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Review: Avatar: The Way of Water – Aquatic Flair

The first Avatar film by James Cameron was a visual marvel that pushed the boundaries of computer effects in movies. While many had criticisms of the story it told, nobody could deny how beautiful and surreal the movie looked with its colorful imagery. The world of Pandora wowed audiences by making us believe in things from another place we never saw before. The highly anticipated sequel, which took many years to produce, may have done it again by bringing us back to Pandora to show us something else brand new about it. Without question, Avatar: The Way of Water is a visual spectacle that will have you dropping your jaw in amazement, even with a few stumbles with its plot.

Just when we thought we saw enough great things about Pandora, the second Avatar movie manages to bring us to another part of the planet with its own unique characteristics. The story continues a number of years after the events of the first movie, with Jake Sully and Neytiri raising a family within the forest of Pandora among the Na’vi. Neytiri gives birth to 3 kids from Jake and adopts two more into the family, including the human son of Jake’s enemy Colonel Miles Quaritch from the first film. After years of peace, the humans from Earth return back to Pandora to colonize it once again. Before his death Colonel Quaritch was cloned into a Na’vi body and given archived memories from his previous life, giving him the motivation to hunt down Jake and Neytiri. Over the course of the movie, Jake flees with his family to islands on Pandora ruled by the Metkayina tribe and adapts to their way of life, while also trying to avoid conflict with the humans who have returned to the planet.

The main plot of the movie is good but has pacing issues throughout the 3-hour runtime of the film. There’s a lot of setup and info dump at the beginning, with a big sidetrack in the middle before things pick up and return to the main plot again. Much of the time is spent building up this new portion of Pandora, showing the Metkayina tribe and their way of life among the seas. There are elements that tie back into the conflict between Jake and Quaritch, but much of it won’t pay off until the last act of the movie.

But is the world-building in Avatar: The Way of Water really good? Much of the praise for the movie will be for the visuals, specifically the wildlife that interacts with the Na’vi. The Metkayina look different than the Na’vi we saw in the first film and live differently than their distant relatives. But how all of this is presented is what will mesmerize and intrigue everyone who watches the movie.

Many underwater scenes look fantastic and borderline feel as if they were shot practically instead of using CGI. The Na’vi and creatures swimming through the sea look gorgeous and stand out as among the best underwater sections ever made, especially among computer-generated scenes. You’ll feel like they put the camera underwater and actually saw some of these creatures swimming around.

While the visuals in the movie are a masterclass in how to make things feel real, the characters we meet are still relatable just as much. There’s a lot that happens between all of Jake’s children and how they interact with the Metkayina tribes, as well as the strong family relationships between Jake, Neytiri, and the kids. The visual spectacle of the film is there, but it doesn’t get away from feeling like a well-thought-out story about a family trying to remain strong in the face of hardships. Everything else around that is the icing on the cake.

Both Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington are fantastic in their roles once again, but we spend a lot of time with the child cast of the film playing all of Jake’s kids to really see them shine. Some might dismiss much of it as teen drama within a big-budget action movie, but there is a very nice range of emotions and events that circle back to the big parts of the plot to make it all feel very significant. The rest of the cast is fantastic, with a nice combination of returning actors from the first film and newcomers playing the roles of the Metkayina Na’vi.

If the biggest problems with Avatar: The Way of Water are the long runtime and small pacing issues, then the majority of the film is a big success for what James Cameron set out to do. We’re definitely going to see more Avatar films in the near future and hopefully, they won’t take as long to make. But it’s good having the second film of this series knock it out of the park and impact the medium in a similar way to its predecessor. Avatar: The Way of Water is a blockbuster that you’ll definitely want to see at least once when you can. More than likely we still haven’t seen the absolute best that this series has yet to show us, but it’s exciting to see what will come from it next.

Have you had a chance to see Avatar: The Way of Water yet? Did you enjoy the first film? Post a comment for us down below and let us know your thoughts about it!

Atticus Doom Returns To Mezco’s Rumble Society

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Mezco’s One:12 Collective Rumble Society figures have been interesting departures from the typical DC and Marvel-themed 6″ tall toys. One that we covered earlier this year was Atticus Doom, a private detective who used otherworldly powers. The action figure looked cool and came with an insane amount of accessories. However, if you missed your chance to pick him up, don’t worry because Mezco is reissuing Atticus with a few changes.

The Necroverse Edition of Atticus Doom has loads of new glow-in-the-dark accessories. Although many of these are the same as we saw in the previous edition, the added glowing gimmick makes them all the better for displaying. This time, Atticus also gets a new top hat and fedora, so we’re not restricted to the turban. Not bad for $100.

The action figure is currently on a waitlist.

Rumble Society - Atticus Doom: Necroverse Edition
Photo Credit: Mezco

Rumble Society - Atticus Doom: Necroverse Edition
Photo Credit: Mezco

Rumble Society - Atticus Doom: Necroverse Edition
Photo Credit: Mezco

Rumble Society - Atticus Doom: Necroverse Edition
Photo Credit: Mezco

Rumble Society - Atticus Doom: Necroverse Edition
Photo Credit: Mezco

Rumble Society - Atticus Doom: Necroverse Edition
Photo Credit: Mezco

Rumble Society - Atticus Doom: Necroverse Edition
Photo Credit: Mezco

Atticus will come with the following features and accessories:

  • Two (2) head portraits
  • Hand painted authentic detailing
  • Approximately 16cm tall
  • Six (6) interchangeable hands
    • One (1) pair of fists (L & R)
    • One (1) pair of posing hands (L & R)
    • One (1) pair of holding hand (L & R)
  • Fedora
  • Top hat
  • Overcoat with faux-fur collar
  • Sufi turban
  • Long-sleeve shirt
  • Ascot
  • Waistcoat
  • Slacks
  • Boots
  • One (1) Mantle of Madness head
  • One (1) Goblin Shillelagh
  • One (1) Eldritch FX
  • One (1) Eye of Mordrid
  • One (1) Blade of Zion
  • One (1) flame FX for Blade of Zion
  • One (1) brain (removable)
  • One (1) Philosopher’s Oculus (fits into brain)
  • One (1) posed Cthulhu Fraction
  • One (1) Cthulhu Fraction with integrated posing wire
  • One (1) Medusa Hand
  • One (1) Nebulous Claw
  • One (1) Cindered Palm with attachable flame
  • One (1) Alayna Alishrir – book with real paper pages
  • One (1) book posing post
  • Two (2) Shackles of Hastur (attach to wrists)
  • Two (2) small spell FX (attach to forearms)
  • Two (2) large spell FX
  • One (1) spell/portal posing post
  • Two (2) eye flame FX
  • One (1) One:12 Collective display base with logo
  • One (1) One:12 Collective adjustable display post

[Source: Mezco]

One Does Simply Buy An Asmus Toys’ LotR Boromir Figure

“It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring?” Why not pawn a few golden rings, magic or otherwise, to pay for the new $208 Boromir figure from Asmus Collectibles? Do it for Frodo. Do it for Sean Bean!

Asmus will release a 12″ tall version of Boromir this January as he appeared in Peter Jackson’s The Fellowship of the Ring. The likeness to actor Sean Bean is … OK. However, the nose and the eyes look too narrow. Other than that, Asmus delivers another highly detailed figure with incredible tailoring. The addition of a diecast sword is a nice touch.

Asmus Toys doesn’t give us a lot of detail, and there are many odd spelling errors in the official description of Boromir’s action figure. Also, I wish the facial detail were more in line with what we saw from the Gandalf the White figure we covered last month.

Asmus Toys LotR Boromir
Photo Credit: Asmus Toys

Asmus Toys LotR Boromir
Photo Credit: Asmus Toys

Asmus Toys LotR Boromir
Photo Credit: Asmus Toys

Asmus Toys LotR Boromir
Photo Credit: Asmus Toys

Asmus Toys LotR Boromir
Photo Credit: Asmus Toys

Asmus Toys LotR Boromir
Photo Credit: Asmus Toys

Asmus Toys LotR Boromir
Photo Credit: Asmus Toys

The fallen son of Gondor comes with the following features and accessories:

  • Super detailed head in super detail and likeness to the movie actor
  • One pair of gloved fists
  • One pair relax gesture gloved hand
  • One pair of weapon-holding gesture, gloved hands
  • One black inner shirt with chain-mail-like sleeve
  • One patterned fleece cape
  • One dark blue robe
  • One pair of dark brown pants
  • One plastic belt with a scabbard
  • One pair of ankle-articulated boots
  • One diecast alloy sword
  • One diecast alloy dagger
  • One shield

Poor Boromir. His heart was in the right place, but the Ring corrupts all who wield it, particularly the prideful. Regardless of his brief madness when demanding the Ring from Frodo, the son of Denethor redeemed himself by protecting his friends at Parth Galen.

[Source: Asmus Toys]

Street Fighter 6 Closed Beta Impressions – Should You Get Hyped?

The Street Fighter series is responsible for laying down the foundation of the fighting game genre and its competitiveness among players. While it wasn’t the first video game series to do so, it was definitely the one that popularize the genre and made the fighting game community what it has become today. Now Capcom is ready to enter the next phase of the ongoing series with Street Fighter 6. New characters, fresh stories, and a ton of runbacks can be expected to happen when the game officially releases in June 2023. But before then, eager players and fans were able to try out the game in a Closed Beta Test for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

Is Street Fighter 6 a solid next step for Capcom after everything that happened with the previous entry of the series? Based off what one can experience in the online beta, the short answer is yes. But the closed beta isn’t the whole picture of Street Fighter 6, only giving us a glimpse at the core gameplay mechanics and overall presentation of the game, not the full package. For the closed beta, players can explore the online Battle Hub and play matches with each other, both ranked and unranked. It’s a different approach to what Capcom has done with online lobbies in Street Fighter 5, but also a very fresh experience overall.

There’s a total of eight fighters to play with in the online beta, each with an assortment of special moves and playstyle. There’s a nice selection of returning fighters and newcomers that give a good view of what to expect from the full release. Classic fighters like Ryu, Ken, Juri, Guile, and Chun-Li have both a familiar feel and an interesting new flair with their arsenal of attacks. Playing with Ryu feels right with special moves and inputs that are recurring from almost every previous Street Fighter entry, but the new Drive mechanics mix things up.

Drive Parry and Drive Reversal offer nice defensive options to counteract your opponent, while Drive Rush and Drive Impact can hurt them and close the distance between you. Combine all of this with everything you might already know with the classic characters, and you’ll find yourself on a good footing for taking battles online.

The newer characters on the roster will be interesting for everyone to try out. Whether you take a liking to them or not is entirely subjective, especially if you already have a set playstyle in mind to stay with. The beta allows players to use Luke, Kimberly, and Jamie online. Their attacks have recognizable inputs that may remind you of games like Street Fighter Third Strike or Street Fighter 4, but their personalities and strategies are original and clever. It will definitely take time to discover all of the nuances for each new character, but it’ll be worth it if you want to take on the world on or offline.

As far as other parts of Street Fighter 6 that are ambitious, the beta doesn’t give much to offer. Things like standard Arcade Mode and World Tour will have to remain a mystery until the game officially releases in 2023. But that doesn’t mean the beta is short-lived at all. Getting into matches online with other players is pretty fast and easy, especially since Street Fighter 6 has cross-play between platforms. Whether you’re on PlayStation 5 or PC, you’re going to be able to match up with someone and play a ton of rounds.

And if you’re worried about connection quality, then rest easy knowing Street Fighter 6 will have rollback netcode. Matches run smoothly and with little to no big issues, provided you have a decent to good internet connection to be online with. Everyone’s experience with online matches will be different because of that, but the majority of matches in Street Fighter 6 online will turn out very well for most.

For a second closed beta to the game, Street Fighter 6 has made a very good first impression. The gameplay at its core is very well designed and feels great to play. Characters you know and are unfamiliar with have a lot of neat aspects to them that will uncover more discoveries over time, leading to some very cool matchups and strategies that the fighting game community will love. If you were on the fence about Street Fighter 6 turning out well, then get ready to square up when the game finally comes out in 2023. You won’t want to back down from this challenge and miss out on all the fun.

Are you a big Street Fighter fan and going to pick up Street Fighter 6? Which character are you planning to main when the game is out? Post a comment about all of it below and let us know!

Star Trek: TMP’s Kolinahr Spock Sold Out As Quickly As Kirk!

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Like Star Trek The Motion Picture‘s Admiral Kirk figure, Kolinahr Spock sold out almost immediately. The 1/6th scale figure based on Spock’s initial appearance in the first Star Trek film was destined to go quickly, not just because of the character’s popularity but also due to the quality of EXO-6’s Museum Quality figures.

Had the figure still been available, he would have cost $175, plus a flat shipping fee of $25. Spock lacks accessories, like Admiral Kirk’s figure did. This version of Spock is 12″ tall and is dressed in his heavy Vulcan robes. No phasers, tricorders, multiple hands, or anything like that. This is a bare-bones representation of Leonard Nimoy’s first stint back as the fan-favorite Vulcan after a decade-long absence.

Instead, EXO-6 includes an Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations badge from Fansets. There’s no denying that real Star Trek fans still love merchandise based on the pre-J. J. Abrams era of the franchise. I can’t wait to see the Ilia figure. You know she’s coming next. But don’t expect Willard Decker to make the cut, considering Stephen Collins’s inappropriate contact with multiple minors. Ugh. In Decker’s place, we should get another Spock, this time in his spacewalk suit.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture KOLINAHR SPOCK
Photo Credit: Exo-6

Star Trek: The Motion Picture KOLINAHR SPOCK
Photo Credit: Exo-6

Star Trek: The Motion Picture KOLINAHR SPOCK
Photo Credit: Exo-6

Star Trek: The Motion Picture KOLINAHR SPOCK
Photo Credit: Exo-6

Star Trek: The Motion Picture KOLINAHR SPOCK
Photo Credit: Exo-6

Star Trek: The Motion Picture KOLINAHR SPOCK
Photo Credit: Exo-6

Spock features the likeness of the late great Leonard Nimoy, and he comes with the following features and accessories:

  • Fully Articulated Body: More than 30 points of articulation allow the figure to be displayed in multiple dynamic poses, approximately 31 cm tall.
  • Vulcan robes: This layered black cloak has Vulcan runes down the front matching the look from Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He wears black pants and boots to complete the outfit.
  • Boots: Plastic boots sculpted to match the cut and style of the original movie footwear.
  • Display Base: A hexagonal display base will provide additional support for the figure.

If you’re looking for other Star Trek figures from EXO-6, click here. Other characters from TNG, DS9, Voyager and other series are still available.

[Source: EXO-6]

‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ Season 2 Announced With Red Band Trailer

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The irreverent fantasy series for adults ‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ has been renewed for a second season which will return viewers and fans to a magical world of chaos.

Amazon said in a statement, “Prime Video released the official trailer and announced the premiere date of the highly anticipated second season of The Legend of Vox Machina, the critically acclaimed animated series from Critical Role and Titmouse. The second season will consist of 12 episodes, with three episodes premiering every week starting January 20…”

The first season consisted of twelve episodes and was funded thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign. It will receive a third season.

Amazon also dropped a red band trailer for the second season:

Amazon Studios describes the synopsis in a statement, “After saving the realm from evil and destruction at the hands of the most terrifying power couple in Exandria, Vox Machina is faced with saving the world once again—this time, from a sinister group of dragons known as the Chroma Conclave.”

The show stars Laura Bailey (The Last of Us: Part II), Taliesin Jaffe (Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn), Ashley Johnson (The Last of Us), Liam O’Brien (Star Wars: The Bad Batch), Matthew Mercer (Overwatch), Marisha Ray (Final Fantasy XV: Comrades), Sam Riegel (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), and Travis Willingham (Marvel’s Avengers).

New guest cast members include Will Friedle (Boy Meets World), Billy Boyd (The Lord of the Rings), Henry Winkler (Barry), Lance Reddick (John Wick), Cree Summer (Rugrats, The Patrick Star Show), Alanna Ubach (Euphoria), Cheech Marin (Up in Smoke), Troy Baker (The Last of Us), Sendhil Ramamurthy (Beauty and the Beast), Ralph Inerson (The Witch), and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence).

The production of ‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ is handled by Amazon Studios, Critical Role, and the animation studio Titmouse.

Tubi Signs Deal With Korean Entertainment Company CJ ENM

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Tubi has once again expanded its streaming library with the South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM. The deal will include film, television, music, and possibly animated series.

The streaming service said in a statement that they, “announced it has entered a content deal with the leading entertainment company, CJ ENM. The partnership will launch with over 75 Korean films, dramas and K-POP series, totaling 500 hours of content, to be added as a branded curation to Tubi’s robust non-English content offering beginning in December. Titles to be made available starting this month include “Squad 38,” “Reply 1994,” “Hogu’s Love,” “The Chronicles of Evil,” “A Werewolf Boy,” “Hindsight,” and eight seasons of “M Countdown,” with additional titles to be added in 2023. As one of Tubi’s fastest-growing categories for non-English content, Korean programming viewership has grown over 25% year-over-year on the platform.”

Tubi has been aggressively expanding its streaming library over the last few years including deals with Shout Factory and Lionsgate.

Tubi Chief Content Officer Adam Lewinson celebrated the deal, saying, “Our partnership with CJ ENM comes at an optimal time for Tubi as we scale and enhance our focus on foreign language content.”

“Korean-language titles have been an increasingly popular destination for Tubi viewers and we’re excited to kick off this collaboration with a leader in the Korean content space,” he continued.

Director of Content Sales & Acquisitions at CJ ENM Sebastian Kim shared the sentiments.

“We are excited to bring our content to Tubi viewers as we look to expand our global reach not only by launching our content on various platforms but also in terms of offering a wide range of services from AVOD to FAST,” he said.

“We plan to continue to seek opportunities to increase the accessibility of our content to global audiences to meet the growing demand of K-content,” he added.

Tubi has also made headway into sports entertainment in a deal with several sports outlets that allows them to broadcast live football, wrestling, and soccer games.

Henry Cavill To Star In and Produce A Warhammer 40K Series With Amazon!

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He left Netflix’s The Witcher. He was denied a return as Superman. So what will the perfect human specimen known as Henry Cavill do now? Star in and act as executive producer of an adaption of Warhammer 40,000, of course! Rejoice, brothers and battle sisters!

It was a bad couple of weeks for fans of Cavill, but this news coming out of The Hollywood Reporter eases the sting of the actor dropping from two significant franchises. We need to proceed with caution, though. Remember what Amazon did with Rings of Power? Also, Games Workshop has not finalized all the legal paperwork with Amazon for the Warhammer 40k rights. Anything could happen.

Information regarding what parts of Warhammer’s extensive history and lore would be adapted is still unknown. The ninth edition of 40k debuted in 2020, so the Necrons’ battle with Space Marines will probably be the main focus. However, it would be hard to make a Warhammer series without showing the Imperium of Man’s war with the Orks. While we’re on the subject of wishful thinking, there had better be flashbacks to the Emperor of Mankind and the Horus Heresy.

As much as I would have liked to see Cavill reprise his role as Superman, I doubt that James Gunn would finally be the right person to do justice to the Man of Steel. The character was already off to a rocky start with a so-so solo film and the Justice League trainwreck. In addition, adding Gunn’s meta-humor and cynicism to the mix probably would not have helped Henry Cavill become the Superman we all know he’s capable of being.

If Amazon can hire writers who don’t openly hate Warhammer and the game’s fanbase, we may not have a repeat of what happened with Rings of Power and The Witcher. That’s the rub, though. We’ve repeatedly seen that those behind the scenes can’t help themselves when it comes to not using a major franchise as a platform for their grievances and personal politics. Nevertheless, the fans are there, and they’ll gladly support your product if you stop treating them like the enemy.

What are your thoughts on Henry Cavill’s Warhammer project? Do you think he will have the same uphill battle with Amazon that he did with Netflix? Let us know below.

[Source: The Hollywood Reporter]

Crystal Dynamics Teams With Amazon Games For New ‘Tomb Raider’

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Lara Croft is coming back thanks to Crystal Dynamics and … Amazon Games? Yup, the next Tomb Raider will be published by Amazon’s video game department, but will Luna have first dibs when the title is released? Probably not, since Business Wire mentions the next installment of the action-adventure franchise will be multiplatform. Still, I wouldn’t put it past Amazon to try to give its streaming service a leg up on the competition by making some DLC or skins exclusive to Luna.

The vice president of Amazon Games, Christoph Hartmann, had a lot of corporate speak to throw out which ultimately said something along the lines of, “this is a popular IP. We’re totally not going to do something dumb with it.” The quote available at Business Wire doesn’t tell us much about the Tomb Raider game. However, what was interesting was how this could affect Cyrstal Dynamics.

Crystal Dynamics’s Scot Amos, the studio’s head, appeared to be very enthusiastic about the team-up under Embracer, saying, “Transformative is what we’re looking for, and with Amazon Games, we found a team that shares our creative vision, ambitions, and values for a Lara Croft universe across the spectrum of possibilities. They’re uniquely positioned to rewrite what publishing and development collaborations are…” Considering how the studio’s Avengers game turned out, a new Tomb Raider will probably be used to wash the taste of $14 character skin DLCs out of customers’ mouths.

Don’t worry. This does not mean that the next adventure of Lara Croft will be a Luna exclusive. Well, if it’s another outing with the timid, dull Lara from the recent reboot, it can stay on Luna. The new game will be multiplatform. Let’s hope it’s developed for the PS5 and XBOX Series X rather than the previous generation. Sorry, but if we’re going to get charged $69 for a game, it better be built from the bottom up based on the current generation of hardware. At least we know that what is coming our way will be a single-player outing developed with Unreal Engine 5.

[Source: Business Wire]

Amazon Studios Drops “First Look” Images For ‘Carnival Row’ Season 2

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Amazon Studios and Legendary Pictures released some “first look” images for the upcoming second and final season of the alternate history series ‘Carnival Row.’ Several of the scenes show several protagonists who are featured in the fantasy world of a magical London.

“Prime Video debuted first-look images from the second and final season of the fantasy-drama Carnival Row,” Amazon said in a press release. The highly anticipated series, from Amazon Studios and Legendary Television, and starring Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne, will return February 17 exclusively on Prime Video…”

You can check out the images here:

They released a few others as well:

Amazon describes the series as follows,

“In a fantasy world where humans and creatures clash, Season Two of Carnival Row picks up with former inspector Rycroft Philostrate aka Philo (Orlando Bloom) investigating a series of gruesome murders stoking social tension. Vignette Stonemoss (Cara Delevingne) and the Black Raven plot payback for the unjust oppression inflicted by The Burgue’s human leaders, Jonah Breakspear (Arty Froushan) and Sophie Longerbane (Caroline Ford). Tourmaline Larou (Karla Crome) inherits supernatural powers that threaten her fate and the future of The Row. And, after escaping The Burgue and her vengeful brother Ezra (Andrew Gower), Imogen Spurnrose (Tamzin Merchant) and her partner Agreus Astrayon (David Gyasi) encounter a radical new society which upends their plans. With humans and fae folk divided and freedom on the line, each hero will face impossible dilemmas and soul-defining tests in the epic conclusion of Carnival Row.”

The first season premiered in August 2019 and had a run of eight episodes before it went into hiatus for three years. The show was based on a spec script titled ‘A Killing on Carnival Row’ by Travis Beacham, who serves as showrunner along with René Echevarria (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Terra Nova).

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