The film revolves around a drug cartel leader who seeks the help of a low-level lawyer in Mexico to hide his identity and life so that he can become a woman and start a new life as well as hide his wife and children from old enemies. It is a film that explores the lives of three women who are impacted by their own situations in the world as well as the past, present, and future all driven by one person who is willing to make a change for herself to become her true self. Jacques Audiard’s screenplay, with additional contributions from Thomas Bidegain, Lea Mysius, and Nicolas Livecchi, is straightforward in its narrative as it follows a low-level lawyer in Rita Mora Castro (Zoe Saldana) who just won a case despite going against her own conscience where she receives a mysterious phone call as she is taken to a mysterious location while being masked where she finds herself meeting the drug lord Juan “Manitas” Del Monte (Karla Sofia Gascon) who reveals to Rita that she wants to use her money to become a woman as she has already gone through two years of treatment. Rita would travel to Bangkok and Tel Aviv to see what place would be best for Manitas as she chose the latter in Dr. Wasserman (Mark Ivanir) who agrees to do the surgery.
The script would have dialogue that would be sung at times as they are written by Camille Dalmais that plays into the plight of the characters with the first act as it relates to Rita and Manitas with the latter going through his own change into the titular character as they would meet again four years later in the film’s second act. Rita would oversee a lot of things for Manitas before his final transition as it relates to his family that includes his wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) where she would stay in Switzerland for four years and then return to Mexico to live with this woman she does not know. Rita and Emilia’s return to Mexico would force the latter to think about her past life as a drug lord and the disappearances that she had caused of those where she would organize a non-profit company to help the family find those who have disappeared. The script also play into the politics and corruption within Mexico in the hand of drug cartels that Emilia was once a part of where she and Rita would gain some fulfillment. For Jessi, she feels alienated prompting her to contact a former lover.
Audiard’s direction is stylish as it is shot on location in France to play into the many different locations the characters go to. Notably as some of the scenes set in Mexico were shot in soundstages to recreate some of the places in the country including Mexico City. Audiard’s direction does use a lot of medium and wide shots to play into the chaos in Mexico with close-ups as it plays into Rita’s own plight as a Black lawyer born in the Dominican Republic who is overworked and underpaid as there is an element of racism in the way she is treated. Audiard also creates some unique camera movements for scenes involving some of the musical numbers with the aid of choreographer Damien Jalet. Particularly in scenes that has a sense of improvisation and a lot of physicality in the movement as it play into the plight of both Rita and Jessi with the latter feeling frustrated and unhappy over the loss of Manitas and her own desires as a woman.
The bending of genres do get messy as Audiard’s overall presentation is all over the place. Even in scenes that are serious yet there is some singing, but it is not presented as camp nor overly-serious where Audiard knows how to keep things simple. The film’s third act is intense as it relates to a new thing for Emilia in meeting a woman in Epifania Flores (Adriana Paz) but also in Jessi whose relationship with her lover Gustavo Brun (Edgar Ramirez) would threaten the life that Emilia has created. Especially with Rita finding herself in the middle as she realizes the severity of Jessi’s actions but also the faults in Emilia’s own planning in keeping everything secretive. Notably in not revealing her identity to Jessi who feels slight and becomes neglectful towards their children for a time where a lot becomes unveiled. Overall, Audiard crafts a riveting and wild film about a drug lord’s desire to become a woman with the help of a low-level lawyer.
Cinematographer Paul Guilhaume does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of stylish lighting for a club scene involving Jessi as well as other low-key lighting for some interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Juliette Welfling does excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, rhythmic cuts, and dissolves to play into the sense of style and manic energy in some of the dancing. Production designer/set decorator Emmanuelle Duplay, along with art director/costume designer Virginie Montel plus set decorators Sandra Castello, Cecile Deleu, and Sandrine Jarron, does amazing work with the look of the exterior streets in Mexico as well as the home that Emilia has created for herself and her family with Montel providing fantastic costumes that includes the stylish dresses and clothes that Emilia, Rita, and Jessi wear.
Visual effects supervisor Cedric Fayolle does terrific work with the visual effects for a few scenes that involve set dressing in a few travel montages as well as in some of the dance numbers in the film. Sound editor Aymeric Devoldere does superb work with the sound in the way a location sounds as well as how music sounds in a car stereo and other sound effects used in the film. The film’s music by Clement Ducol is incredible for its mixture of styles ranging from Mexican folk, pop, electronic, and orchestral to play into the drama with songs by Camille Dalmais that help drive the story while music supervisors Raphaelle Dannus and Pierre Marie-Dru create a soundtrack that play into those different environments.
The casting by Christel Baras and Carla Hool is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Eduardo Alardo as Rita’s boss early in the film, Emiliano Hasan as a guilty client Rita defends early in the film, James Gerard as a British acquaintance of both Emilia and Rita, and the duo of Theo Guarin and Lucas Varoclier as Manitas and Jessi’s kids who become fond of Emilia. Edgar Ramirez is superb as a former lover of Jessi in Gustavo as a man that is fond of her despite having a past that Emilia does not approve once she learns about Jessi’s plans with him with the children. Mark Ivanir is fantastic as Dr. Wasserman as a surgeon who learns about Manitas’ transition as he agrees to help him become a woman while helping him remain anonymous. Adriana Paz is excellent as Epifania Flores as a woman that Emilia meets as she falls for her where she not only brings joy to Emilia but also a broader view of the world that only pushes her to do better for her organization.
Selena Gomez is incredible as Jessi Del Monte as Manitas’ wife who is kept in the dark about what is happening to her life where she deals with living in Switzerland and then returning to Mexico. Gomez’s performance has this air of physicality in her dancing and singing while also displaying this sense of loss of a woman that is trying to find her own fulfillment as well as answers about what her husband did. Zoe Saldana is tremendous as Rita Mora Castro as a low-level lawyer who is given the opportunity of a lifetime where she becomes rich in hiding Manitas’ identity during her transition and later becoming her partner in creating a nonprofit organization as she deals with some of the chaos and her own frustrations in life while also wanting to protect Emilia and her past identity. Finally, there’s Karla Sofia Gascon in a spectacular performance as the titular character/Juan “Manitas” Del Monte as a drug lord who wants to become a woman as he becomes uncomfortable with who he is as he used his money and power to become his true self. Once he becomes Emilia, he starts to find some joy and fulfillment in her life while also confronting the past in the hope of creating a better future for those she cares about unaware of the neglect she displays towards Jessi.
Emilia Perez is a phenomenal film by Jacques Audiard that features a trio of great performances from Karla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldana, and Selena Gomez. Along with its supporting cast, offbeat presentation, study of identity and redemption, and whimsical music soundtrack. It is a film that is not afraid to be messy as well as explore some themes of reinvention including what it means to be their true self. In the end, Emilia Perez is a sensational film by Jacques Audiard.
Jacques Audiard Films: (See How They Fall) – (A Self-Made Hero) – (Read My Lips) – (The Beat That Skipped My Heart) – A Prophet - Rust and Bone - (Dheepan) – (The Sisters Brothers) – (Paris, 13th District)
© thevoid99 2025
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
Based on the comic series by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee and the comic storylines The Infinity Gauntlet by Jim Starlin and the Infinity series by Jonathan Hickman, Avengers: Infinity War is the story of the fractured superhero group who reunite to stop an alien who is trying to collect six stones in the hopes of destroying the universe as the Avengers seek help from the Guardians of the Galaxy. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo and screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeeley, the film is the first of a two-part film series in which the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy team up with other heroes to stop this being known as Thanos in collecting the stones and save the world.
With an all-star cast that include Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Chadwick Boseman, Danai Gurira, Dave Bautista, Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Pom Klementieff, Don Cheadle, Winston Duke, Letitia Wright, Benedict Wong, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Karen Gillan, Peter Dinklage, Carrie Coon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Benicio del Toro, plus the voice work of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, and Josh Brolin as Thanos. Avengers: Infinity War is a sprawling yet visceral film from Joe and Anthony Russo.
Set a few years after events that broke up the Avengers, the sudden arrival of alien ships featuring members of the Black Order who serve the alien despot Thanos have arrived to Earth to find two of the six infinity stones left on Earth forcing members of the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy to stop it from happening. It’s a film with a simple premise with stakes that are huge as the six infinity stones are all based on the elements that arrived after the Big Bang where Thanos is seeking to get all six and put into a gauntlet where he can destroy half the universe with the snap of his finger. The film’s screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeeley is a multi-narrative script which picks up following events in which Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is stopped by Thanos and the Black Order as he later meets up with the Guardians of the Galaxy who agree to help Thor.
Back on Earth in New York City, Tony Stark/Iron Man meets up with Dr. Steven Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Wong (Benedict Wong) where they received a warning from Bruce Banner/the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) as they’re confronted by two members of the Black Order who want Strange since he carries the time stone as Iron Man is later aided by Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland). Banner would call Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) about what he saw as Rogers, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie) deal with the other half of the Black Order who are trying to get the mind stone from Vision (Paul Bettany) who had been in hiding in Glasgow, Scotland with Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) as they all turn to James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle) for help despite Rhodes being ordered to arrest Rogers and associates for going against the Sokovia accords. They, along with Banner, would go to Wakanda to get help from King T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) who is aware that Thanos and the Black Order is after Vision. For all of the strands of narrative to occur as it all play into the same thing of these heroes trying to get the remaining infinity stones from Thanos.
There are also so much more that is happening as it relates to Thanos who is this alien figure that is in the belief that he wants to restore balance to the universe and he is convinced that by killing trillions of beings. He can save everything and he needs the six stones to do it as it’s something his adopted daughter Gamora (Zoe Saldana) knows as she is the only person that knows where the mysterious soul stone is as there is this unique relationship with the two in an established flashback as he would save her as a child while he and the Black Order wipe out of her home planet. It would play into a sense of conflict for members of the Guardians of the Galaxy including Peter Quill/Starlord (Chris Pratt) who had fallen for Gamora as he wants to protect her from Thanos. It’s not just this arc over Thanos/Gamora that invests into a lot of emotional moments as the storyline for Vision/Maximoff is just as important as they’ve become a couple that are deeply in love and Maximoff is desperate to protect Vision. It would later lead to all of the Avengers including Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), T’Challa’s allies, and the Guardians to fight for the universe.
Joe and Anthony Russo’s direction is definitely grand in terms of not just what is at stake but also for the fact that it’s set both on Earth and various parts of the universe. Shot largely in Pinewood Studios near Atlanta, Georgia with additional locations shot in New York City and Atlanta. The film does play into a universe that is big where it opens with Thor being attacked by Thanos and the Black Order where it is a very menacing sequence as it play into what kind of figure Thanos is and how ruthless he is. The Russos’ direction would include a lot of unique compositions in the wide and medium shots to get a scale of how big this war is between the Avengers and Thanos as well as the fact that there’s several factions in the Avengers and Guardians that are trying to get whatever infinity stones that Thanos hasn’t acquired yet. While it is a dark film with some nihilistic elements that is intense in terms of how it impacts the story. There are elements of humor in the film.
Among them involves Thor’s interaction with Quill as the latter doesn’t seem fond of Thor because the former is cooler and gets along easily with Rocket (voice of Bradley Cooper) and Groot (voice of Vin Diesel) while another funny exchange involves the banter between Stark and Dr. Strange as two men with big egos who think they’re better than everyone. Still, the Russos do know when to take the break from the action as it relates to the Avengers trying to understand the infinity stones and what is at stake as well as Thor, Rocket, and Groot traveling to a mysterious planet to create a weapon that can kill Thanos with the help of a giant elf in Eitri (Peter Dinklage). By the time Stark, Dr. Strange, and Parker would meet other members of the Guardians including Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Gamora’s adopted sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) at Thanos’ home planet Titan. The film’s climax which takes place both at Wakanda and at Titan is intense where most of the Avengers take on Thanos’ army and members of the Black Order while Stark, Parker, Doctor Strange, and the Guardians take on Thanos as it is followed by something that is a real punch to the gut.
It plays into the possibilities of what happens if Thanos succeeds in his mission and the costs as it’s not just Thanos who would do something to achieve that. The Avengers and the Guardians would also pay a major price in their attempts to stop him where everyone knows what is at stake but some completely lose sight of that in favor of personal gain with some willing to make sacrifices. Its ending is really unlike many superhero/blockbuster films as it revolves into something much bigger than everyone. Even in the film’s lone post-credit sequence plays up into this sense of a universe that is now shaken to its core as it all goes back to Thanos’ nihilistic idea of the universe in general. Overall, the Russo Brothers craft a visceral and rapturous film about a collection of heroes trying to stop a madman from destroying an entire universe.
Cinematographer Trent Opaloch does excellent work with the film’s cinematography in the way the planet Titan looks in its pink-like shading as well as the scenes in space along with the exteriors in New York City and other locations. Editors Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidtt do terrific work with the editing as it is conventional in terms of its approach to the action with its fast-cutting while allowing scenes to simmer as it does establish what is going on without going into frenetic speed cuts. Production designer Charles Wood, with set decorator Leslie Pope and supervising art director Ray Chan, does brilliant work with the look of the spaceships that Thanos has for the Black Order as well as the look of the different planets the characters go to as well as the Avengers home base and Wakanda. Costume designer Judianna Makovsky does nice work with the costumes as it include the look of Spider-Man’s Iron-Spider suit as well as the clothes of the Black Order.
Special makeup effects artists Laura Dandridge, Andre Freitas, Bruce Spaulding Fuller, Tim J. Hays, Christopher Allen Nelson, and LuAndra Whitehurst do fantastic work with the look of the characters including the members of the Black Order and some of the smaller characters that Thor and Thanos would meet. Special effects supervisors Daniel Sudick and Patrick Edward White, along with visual effects supervisors Jeff Capogreco, Dan DeLeeuw, Varun Hadkar, Kelly Port, and Doug Spilatro, do incredible work with the visual effects as it play into the action including some chilling scenes involving Thanos and what he can do with his gauntlet as well as some of the powers that relate to Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and the other heroes. Sound designers David Farmer, Nia Hansen, and Shannon Mills, along with co-sound editor Daniel Laurie, do superb work with the sound as it play into some of the sound effects in the film as well as how some of the weapons sound and the noises the spaceships make. The film’s music by Alan Silvestri is phenomenal as it feature some soaring orchestral themes for the heroes as well as some somber pieces and some bombastic themes for Thanos while music supervisor Dave Jordan provides a fun soundtrack that includes Black Panther’s theme and the Spinners’ Rubberband Man to introduce the Guardians.
The casting by Sarah Finn is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Jacob Batalon as Peter’s friend Ned, Idris Elba as Heimdall, Benicio del Toro as the Collector, Gwyneth Paltrow as Tony’s fiancé Pepper Potts, Tom Hiddleston as Thor’s adopted brother Loki, Letitia Wright as T’Challa’s sister Princess Shuri, William Hurt as defense secretary Thaddeus Ross who wants Steve Rogers and other associates arrested, Peter Dinklage as the legendary weapons creator Eitri who helps Thor create a weapon to stop Thanos, Winston Duke as the Jabari tribe leader M’Baku, Danai Gurira as the Dora Milaje leader Okoye, Kerry Condon as the voice of Stark’s A.I. tech, Ariana Greenblatt as the young Gamora, and Benedict Wong as the mystic arts master Wong who helps Doctor Strange and Stark deal with members of the Black Order. In the roles of Thanos’ disciples in the Black Order, the performances of Terry Notary as the big monster Cull Obsidian, Michael James Shaw as the vicious Corvus Glaive, Tom Vaughn-Lawlor as the telekinetic Ebony Maw, and Carrie Coon as the powerful Proxima Midnight are superb as villains who are loyal to Thanos.
The performances of Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, and Sebastian Stan are superb in their respective roles as Sam Wilson/Falcon, James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier as members of the Avengers who take part in fighting Thanos’ forces with Rhodes being the one to defy the world’s council orders while Barnes feeling more at peace in his time in Wakanda. The performances of Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Bradley Cooper/Sean Gunn, Vin Diesel/Terry Notary, and Karen Gillan are fantastic in their respective roles as Guardians of the Galaxy members Drax the Destroyer, Mantis, Rocket, Groot, and Nebula as the space warriors who are willing to fight Thanos with Bautista and Klementieff as the comic reliefs while Gillan provides a weighted role as Gamora’s adopted sister who has a legit grudge towards Thanos. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany are excellent in their respective roles as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch and Vision as they provide some of the emotional moments in the film with Maximoff trying to protect Vision as she copes with the idea of losing him altogether.
Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana are brilliant in their respective roles as Peter Quill/Starlord and Gamora as members of the Guardians of the Galaxy who have fallen for each other as Pratt provides some humor in his banter towards Thor and Stark while Saldana brings a lot of weight to her role as Gamora who hates Thanos but knows she couldn’t lie to him. Chadwick Boseman and Tom Holland are amazing in their respective roles as T’Challa/Black Panther and Peter Parker/Spider-Man with Boseman as the reserved king of Wakanda who leads the battle against Thanos in his country while Holland is funny as Parker who says a lot of pop culture things that annoys Stark and Doctor Strange. Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. are remarkable in their respective roles as Steve Rogers/Captain America and Tony Stark/Iron Man as the two leaders of the Avengers who both battle Thanos in separate narrative threads as they endure the reality of their situation with Evans as a hardened Rogers who knows what needs to be done and Downey as a determined Stark who has issues with Thanos over the chaos he had brought to him many years before.
The performances of Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Hemsworth, and Mark Ruffalo in their respective roles as Doctor Steven Strange, Thor, and Bruce Banner/the Hulk are incredible with Cumberbatch being the mystic arts master who is trying to figure out every scenario as he’s protecting the time stone while Hemsworth brings a weighted performance as Thor who copes with failure and anger and Ruffalo provides a comical performance of sorts as Banner who endures anxiety over the Hulk’s brief fight with Thanos. Finally, there’s Josh Brolin in tremendous performance as Thanos as the alien despot who is hell-bent on destroying the universe as it’s a chilling performance that has Brolin using motion-capture to provide the terror of Thanos where it’s calm but eerie in the way he explains his motives as he creates a villain for the ages.
Avengers: Infinity War is a spectacular film from Joe and Anthony Russo. Featuring an incredible ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, high-octane set pieces, thrilling action sequences, a mesmerizing score, and a haunting story of destruction and nihilism. It’s a superhero blockbuster film that goes all out and more in terms of not just be entertaining but also going into places many films wouldn’t dare in delving into dark themes as well as the concept of loss in the grandest of ways. In the end, Avengers: Infinity War is a phenomenal film from Joe and Anthony Russo.
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 - Ant-Man & the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Captain Marvel - 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 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
Related: MCU is Cinema: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 – Pt. 4 – (Part 5) – (Part 6) – (Part 7) - The MCU: 10 Reasons Why It Rules the World
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the comic series by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 revolves around the gang of misfits who travel all over outer space as they deal with new foes as well as get help from old allies and enemies while trying to find out the truth over the parentage of Peter Quill/Starlord. Written for the screen and directed by James Gunn, the film is an exploration of heroes trying to keep their family together as well as deal with those who want to tear them apart. Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker, Elizabeth Debicki, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, Chris Sullivan, Sylvester Stallone, and Kurt Russell along with the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a sprawling yet touching film from James Gunn.
The film follows the band of misfits known as the Guardians of the Galaxy where they take on missions as one of them has gotten the group in trouble where they’re later saved by a mysterious figure known as Ego (Kurt Russell) who is revealed to be the father of Peter Quill/Starlord (Chris Pratt). The film isn’t just about Quill learning about his father but also the Guardians dealing with this news as they try to figure what he’s about and why he’s been looking for Quill for so long. Even as they wonder why the Ravager Yondu Udonata (Michael Rooker) had kept and raised Quill for so many years as Yondu is forced to deal with the exile of being part of the main Ravagers group where he is later usurped in a mutiny after refusing to do a job in capturing the Guardians. James Gunn’s screenplay definitely carries a major theme that is prevalent through the film which is about family as the Guardians are a dysfunctional group who at times couldn’t tolerate each other but all work to try and save the universe no matter how much they get on each other’s nerves.
It’s not just Quill dealing with his feelings for the alien Gamora (Zoe Saldana) but also learning more about who he is after meeting Ego who would take him, Gamora, and the alien Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) to his home planet. The character of the genetically-engineered raccoon Rocket (voice of Bradley Cooper) has a hard time dealing with being part of a family as he would get the Guardians in trouble with a Sovereign race whom they were supposed to work for in exchange of freeing Gamora’s estranged adopted sister Nebula (Karen Gillan). Nebula would later help Yondu’s mutinous Ravagers in capturing Rocket and the tree-like humanoid in Baby Groot (voice of Vin Diesel) in the hopes of dealing with Gamora as the script reveal more of Nebula’s own issues with Gamora as it goes back to how their adopted father Thanos raised them.
The script also reveal a lot about Ego and what he was doing on Earth when he met Quill’s mother (Laura Haddock) as he is someone that is very powerful being with powers that can do so much as he wants to pass it on to Quill. Yet, Gamora is uneasy about Ego as well as Drax who learn more about Ego’s powers through Ego’s pet empath Mantis (Pom Klementieff) whose job is to make sure Ego would sleep as she’s having a hard time doing that where she would befriend Drax. Yet, the Guardians would still have to cope with the Sovereign race led by its leader Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki) who is very upset over the batteries that Rocket stole forcing another showdown to save the universe.
Gunn’s direction is definitely grand in terms of where much of the film is set as it is largely set in various planets and parts of the galaxy. With some of it shot around Cartersville, Georgia for a few sequences including its opening sequence involving Ego and Quill’s mother. Gunn definitely knows how to establish the characters and the story as well as create different worlds in the galaxy to play into something that is very large and what is at stake. The opening battle scene where the Guardians are trying to protect powerful batteries features a long tracking shot where all of the Guardians but Groot are fighting as Groot is dancing to some music which showcases the mixture of humor and adventure that is prevalent throughout the film. The wide shots do help play into the grandness of the galaxy and some of locations in the different planets but it also play into the world that is Ego’s planet which does have something that is very enchanting.
Gunn makes sure the film’s humor is approached very naturally while finding the time to create moments that would lead to action sequences or anything that is about the characters as he would shoot these moments with medium shots and close-ups. Notably the sequence in which Rocket and Yondu are jailed by Yondu’s men as it’s a very intimate moment revealing two individuals who are troublemakers but do have something to offer in doing what is right for the universe. That intimacy would also play into the growing friendship between Drax and Mantis as well as the complicated relationship between Gamora and Nebula where both women have to deal with what their father did to them. All of which would force many to deal with not just evil forces but also learn the importance of family no matter how dysfunctional they are. Overall, Gunn creates a thrilling and witty comedy about a gang of misfits trying to save the galaxy and deal with each other.
Cinematographer Henry Braham does excellent work with the film’s cinematography from the naturalistic look of the scenes set on Earth to many of the lighting schemes and hues for some of the different planets as well as a mixture of colors in the lighting. Editors Fred Raskin and Craig Wood do nice work with the editing as it is quite stylish with its usage of montages as well as jump-cuts for some of the action without deviating too much into fast-paced cutting. Production designer Scott Chambliss, with supervising art director Ramsey Avery as well as set decorators Lauri Gaffin and Jay Hart, does amazing work with the look of the different spaceships as well as the different worlds the characters go to from the golden look of the Sovereign race to the exotic beauty of Ego’s planet. Costume designer Judianna Makovsky does terrific work with the costumes from the look of the Ayesha as well as the clothes that Ego wears. Makeup artists Bill Myer and Jay Wejebe, along with hair stylist Jules Holdren, does brilliant work with the look of the characters such as some of the Ravagers as well as the look of the Sovereign race.
Visual effects supervisors Ray McMaster, Doug Spilatro, and Christopher Townsend do fantastic work with the visual effects from the design of some of the planets and some of the creatures as well as the look of Ego’s home planet. Sound designers David Acord and Addison Teague do superb work with the sound in creating some sound effects as well as create mixes to combine different sounds for the action scenes and intense sci-fi scenes. The film’s music by Tyler Bates is wonderful for its mixture of orchestral music with some electronic flourishes for the action and humor while music supervisor Dave Jordan creates a kick-ass soundtrack that mixes rock, soul, pop, and country that feature contributions from acts such as Electric Light Orchestra, Sweet, George Harrison, Glen Campbell, Parliament, Cheap Trick, Cat Stevens, Fleetwood Mac, Sam Cooke, Looking Glass, Jay and the Americans, Silver, Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah, and a disco song by Tyler Bates and James Gunn with David Hasselhoff.
The casting by Sarah Finn is incredible as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Laura Haddock as Quill’s mother in the flashbacks, Evan Jones as a Ravager who betrays Yondu, Aaron Schwartz as the model for the young Ego, Hannah Gottesman as the Sovereign chambermaid, and the obligatory cameo from Stan Lee as an astronaut telling stories to the Watchers. Other notable small roles include Chris Sullivan as the Ravager known as Taserface who would betray Yondu as he’s very funny as is Sean Gunn in a dual-role as the on-set version of Rocket and Yondu’s loyal second-in-command Kraglin who would play an integral part of the story in helping the Guardians. Sylvester Stallone is terrific in a small but important role as Stakar Ogord as the Ravagers leader who has issues with Yondu over the things that Yondu has done as he has excommunicated him feeling that Yondu isn’t worthy to be a true Ravager. Elizabeth Debicki is wonderful as the Sovereign leader Ayesha as a golden-like woman who is quite arrogant as she becomes upset over what Rocket does as she tries to hunt the Guardians with her army.
Pom Klementieff is fantastic as Mantis as an empath who works for Ego as she can sort out people’s feelings where she is a foil of sorts for Drax due to her lack of social interaction as there’s an air of innocence to her performance. The voice performances of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel are excellent with the former being the genetically-engineered raccoon Rocket who can create weapons but is afraid to be part of a family while Diesel’s voice role as Groot is very funny as the tiny tree-like humanoid who can only say the words “I am Groot” as he provides the film’s funniest moments. Karen Gillan is brilliant as Nebula as Gamora’s estranged adopted sister who has a grudge towards Gamora where she does whatever she can to kill her while realizing what is at stake with the galaxy as they both share a hatred for their adopted father Thanos. Michael Rooker is amazing as Yondu Udonata as a Ravager who copes with being exiled from the Ravagers as well as his own relationship with Quill as he learns about Quill meeting his father whom he doesn’t like.
Kurt Russell is marvelous as Ego as a powerful, God-like being who is Quill’s father as a man with cosmic powers to create anything including his own planet as there’s a complexity to Russell’s performance that is engaging but also unsettling at times. Dave Bautista is great as Drax the Destroyer as a big alien who says some very strange things yet proves to be very entertaining as he is always very funny while kicking some ass. Zoe Saldana is phenomenal as Gamora as an alien who is kind of the conscience of the group as someone who does have feelings for Quill as she is suspicious about Ego while also forcing to see the things she has done to Nebula. Finally, there’s Chris Pratt in a remarkable performance as Peter Quill/Starlord as a half-human/half-Celestial who learns about the identity of his father as he deals with issues of abandonment and family while trying to do what is right for the galaxy as he becomes torn into being with the Guardians or with his father.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a marvelous film from James Gunn. Featuring a great ensemble cast, an engaging theme on family and loyalty, gorgeous visuals, and a fun music soundtrack. The film definitely offers a lot in terms of its entertainment value with high-octane action and lots of humor as well as provide themes that audiences can relate to. In the end, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a sensational 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 (2012 film)
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 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man & the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Captain Marvel - 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 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
Related: MCU is Cinema: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 – Pt. 4 – (Part 5) – (Part 6) – (Part 7) - The MCU: 10 Reasons Why It Rules the World
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the Marvel Comics by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, Guardians of the Galaxy is the story of a space warrior from Earth who teams up with a group of misfit aliens to stop an evil lord from destroying the galaxy. Directed by James Gunn and screenplay by Gunn and Nicole Perlman, the film is the story of a formation of a group of individuals who shouldn’t work together but manage to do whatever it takes to save the universe. Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker, Benicio del Toro, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Djimon Hounsou, and the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel. Guardians of the Galaxy is an adventurous and fun film from James Gunn.
Set in a galaxy just billions of miles away from Earth and its solar system, the film revolve around a group of misfits who are forced to come together to battle an evil lord who is eager to retrieve a mysterious object in the hopes he can rule the galaxy. While it is a plot that is very simple, it is more about these very odd individuals who are the last group of people that should be working with each other. One of which is a thief from Earth named Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) who had been abducted by alien bandits on the day his mother had died when he was a kid as he would steal this artifact for money. Yet, he would be pursued by an alien warrior named Gamora (Zoe Saldana), who is affiliated with the dark lord Ronan (Lee Pace), who also wants the artifact to betray Ronan. Adding into the mix is a genetically-engineered raccoon named Rocket (Bradley Cooper), a tree-like humanoid named Groot (Vin Diesel), and another alien warrior named Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) who has a grudge towards Ronan for killing his wife and daughter.
The film’s screenplay by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman not only delve into who these characters are but also their motivations as Drax and Gamora both have issues with Ronan while Rocket is just looking for a big payday as he is hiding his own sense of pain as it relates to who he is. There is an element of loss that looms over the film as it relates to the walkman that Quill often carries that features a mixtape that his mother had made for him before her passing along with an unopened present. Groot is just an innocent character only says the words “I am Groot” yet proves to be a vital asset to other four in their conflict with Ronan. The film also establishes this galaxy the people live in as there’s human beings living with aliens in other planets while a peace treaty has been made which Ronan threatens to destroy. The artifact may serve as a MacGuffin but it does hold some key importance into the motivation of the characters into saving the galaxy from being destroyed by Ronan.
Gunn’s direction is quite lavish not just into the world that is created but also in how diverse the galaxy is. Even as it isn’t afraid to be silly and comical such as an opening sequence of Quill walking into a mysterious planet while listening and dancing to a song from his walkman. It sets the tone for exactly what Gunn wants to do which does deviate from the conventions of most comic-book based superhero films. Especially as Gunn balances a lot of humor with some adventure and character-driven moments to play into the development of this band of misfits coming together. Presented with some unique wide and medium shots, Gunn does establish the sense of a group having to work together as he includes some moments that are funny. Most notably a conversation scene involving Rocket, Quill, and Gamora about a plan to escape a prison is shot in the foreground while Groot is in the background doing something with Drax watching him. It’s among these moments in the film where the humor and adventure not only manage to mix well but also play into the personality of these characters.
The action is quite intense where Gunn knows how to set up many sequences that include some dogfights involving little spaceships and moments of suspense as it plays into the discovery of this artifact that involves a mysterious man known as the Collector (Benicio del Toro). It would add into the stakes of what these characters should do as they’re facing Ronan and his army where its climax is quite vast. Notably as it manages to mix in elements of humor, suspense, action, drama, and adventure all into one. It is clear that Gunn is trying to give his audiences what they want but also have them wanting more and have a good time with it. Overall, Gunn creates a thrilling and exciting film about a group of misfits trying to save the galaxy from an evil lord.
Cinematographer Ben Davis does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with its sunny and vibrant look of the Xandar planet where things are peaceful to lighting schemes for some of the scenes such as the prison and the darker planets where the villains rule. Editors Fred Raskin, Craig Wood, and Hughes Winborne do amazing work with the editing in creating unique rhythms for the humor and actions scenes while not delving into conventional fast-cutting styles. Production designer Charles Wood, with supervising art director Ray Chan, set decorator Richard Roberts, and 3D set decorator Chris “Flimsy” Howes, does brilliant work with the design of Quill‘s spaceship as well as the home of the Collector and Ronan‘s home ship to play into the personality of these characters.
Costume designer Alexandra Byrne does terrific work with the clothes from the look of Ronan and the Collector as well as the clothes of the main characters to play into their personalities. Makeup designer David White and hair designer Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou do fantastic work with the look and design of the characters including the aliens in their skin color as well as the look of Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, and several others. Visual effects supervisors Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner, and Paul Corbould do incredible work with the visual effects from the design of Groot and Rocket as well as some of the spaceships and the look of the galaxy itself with its different planets.
Sound designer David Acord, along with sound editors Christopher Boyes and Matthew Wood, does superb work with the sound from the sound effects that are created as well as the sense of atmosphere that occurs in some of the action scenes. The film’s music by Tyler Bates is wonderful for its bombastic orchestral score with some chilling themes to play into the drama while music supervisor Dave Jordan creates an absolutely fun soundtrack that features a lot of music from the 60s and 70s with acts like Blue Swede, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, the Raspberries, Norman Greenbaum, David Bowie, the Runaways, Rupert Holmes, Redbone, Elvin Bishop, 10cc, The Jackson 5, and Five Stairsteps that is part of the mixtape Quill’s mother made for him.
The casting by Sarah Finn and Reg Poerscout-Edgerton is phenomenal as it features small appearances from Gregg Henry as Quill’s grandfather, Sean Gunn as a first-mate of the bandit Yondu, Laura Haddock as Quill’s mother, Wyatt Oleff as the young Quill, Christopher Fairbank as an alien black markets dealer, Peter Serafinowicz as a Nova Corps officer who dislikes Quill, Melia Kreiling as an alien fling of Quill early in the film, Alexis Denisof as vizier for the dark lord known as Thanos, Ophelia Lovebond as a slave of the Collector, and Stan Lee in a cameo appearance as a ladies’ man. Other noteworthy small roles include Glenn Close as a Nova Corps leader who is trying to keep peace in the planet of Xandar, John C. Reilly as a Nova Corps officer who often arrests Quill, and Josh Brolin in a cameo appearance as the evil dark lord known as Thanos who is the adoptive father of Gamora and Nebula.
Benicio del Toro is fantastic as an eccentric man known as the Collector who likes to collect all sorts of things as is eager to have the object that Quill and the gang has. Djimon Hounsou is terrific as an ally of Ronan in Korath as a hunter who is eager to help Ronan in bringing terror. Karen Gillan is excellent as the cyborg hunter Nebula who despises Gamora as she is loyal to Ronan in the hope that she can destroy the world. Michael Rooker is superb as the bandit Yondu who is Quill’s adoptive father who has issues with Quill as he also hopes to retrieve the artifact for Thanos. Lee Pace is amazing as Ronan the Accuser as a dark lord hell-bent on destroy Xandar and the galaxy in the hope that he can rule all. Vin Diesel is brilliant as Groot as this tree-like humanoid who only says a few words but possesses an innocence that is so endearing as Diesel also brings that sensitivity into the physical performance which was done by motion-capture.
Bradley Cooper is hilarious as Rocket as this genetically-engineered raccoon with a feisty attitude and a warped sense of humor as he is more concerned with getting paid. Dave Bautista is marvelous as Drax the Destroyer as this big alien who seeks vengeance for the death of his wife and daughter as he copes with his grief and is eager to do whatever it takes to get Ronan. Zoe Saldana is sensational as Gamora as an alien assassin who is trying to retrieve the mysterious artifact in the hope that it stays away from Ronan while dealing with Quill’s persona and being affiliated with Ronan. Finally, there’s Chris Pratt in a remarkable performance as Peter Quill/Star Lord as this thief who is very off-the-wall and funny while proving to be a cunning warrior that can rally everyone and kick ass.
Guardians of the Galaxy is a spectacular film from James Gunn. Armed with a great cast, a fun soundtrack, thrilling visual effects, and an engaging story about a group of misfits teaming up to save the galaxy. It’s a film that manages to bring in a lot of joy and wit as well as characters to root for while going along for the ride. In the end, Guardians of the Galaxy is a tremendous film from James Gunn.
James Gunn Films: (Slither (2006 film)) - (Super (2010 film)) - The Suicide Squad (2021 film) - Superman (2025 film) - (The Auteurs #76: James Gunn)
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One Films: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers (2012 film)
Marvel Phase Two Films: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Marvel Phase Three Films: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man & the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Captain Marvel - 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 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
Related: MCU is Cinema: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 – Pt. 4 – (Part 5) – (Part 6) – (Part 7) - The MCU: 10 Reasons Why It Rules the World
© thevoid99 2015
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/31/09 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Written and directed by James Cameron, Avatar tells the story in a surrounding planet known as Pandora in the year 2154. A paralyzed soldier joins a group of scientists to explore the planet in which he will take on the body of a planetary-like creature known as the Na'vi. Lost during his mission, he befriends a Na'vi warrior while learning the truth about what a corporate boss wants to do with the planet with help from a gung-ho mercenary as he fights to save the planet. Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Joel David Moore, C.C.H. Pounder, and Sigourney Weaver. Avatar is visually-marvelous and thrilling film from James Cameron and company.
Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is a paraplegic ex-Marine who is asked to replace his twin brother in a science experiment to explore and study the planet Pandora. At the planet, a corporate administrator in Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) has discovered a valuable mineral in unobtanium as he's more interested in the planet's resources. Sully arrives at Pandora with biologist Norm Spellman (Joel David Moore) as they become part of the science team headed by its researcher Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) who isn't happy about Sully replacing his brother. Notably as Sully is debriefed by Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) to infiltrate the land and see what the Na'vi wants as Quaritch makes a tempting offer to Sully. With the pilot Trudy (Michelle Rodriguez) accompanying the science team, Jakes inhabits the avatar Na'vi body as he, Spellman, and Dr. Augustine explore the planet as avatar Na'vis.
During the exploration, Sully is attacked by a creature as he's later saved by a female warrior named Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) who reluctantly takes Jake to the Omaticaya tribe where their home is the large tree known as the Hometree. Neytiri's father in the chief Eytukan (Wes Studi) and his second-in-command Tsu'Tey (Laz Alonso) see Sully as an outsider while Neytiri's mother in the shaman Mo'at (C.C.H. Pounder) sees Sully as something else. With Neytiri teaching Sully the way of the Na'vi with additional help from Dr. Augustine and Spellman as the former would make visits. Sully is amazed by the world of Na'vi and Neytiri as it raises the suspicions of Selfridge and Quaritch following an incident in which Sully attacked a bulldozer following a moment he has with Neytiri.
Upon the discovery, Quaritch realizes that Jake has betrayed the company where both Sully and Dr. Augustine try to plea with the Na'vi to evacuate the Hometree. Yet, Quaritch chooses to attack the Hometree and its natives leaving both Sully and Dr. Augustine helpless in their avatar bodies as they're suddenly pulled into their real bodies as the two along with Spellman are sent to prison for charges of treason. After the attack on the Hometree, Trudy breaks the team out as Sully returns to his avatar body in hopes to regain the trust of the Na'vi by capturing a powerful flying beast as he decides that it's time to fight Quaritch and company to protect the Tree of Souls, the center of Pandora where Sully and the Na'vi would get some unlikely help.
While the story of a soldier discovering a world that is foreign to him where he's surrounded by natives and learns their ways which changes his own life seems like a story that's been told. Notably with Kevin Costner's 1990 film Dances with Wolves. Yet, James Cameron is a man who knows how to tell a story that might seem familiar but stripping away some of the heavy-handed ideology of learning about different cultures and places by balancing it with some sci-fi action that is both entertaining and insightful.
While Cameron as a screenwriter may not be on the level as someone like Charlie Kaufman, Woody Allen, or even European auteurs. Cameron does know how to structure a story as well as create some memorable, stylish dialogue. Unlike George Lucas whose fault is often creating cheesy dialogue and storylines that seems silly. Cameron is someone who is willing to create something imaginative while the dialogue is mostly told in a straight way. Even with some profanity in the mix to give the English dialogue some rhythm. The Na'vi language that was co-created with Dr. Paul Frommer, is something that is truly original that is inspired by various language. There's a different rhythm and feel to it without being comical or silly in its pronunciation.
The structure of the story is told simply with the first act in Jake given a mission along with his discovery of Pandora in the avatar body. The second act is him discovering the ways of the Na'vi while the film does become a bit of a love story while becoming confused about whether he should remain human or be with the natives. The third act is the climatic battle where the Na'vi fights Quaritch and his band of mercenaries with their machines. All of this is told from the perspective of Jake Sully with some voice-over dialogue. Though it might not have the poetic rhythm and tone of Terrence Malick's voice-over narration style. Cameron does keep it simple as he is aware of his limits as a writer as the script itself, despite some flaws in its storytelling formula, succeeds in maintaining what is needed to tell the story.
Cameron's direction is a whole other story and if his ambitions in Titanic were massive. His ambitions for Avatar is far more gargantuan and in creating a whole new world where it's a jungle with ariel mountains, neon-light plants, and all of these weird creatures is something that is truly imaginative. Yet, to have it with the right technology in visual effects and digital 3D filmmaking shows Cameron utilizing in what is needed and such. Even in the use of performance capture where he can get the actors to act out various emotions without having to look silly in whatever visual character they're playing.
The sense of movement and emotive quality in performance capture is really astounding in what Cameron has done. Instead of the more cartoonish look that was seen in some of the recent experimental projects that Robert Zemeckis has done. Cameron uses the performance capture to bring new life to alien-like creatures in the Na'vi by making them seem real but also have a unique look with personalities where the audience can tell the central characters apart. The visual look of the film itself is done with great scope and a wide canvas that is truly a marvel to watch. Even in the usage of 3D digital filmmaking.
3D has been used as a gimmick. Where things may look more rounded and there's objects coming at the screen. It's a tool that really becomes a distraction. Cameron however, finds a way to use that technology and get it right. While the brightness of the film fades a bit in wearing the glasses. The look of Pandora is more rough and almost realistic with objects coming at the audience sometimes but only to create a moment of action as if they're in the battle. Yet, in the look of Pandora through 3D seems like the audience is in that world where there is something quite beautiful about this world. The look of the jungle and planets in that 3D visual format is stunning. In a way, if Cameron seems to be taking on a theory about his views on nature. It seems like he is taking some of his visual inspiration from Terrence Malick as opposed to the more cynical Werner Herzog.
Overall, James Cameron truly succeeds in how to tell the story visually while a lot of the sequences at the base camp are intimate and also claustrophobic at times while giving the audience an idea of how things look and feel. Even in creating an action sequence with sci-fi elements where the audience knows what is happening and he creates moments that can be horrific to something that can be very exciting where the audiences gets to root for the hero. The result is an astounding film that truly breaks the ground in visual effects and how to create a bombastic story into something more as James Cameron delivers 100%.
Cinematographer Mauro Fiore does excellent work with the film's photography from the bluish-light interior looks of Jake looking at the avatars and the green light when he's inside the avatar chamber. The exterior look of the film is very colorful while the camera is a mixture of tracking shots, hand-held, and other stylistic camera work. While a lot of the photography is done mostly by visual effects, Fiore's work is superb in its lighting schemes and creating an atmosphere for both the world of the base camp and the planet of Pandora.
James Cameron along with editors John Refoua and Stephen E. Rivkin do phenomenal work with the film's editing. Even with rhythmic cuts that captures the intensity of the battle and action scenes along with some straight transitions from sequence to sequence and fade-outs for Jake falling asleep. While it's mostly straightforward, the editing is crafted well-enough to tell the story and to keep it moving at a 160-minute running time without being too slow. Production designers Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg with set decorator/supervising art director Kim Sinclair and a massive team of art directors do an amazing job in the look of the film its creation of the bases and lab that Sully lives and surrounds himself with along the visual art of the world of Pandora which is truly awe-inspiring in its creation and look.
Costume Mayes C. Rubeo and Deborah Lynn Scott do nice work on the clothing of the soldiers and scientists that are at the base camp as it's mostly standardize clothing for the most part. The visual effects look of the film led by supervisors John Bruno, John Knoll, Daniel Leduc, Joe Letteri, Steven Quale, Stephen Rosenbaum, Eric Saindon, Mathilde Tollec, R. Christopher White, Edson Williams, and Guy Williams is really the film's technical highlight. From the look of the neon plants and creatures to the look of Pandora itself in its 3D format and such is really something unique. The visual effects of the film in the look of the avatar creatures is great without looking very silly as the entire visual effects team deserves a round of applause.
Sound designer/editor Christopher Boyes along with sound editors Addison Teague and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle is superb in the creation of robotic machines that Col. Quaritch and his team ride on along with the sounds of explosions and such to help create the action. Even the recreation of sounds in the jungle and creatures are amazing as Boyes and company do amazing work. Music composer James Horner does excellent work with the film's score from bombastic, orchestral flourishes for some of the film's action sequences to tribal-like music for scenes involving the Na'vi. The song at the end of the film called I See You sung by Leona Lewis is a decent song that works as a triumphant ballad to end the film.
The casting by Margery Simkin is great with some small but memorable roles Matt Gerald as one of Col. Quaritch's crazed soldiers and Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel, an associate of Dr. Augustine. Joel David Moore is really good as Norm Spellman, a biologist who is amazed by the Na'vi culture while believing in Dr. Augustine's idealism. Michelle Rodriguez is good as Trudy Chacon, Dr. Augustine's helicopter pilot who is a bit of wildcat but also shares Augustine's ideology while disgusted by Col. Quaritch's gung-ho take on war. Laz Alonso is fine as Tsu'Tey, a Na'vi warrior who is skeptical of Jake's intentions only to fight alongside with him as he is amazed by Jake's drive. C.C.H. Pounder is very good as Neytiri's shaman mother Mo'at who sees good in Jake while Wes Studio is also good as Eytukan, the tribe chief who is also impressed by Jake later on unaware of the horror of Quaritch.
Giovanni Ribisi is really good in an understated role as Parker Selfridge, a villainous corporate administrator that is more interested in money as he serves as a very good antagonist. Yet, it's Stephen Lang that is phenomenal as Col. Quaritch, a no-holds-barred military commander who has some great one-liners while spewing out orders as he is a great bad guy that is all about destruction and being a soldier. The film's best performance easily goes to Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Grace Augustine. An idealist scientist who likes to smoke cigarettes, have no-nonsense dialogue, and being a lover of a nature and the Na'vi culture. Weaver's performance in both as an avatar and human is definitely a marvel to watch as she brings a lot of heart and wisdom to her character as it is truly a brilliant performance from the veteran actress.
Zoe Saldana is excellent as Neytiri, the Na'vi warrior who is reluctant to Jake into her world only to fall for him while being an awesome warrior with great skill and heart. It is definitely a great performance where Saldana can move with such physicality and even show the humanity in an alien character like Neytiri. Sam Worthington is pretty good as Jake Sully, a paraplegic Marine who is caught in the middle only to be amazed by the Na'vi culture while becoming an unlikely leader for the group. Though he lapses through both American and Australian dialogue at times, Worthington does make up for it with his bravado and thrilling performance as he is a star on the rise.
Avatar is a brilliant, entertaining, and visually-stunning film from James Cameron. Fans of Cameron's work will no doubt see this as one of his best while it's something that moviegoers will enjoy not just in its 3D experience but also for how he uses the technology in such a great way. While it may not be perfect in terms of its plot ideas, Cameron's broad direction and visual ideas more than make up for it as it is definitely a film that people must see. In the end, Avatar is a phenomenal film from James Cameron.
James Cameron Films: (Xenogenesis) - (Piranha II: The Spawning) - (The Terminator) - Aliens - (The Abyss) - (Terminator 2: Judgement Day) - (True Lies) - (Titanic) - (Expedition: Bismarck) - (Ghosts of the Abyss) - (Aliens of the Deep)
(C) thevoid99 2012
