Exile at the Movies – AVATAR
 |
AVATAR
|
James Cameron’s 15-year journey to make Avatar has finally reached the screen. He had to wait ten years for the technology existed for him to tell the story as he really wanted it. He spent a year developing the language and culture of the Na’vi, the giant tribal inhabitants of the forested moon of Pandora and the humans who ventured for 6 years in suspended animation to explore and exploit their world.
Now if he only spent a little more time on the dialogue.
That is not meant to be a slam of the movie. It is an amazing achievement in film making, and clearly a labor of love to James Cameron. The world they create (in Real3D no less) is amazingly lush and life like. The Na’vi, as a people and characters are technological and artist tour du force. The motion captured computer animated race performances were made with voicing actors actually provided the motion capture performances as well. That is Sigourney Weaver up there 10 feet tall and blue.
It is an exciting story that can be summed up in 4 words. Green Good – Greed Bad.
It is the story of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, and ships from the west have arrived, seeking gold, or the Pandoran equivalent, the obviously names Unobtainium. Giovanni Ribisi plays Parker Selfridge, the corporate stooge whose only guiding principle is profit. He is surround by yes men and the hired guns brought in to protect the company’s interests. Old soldiers seeking fortune and glory. The security forces are led by the Colonel Miles Quaritch, (Stephen Lang, giving a delightful, scenery chewing performance) who believes this wild world is out to kill all humans on it, and therefore the best solution is to kill everything first.
The sooner get past the simplistic story elements and just accept the premise, the more enjoyable this film becomes. Don’t think about any of the science behind how the genetically engineered Avatars work. Just enjoy the trip with Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) the paraplegic Marine who gets a second chance to walk, run and live as a Na’vi. Of course this chance comes with a price. Quaritch and Selfridge bribe Jake to be their spy, by offering to have the company pay for the expensive treatment to restore Jake’s legs. Of course Jake readily agrees.
Sometimes the story is too obvious..
Of course Sigourney Weaver’s scientist Dr. Grace Augustine (interesting enough named after the oldest European settlement in America, St. Augustine, FL) will first reject then grudging accept Jake on her team.
Of course Jake will begin to have second thoughts about betraying the trust the Na’vi have given him. Of course Jake and Neytiri, his reluctant Na’vi teacher (and tribal princess, played by Star Trek’s Zoe Saldana) will fall in love.
Of course diplomatic relations between the human and Na’vi will fall apart.
Of course the corporation and military won’t listen to the scientists.
Of course the Na’vi’s best warrior (and Neytiri’s betrothed) Tsu’Tey (Laz Alonso) will first hate, then accept Jake, eventually following him into battle. Of course there will be one soldier (Michelle Rodriguez as Trudy) who sees what the humans are doing is wrong and abandons her post to help the natives.
Of course… you get the picture. This script hits all the expected emotional beats, it is almost paint by numbers.
But the picture comes out very pretty.
- Grade B-
Chuck Season 3 Promo
There are a bunch of new promos for the coming third season of Chuck at NBC.com
Here is the latest.
See the rest, and catch up on episodes before Season 3 begins in January at NBC.com
Exile’s Pull List for the week of 12/16/09
Click here to see what was the Exile’s Read of the Week – BATMAN 80 Page Giant
The Pull List
Is it me, or is anyone else suffering from Blackest Night fatigue? I am still enjoying the main book, and the Green Lantern issues, but some of these tie ins (REBELS anyone?) are not doing it for me so much. OK – on to the stack…
Green Lantern Corps #43
Blackest Night tie in
DC
Story: Peter J Tomasi
Art: Pat Gleason and Rebecca Buchman
Green Lantern Kyle Rayner is dead! And Guy Gardner is mad as hell about it. So mad in fact, that a stray Red Lantern ring decides that he has what it takes to puke fire and blood as part of the Red Lantern Corps. Silly Guy, haven’t you read enough of these stories to know anyone who dies at the very last page (especially one of the main characters) will probably make a miraculous recovery? I was actually let down by the easy return of Kyle to the land of the living, not surprised, just let down.
- Grade B
Justice League of America #40
Blackest Night tie in
DC
Story: James Robinson
Art: Mark Bagley
I was much more intrigued with the Battle of the Dr. Light’s, than I was with the return of JL Detroit team. I was also let down that so much of Zatanna’s battle with her father’s resurrected form took place off panel. Kimiyo’s trauma at the hands of Arthur Light trigger her most powerful display I have seen in some time. I will be disappointed if she does not step up in the months to come, both in Blackest Night, and also in upcoming issues of Justice League.
- Grade B
Batman #694
DC
Story: Tony Daniel
Art: Tony Daniel and Sandu Florea
What? A book not tying in to Blackest Night? Unheard of! Tony Daniel continues to run Dick Grayson through both the physical and emotional wringer. Who is yelling at Black Mask’s skull? What is Falcone’s up to? Wasn’t the Riddler in this story? And what is going on with the Huntress? Not her kiss with Dick, with his ex Barbara Gordon watching… I mean what is up with that motor cycle helmet?
- Grade B-
The Outsiders #25
Blackest Night Tie In
DC
Story: Peter J, Tomasi
Art: Fernando Pasarin and Jay Leisten
Another part 2. And more heroes have to rally to stop from losing their hearts. This story almost parallels the Justice League story too much. With Dr. Light and Halo playing the same part. Although I was surprised when Violet suddenly disappeared at the end. This is another book that is going to go through a big shake up post BN.
- Grade C+
Superman Batman #67
Blackest Night tie in
DC
Story: Scott Kollins
Art: Scott Kollins
OK, this was one tie in that was enjoyable. Man-Bat, Bizarro, Black Lantern Solomon Grundy, Frankenstien and the Bride. Characters that have not been featured much in other places. Scott Kollins touching tale of lost, love and the undead may just be my favorite of the stand alone 2 part BN tie ins. I didn’t get the Solomon Grundy miniseries Scot Kollins did earlier this year. I may have to rectify that soon.
- Grade A-
Power Girl #7
DC
Story: Jimmy Palmotti and Justin Grey
Art: Amanda Conner
Vartox is a old friend of Superman, or he was back in the late Silver Age. (This issue’s cover is homage to his first appearance in Superman #281 in 1974) While one of my favorite things about this book is the humor, it can be over done. I look forward to more great stories from Power Girl, but this one is not one of my favorites. Valtrox comes to Earth to woo Power Girl, because all the women of Valeron have been made sterile by a “contraception bomb”. Well that is fine for him, but what about the rest of his people?
- Grade B-
Fabels #91
DC/Vertigo
Story: Bill Willingham
Art: Mark Buckingham
This book is chugging right along. It’s seems like I was just reading about Rose Red’s murder. Now, 90 issue’s later, it shows no sign of ending. In part 5 of 5 of Witches Gepetto makes the Fables an offer, Ozma gets all the magic users to give her their spare power, and Bufkin the monkey’s battle with Baba Yaga reaches a head.
- Grade B
Doctor Who #6
IDW Comics
Story: Tony Lee
Art: Matthew Dow Smith
Draconians, Ogrons, Sontarans, Judoon, Krillitanes all in one issue (actually 2 issues since we saw all these characters last month. I would love to see what someone like Neil Gaiman, Warren Ellis, or Grant Morrison would do with this modern Doctor in Comic form. Not that Tony Lee is not good, he’s great. But come on, you know that it would be huge! Matthew Dow Smith,however, well sometimes I really enjoy his style, His alien characters look good. (I love his Krillitane on page two.) But I didn’t like his Mr. Finch at all, and his Sontarans were ok. On the inside cover there is a great likeness of David Tennant from one of IDW’s Doctor Who One shots (I am not sure which)
- Grade B
The Last Resort #5
IDW Comics
Story: Jimmy Palmotti and Justin Gray
Art: Giancarlo Caracuzzo
This started out as a pretty wild Zombie apocalypse comedy. It ended the way all these things end. Which was kinda a let down. I really thought there was going to be a wild left turn at the end. Something new. Oh well. It was still well paced and looked great.
- Grade B-
IN THE SPOTLIGHT -
Farscape: #2
Boom Studios
Story: Rockne S. O’Bannon, Keith R.A. DeCandido
Art: Wil Sliney
It’s great to be back in the Uncharted Territories, it’s been too long. O’Bannon, DeCandido and Sliney (and the rest of the fine folks working on this book) are putting out a product that looks great and is a fun read. It almost makes up for the fact that the webseries that was announced 3 years ago has not happened yet. I really think this book should carry a “Season 5″ title (Like Buffy’s season 8.) John, Aeryn, Chiana, and the rest of Moya’s crew find themselves much as they did for 4 seasons of the TV show (Translation – FRELLED!)
Sliney has done a great job at catching the likeness of our favorite characters. Though sometimes it seems a little too static. This book should ooze the sex appeal seen on page 8. (Now if someone will just let him restore Sikozu to the way she looked in season 4, it could go a long way to getting there)
This licensed property is perhaps my second favorite only to Doctor Who.
Grade – B+
What? After all that you want more? Ok, here’s the
Random Pick Up of the Week
Incorruptible #1
Boom Studios
Story: Mark Waid
Art: Jean Diaz
When the world’s greatest hero becomes its most horrible villain. What’s it’s most dangerous super villain to do? Go straight. Max Damage has been missing since the Plutonian began his rampage. Now he’s returned, and he wants to step up. Even if he is still the FBI’s 2nd most wanted man in the world. Is his conversion real? Can he be trusted? Only time can and Mark Waid can tell.
Grade – B+
I also picked up a Marvel Adventures Spiderman/Power Pack digest for my 5 year old nephew, Maybe I can get him to tell us about it next week.
Exile’s Read of the Week – 12/16/09 – BATMAN 80 Page Giant
 |
BATMAN |
I almost didn’t pick this book up. I passed it the first time down the rack. I am glad I picked it up on the way back. It was also low on my stack to read, which was pretty big this week, and I didn’t get to it until Saturday afternoon, just as the snow began to fall here in NYC. Maybe that set me in the right mood for this collection of tales set on a snowy night in Gotham. Of the 8 stores, I think my favorite was the Catwoman tale, “No Two Alike”. Rocha and Finny’s painted photo realistic style stood out. And the story had a gritty realistic tone as well.
After that, I enjoyed “Pure as the Driven Snow”, the story of Alfred’s night with a prostitute (Yes, you read that right.) Also enjoyable was Commission Gordan’s rematch with Mr. Freeze, “What Falls Below”.
The remaining stories are all great fun. The only one that left me cold, if you pardon the expression, was “The Wilt” starring Poison Ivy. It just didn’t seem to fit in with what they are doing with her in Gotham City Sirens. Two characters I did not know were also featured, The Saint, who appears to be brand new, and the Veil. Both stories fill in back story for the characters. I am sure they will both turn up in other places soon.
The final one page strip by Steve Niles and Stephanie Buscema had wonderful animated feel to it. I would love to see what they would do with 8-22 pages.
This whole special was a winter wonderland of Batman tales.
And to think I was almost a grinch and passed on it.
Grade A-
Exile on the Tube – Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars
 |
DOCTOR WHO
|
The Red Planet. Mars.
That is the setting of this latest Doctor Who Special, the second special of 2009.
The Doctor has stumbled into a Human colony on the surface of Mars, just as things at the colony begin to get weird. (So pretty normal day in the life of the Doctor) But then we discover, This is Bowie Base 1. The original, you might say, colony on Mars, 9 pioneers on a 5 year mission to tame the arid, frozen surface of Mars. They are lead by the shrewd, no nonsense, and driven Captain Adelaide Brooke (Lindsey Duncan). The Doctor knows the history of this base, and the fate the awaits them all. That on November 21, 2059, Brooke takes action protocol 5, detonating the nuclear power core of station, wiping it out in a mystery.
The Doctor is about to learn what happens here.
There are several times, early in this story, once the Doctor knows where he is, when he says, he has to leave. That he cannot take part in the events about to happen. That the events are fixed. He thinks back to Pompeii, and he knows it’s volcano day.
But the Doctor being the Doctor, he does what he does best. He interfers. he can not resist getting involved, especially after meeting the Bowie team, and it’s strong minded and courageous leader. And like Pompeii (and, if you are fan of the Paul McGann Doctor’s audio adventures, the R101 airship) he rescues those who were doomed to die. He changes history, and in a big way. Adelaide Brooke being who she is, a pretty important person, whose own granddaughter was destined to grow up wanting to be like the Grandmother she never knew. The Doctor tells her how Susie Fontana-Brooke would grow up to be the pilot of the first manned interstellar space craft to Proxima Centuri. But now, Brooke, and Base Nurse Yuri Kerenski (Aleksander Mikic) and Geologist Mia Bennett (Gemma Chan) have all been brought back to Earth. Time has been changed, and so it seems, has the Doctor. He begins to tell Brooke how he is beginning to realize that he really the Last of the Time Lords. That he wasn’t “just a survivor… I‘m the winner, that’s who I am. The Time Lord Victorious.” That the Laws of Time were his to break as he saw fit. That he had the right and the power to decide who lives and who dies. It is a dark moment, it almost made me think, wow could this be the Valeyard coming through. It takes the sacrifice of a human, a human that the Doctor had grown to admire, not just as an explorer, but as leader and person to bring him back from the edge.
It can be argued that the Doctor’s involvement actually brings about the destruction of the base, and that if he had not arrived, the events could never have played out the way they did. That Brooke and the others would never have discovered the viral life form until they had all be possessed. We will never see how those original events would have played out. Perhaps Brooke, like her 1st Officer Ed Gold (Peter O’Brien) would have detonated the base as her final act as she knew the infection was taking her.
This story is not the best Doctor Who story ever, but its pretty good, helped by great performances by Tennant, Duncan, O’Brien and Mikic. Many of the rest of the cast do not get enough screen time to really make an impact as actors. I felt that Chen was a little weaker than the others. Her American accent came and went with the Martian winds. Russell T. David does what he often does with his bigger Doctor Who stories, he builds them on the stories has already told, both dramatically and thematically, with this one harkens back to The Fires of Pompeii, Journey’s End, The Planet of the Ood and Voyage of the Damned. Sometimes its nice to see the connections, especially the thematic ones, but sometimes the coincidences are a little too much to take.
I did like the clever naming of Bowie Base 1, apparently there is Life on Mars. The production values on this story are as high as they have been on any episode since the series relaunch. The base itself, the command center and the various locations all looked splendid, clearly done with some amount of research. A special nod to the visual effects team for taking that staple of Doctor Who shooting locations, the quarry, and digitally altering it to be the rust and rouge colored surface of Mars. Like the Doctor, I have a mild distaste for “funny robots” (Unless of course, they are the shape of a dog.) But GADGET worked well in the context of the story.
Doctor Who has a long history with the 4th planet orbiting our sun, but this is the first time he’s been there on screen since Pyramids of Mars back in 1975. And that story takes place more than almost 150 years before this one. The Ice Warriors were natives of Mars as well. Maybe sometime in the future of Doctor Who, someone will make a definitive Ice Warrior timeline.
Grade: B+
The folks over at Geek Chic Daily, just ran a piece about introducing your NON Whovian friends and family to the Good Doctor.
I would add ROSE to the list, if only to cover the basic set up.
CHUCK SEASON 3 POSTER
Straight from the OFFICIAL CHUCK Page on Facebook, here is the Season 3 Poster!
CHUCK returns on NBC with a two hour premiere on SUNDAY JAN 10, and then returns to its home on Mondays at 8pm Eastern, beginning Jan 11.
More Doctor Who Christmas greetings
Here is another BBC1 Holiday ident featuring David Tennant as The Doctor
Exile’s Pull List Week of 12/10/09
Click here to see what was the Exile’s Read of the Week – BOOSTER GOLD #27
The Pull List
Adventure Comics #5
DC
Story: Geoff Johns
Art by Jerry Ordway
co-feature art by Francis Manapul
Well… I guess I called that. HA! Superboy Prime shows up at the DC offices to find out why they love to make his life miserable. It is an interesting meta paradox. Is the DCU controlled by the Earth Prime DC office? Or are the DC writers channelling the DCU psychically? (I am speaking meta here, I do not have a problem telling reality from comic books or tv shows, well not since I was 4)
meanwhile in the second feature – Superboy stops local troublemaker/Health Insurance protester from causing more trouble. After she kisses him, and he politely informs her he’s seeing someone, he takes her home and finds out why she is not waiting for the Senate to pass healthcare reform, which apparently is a problem in the DCU too. He finds out about her mother, who is sick and bed ridden. Then a knock on the door – Well damn, it’s Lex Luthor, or as calls him “Uncle Lex”
ewwww that means she kissed her cousin!
- Grade B
Doom Patrol #5
DC
Story:Keith Giffen;
Art: Justiniano and Livesay;
co-feature story: Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis
Co-feature art: Tim Levins
More Blackest Night hijinks for the Doom Patrol. The formerly dead Doom Patrol (but now alive) fight the still dead Doom Patrol. They are not kidding when they say they plan on incorporating all the incarnations of the DP. But there is too much story here for one title to contain, so it is continued in another Blackest Night book (I think it will either be the next JLA or the Blackest Night #6) I am looking forward to seeing what happens in this book once it free from BN. (and I want to see more Bumble Bee in this book) -
Meanwhile, The Metal Men are not caught up in the dead rising (Although it would have been interesting to see the people whose personalities the Metal Men are based on, is that still continuity?) But they do have to face the Clique. Plastic Fembots with the personalities of sorority girls who want to take over the world. Or shop.
Grade – Doom Patrol B
- Metal Men B+
Magog #4
DC
Story:Keith Giffen;
Art:Howard Porter and John Dell
OK, I suppose considering Magog’s origin being supernatural, I suppose this is not completely out of left field – but wow this book just made a weird turn. Hello Magog’s mother! (Mind you not David Reid’s mother, Magog’s). I am not sure how much longer I will be getting this title, but I think I will stick around for a little longer. but if JSA ALL STARS is a strong book, this is the title that I will drop.
- Grade C+/B-
Titans #20
DC
Story: Mike Johnson
Art: Sergio Arino & Wayne Facher
Hey look, it’s another let’s try to set Donna Troy up as her own character stand alone story. I love the Titans, especially the Original 5, but Donna has suffered from poor characterization and marginalization. That said, this is not a bad attempt. A showcase and return to some of Donna’s history, her career in photography is a good place to start. It gives her a new home (Miami) It’s a shame that this (pre Blackest Night) story will probably get lost when Donna moves to the JLA team in a couple months.
- Grade B
Farscape: D’Argo’s Quest #1
Boom Studios
Story: Keith DeCandido
Art: Caleb Cleveland
Another in the series of Farscape Miniseries. This story takes place between season 3 and 4. D’Argo is off to find Macton, the Peacekeeper who killed his wife 10 cycles ago. His search brings T’Lohrcate, a pretty typical Farscape commerce planet, with all the usual unsavory elements, and at least one familiar face. In this case it’s Raxil (the perfume/drug dealer from the season 3 episode “Scratch ‘n Sniff”, one of my favorites) If there is someone who can cause trouble, it’s Raxil.
Grade – B
SPOTLIGHT ISSUE – This is a new feature, putting a spotlight on something you might have passed up this week.
Daytripper – #1
DC/Vertigo
Story and Art: Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon
Wow, I am not sure what I expected from this book. I just liked everything about it, but it didn’t jump out as great to me at first. The art had a realness to it that I like very much. Not too neat, or cut, kinda like Teddy Kristiansen. And I really associated with the lead character. It seemed to be real nice piece of dramatic story telling, and who saw that ending coming? I am really looking forward to what comes next.
- Grade A
Random Pick Up of the Week
Secret Six #16
DC
Story: Gail Simone
Art: Peter Nguyen and Doug Hazlewood
I had picked up last month’s Secret Six because it was written by John Ostrander, so I came back this month. this book has been up and down for me, I loved the Villain’s United mini that spawned this team, but the problem with all villain-centric books is that how can you sustain the reader’s interest and make the character sympathetic without betraying the inherit evilness of the character. Well one way is to use morally ambiguous characters to begin. The Six do fit the bill, and in the hands of Gail Simone, Catman and Deadshot have become real players. Ragdoll hasn’t done much for me, I preferred the James Robinson version (who I believe was this character’s father) The rest of this team is fairly interchangable – and while Scandal is an original member, I can’t tell you much about her, She is Vandal Savage’s daughter and she is a lesbian.
This issue, Gail Simone creation BLACK ALICE (From Birds of Prey) shows up, and wants on the team. And she shows Catman and Deadshot she has what it takes. (Not her powers, her moral ambivilance)
- Grade B
Another Holiday message from the Doctor.
The BBC is having a lot of fun with David Tennant as he prepares to leave the TARDIS.
Here is a look at the latest Holiday station ID, now running on BBC1 in the UK (No word if it’s playing on BBCAmerica as well, yet)
Exile’s Read of the Week 12/10/09
 |
BOOSTER GOLD #27 Art: Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund Cover: Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund Publisher: DC |
Wow, I have to stop going out and getting a life - I know how much all 9 of you out there are waiting for my top pick for the week.
Once again, I am going to a Blackest Night tie in. The core story has such a strong emotional core it resonates out and makes all the books it touch that much better. Now for books like recent issues of Titans and JLA that is not saying much, but when it takes place in a book that is already as good as Booster Gold, well then it’s just that much better!
The dead have been rising all over the DCU and the late great Ted Kord has returned to visit his old teammate and best friend, Booster, to catch up, share some laughs and, oh yeah eat his heart! The emotional impact of this risen heroes had waned in recent stories. The superhuman phone chain has been working overtime to let everyone know that it’s the rings wearing the bodies, not the other way ’round.
Booster and guest star Jamie Reyes, the current Blue Beetle find a way to save Ted’s body from being used by the ring, and give him a proper final resting place. But not before finding out that someone has accessed the secret club house that Booster and Beetle had under Kord Inc, a few months ago. A place only Booster and Ted could access.
It was also nice to see Daniel (Carter) and Rose, Booster’s great great great great, etc grand parents. They need to decide whether or not Danny’s gonna be in that Supernova suit more often or not. In an epilogue, we discover the Booster’s sister, appears to be lost a few years in the past, and has settled down in Coast City (So I am guessing this is a pre- Doomsday Coast City). Cue the obvious dramatic stinger…
Comic books in general, and DC in particular walks a fine line with Time Travel stories. Continuity hounds are everywhere, waiting for a writer or editor to screw something up. And of course in a world where time travel is possible, why isn’t it used to fix all the horrible things that happen? Time cops, and “solidified time”. There, that is why
Grade – A
