Tag: Avatar

Movies, Reviews, Sci Fi

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is a Technical Marvel Trapped in a Familiar Story

Michael Lee

Every trip to Pandora brings in a visually stunning new adventure and family drama with Jake Sully and Neytiri. The new Avatar: Fire and Ash doubles down on both, throwing the family into a firestorm of grief, resilience, and jaw-dropping world-building that keeps expanding Pandora in bold, unexpected directions. Unfortunately, despite being epic in scale and scope, the film’s lack of a compelling story frustrates, and its many setups lead to surprisingly few satisfying payoff.

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Movies, Sci Fi, Trailers

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Trailer Teases More of Pandora and Clan Rivalries

Michael Lee

It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since Avatar: The Way of Water hit theaters. And that was after the 14-year gap following the original film. Now, with multiple Avatar sequels lined up, the franchise is embarking on a new chapter, Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third installment of the long-running franchise.

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Interview, Streaming, Television

Kiawentiio is Making Waves in Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’

Laura Sirikul

In the spring of 2021, Kiawentiio was filming a music video when she found out her life was about to be changed forever. She had received a call from her team regarding a role she had auditioned for the past few weeks. Thinking she had to do yet another audition, she mentally prepared herself for the worst. Instead, they had good news: Kiawentiio had gotten the part of Katara in Netflix’s upcoming live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. 

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Interview, Movies, Sci Fi

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ VFX Artists on Creating Realistic Water in a CG World

Michael Lee

When Avatar first came out in 2009, it used cutting-edge VFX technology to bring the jungle world of Pandora to life. The alien flora and fauna and the indigenous 10-foot-tall blue-skinned Na’vi looked so real. Even more so when watching it in 3D. More than a decade later, director James Cameron gives audiences a reason to revisit Pandora with the highly anticipated sequel Avatar: The Way of Water. The sequel explores new territories and utilizes newer natural elements like water. The latter of which has never been done before.

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Movies, Reviews, Sci Fi

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Sinks More than It Floats

Swara Salih

When James Cameron’s Avatar premiered in 2009, it represented a landmark moment in visual effects for film. Cameron made some of the most effective use of CGI and motion-capture performances since Andy Serkis’ brilliant portrayal of Gollum in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Na’vi, as alien and as CGI as they were, felt real to audiences as their animation took realistic form, as did the stunningly beautiful planet of Pandora. But while these visual effects were a spectacle, the story itself, while moving at times, was simplistic and derivative of other films in the realm of colonists and Indigenous peoples.

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Conventions, Movies

D23Expo: New Footage from ‘Avatar’ Panel Shows Us the Way of Cameron

Mike Manalo

What was anticipated to be a gigantic, epic day of announcements at the D23 Expo ended on an unexpectedly more quiet note, as audiences took in footage from what many consider to be the year’s most anticipated film, Avatar: The Way of Water.

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Movies, Podcasts

FDI Cast 144: Do it for Your Mother

Jamie

This is very random catch up episode. But also, we don’t need any more Avatar movies.

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Movies, Sci Fi

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Trailer Teases James Cameron’s Long-Awaited Sequel

Michael Lee

It’s been nearly 13 years since James Cameron’s Avatar took audiences on a trip to the unbelievable world of Pandora. Drawing from films like Dances with Wolves and Ferngully, the blockbuster went on to be one of the highest grossing films by earning over $2.8 million at the box office. Now, after years of delays, we are getting a first look at one the four sequels set to debut this year. That’s because 20th Century Studios has released the first trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water.

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Animation, Streaming, Television1 Comment

How Netflix Can Still Help Aang Save the World

Mike Le

Earlier this month, Avatar: The Last Airbender co-creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino publicly broke ties with the live-action Netflix adaptation of the Airbender series. The news was quickly followed by unverified rumors that Netflix is trying to “whitewash the series.”

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Fantasy, Movies, Television132 Comments

Whitewashed TV isn’t Just Racist, It’s Boring

Daniel José Older

Originally posted at Salon.com

Perpetuating stereotypes isn’t just immoral — it’s bad TV. That’s why shows like Sleepy Hollow are so crucial.

When I was seven, I asked my mom if I could dye my hair blond and get blue contact lenses. It’s probably the first serious conversation I ever had about my appearance and all I wanted to do was look like Luke Skywalker. I wanted it so badly. She was appalled and I couldn’t understand why. Star Wars was Everything. There were no Latinos running through the halls of the Death Star, blasting storm troopers. Of course I was caught up.

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