shaken and unsure of what to do next forcing her to take on a new role. Lupita Nyong’o is remarkable as Nakia as T’Challa’s former lover who had given up her life as a spy for a quieter life in Haiti as she is asked by Ramonda to find Shuri while being aware of the threat they’re facing as well as becoming concerned for Shuri’s emotional state.
Tenoch Huerta Mejia is phenomenal as Namor as the leader of the Talokan whom is referred to as the serpent god of K’uk’ulkan who is trying to protect his people from the surface world while also seeing Wakanda as a threat where he tries to be reasonable with Shuri only for things to go wrong prompting him to fight as Mejia’s performance is full of complexities but is also someone who makes his character an anti-hero rather than a typical villain. Angela Bassett is outstanding as Queen Ramonda as the mother of Shuri and the late T’Challa who watches over the throne as she deals with the threats of other countries as well as mourning her son where she also tries to help Shuri as well as having her own encounters with Namor as it is a performance for the ages from Bassett. Finally, there’s Letitia Wright in a sensational performance as Shuri as T’Challa’s younger sister who has a hard time coping with her loss as she is also trying to figure out what Namor wants where it is a whirlwind of a performance where Wright captures the anguish and confusion of a young woman who is still lost while also unsure of where to go as she ultimately takes on a role that her people need to play.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a tremendous film from Ryan Coogler. Featuring a great ensemble cast, ravishing visuals, intricate set and costume designs, an evocative music score and soundtrack, and its exploration of loss, identity, and grief on a world stage. It is a film that isn’t just this intense yet exhilarating action-blockbuster but also a film that tackles some serious political ideas as well as being this exploration of loss as the film is also a fitting tribute to the original Black Panther in Chadwick Boseman. In the end, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a spectacular film from Ryan Coogler.
Ryan Coogler Films: Fruitvale Station - Creed (2015 film) - Sinners (2025 film) - The Auteurs #74: Ryan Coogler
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers
Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man and the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Eternals - Spider-Man: No Way Home - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - Thor: Love and Thunder - Werewolf by Night - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Marvels – (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)
Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
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