Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)

I only saw two movies in theatre in 2025 - "Wicked: For Good" and "Avatar: Fire and Ash".  Although "Wicked: For Good" was a memorable experience for my wife and our daughters, I felt that "Avatar: Fire and Ash" was the stronger film.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

I saw the movie with my nephew Anatol and my daughter Sophia at Cineplex Cinemas in Ancaster, and was pleasantly surprised when some parts were projected upon either side wall, to create an immersive, wraparound, effect (something I hadn't seen, before).

Taking a page from Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "Fire and Ash" was shot simultaneously with "The Way of Water" in New Zealand.  If successful, the final two films will probably be filmed simultaneously, also.

There are many evocative new cultures showcased in the film, such as the nomadic Wind Traders in their huge, living, airships; and, of course, the "Ash People", fiery versions of Na'vi, inspired by the Baining people in Papua, New Guinea.

As with previous Avatar films, the spirit of Edgar Rice Burroughs as a source of inspiration was apparent throughout - as well as themes of colonialism, treated sensitively and with due respect for aboriginal cultures, in my opinion.

Cameron has accomplished something remarkable - the cinematic realization of a richly detailed, fantastic world (something I likewise appreciate about Jim Henson's "The Dark Crystal" (1982), also), and one that is worth returning to, again and again.

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

I only saw a few movies in theatre in 2022.  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" was interesting and memorable, but weird.  "Smyrna, My Beloved" would have been my actual choice for this year, although was technically released in 2021.

Avatar: The Way of Water

Which leaves us with "Avatar: The Way of Water", the sequel to James Cameron's ground-breaking "Avatar" (2009).  I never got a chance to see the first film in theatre, when it first came out, but enjoyed it when I finally saw it, a few years later.

My daughter, Sophia, is environmentally-conscious, and asked if I would take her to see the movie.  We caught it in IMAX 3D at Cineplex Cinemas in Ancaster, at the beginning of the holiday break, and both enjoyed it.

Cameron has gone on record to state that the John Carter and Tarzan stories of Edgar Rice Burroughs were a major influence on "Avatar", and as a Burroughs fan, I caught multiple references (including the source of the serum which stops aging).

The first part of the film was a pleasant return to the forest ecosystem of Pandora, but I feel that the second part dealing with its marine societies was better.  The culture of the reef people and ecology of the sea creatures were well-realized,

If I have any complaint about the film, it involves the similarity of the plot to the first film, with the unwelcome return of its previous villain.  I would have preferred new challenges, but perhaps these are being reserved for "Avatar 3".

Wonder Woman (2017)

Ever since they were little, I would remind my kids that Wonder Woman was Greek (every chance I got).  In fact, she was the only member of the "Superfriends" who wasn't American (counting Superman as a naturalized citizen, of course).

Movie poster for "Wonder Woman" (2017)

My cousin Dina was a huge fan of the TV series starring Lynda Carter in the 1970s.  (I remember watching the pilot with my father in our living room at home.)  See also "13 Great Reasons to Watch the 1970s Wonder Woman Show - Ranked".

Finally, I was an avid collector of the 1980s run of DC's "Wonder Woman" by George Perez, which emphasized the Greek roots of the Amazon princess.  That's why I was so excited to see a big-budget Wonder Woman film.

Gal Gadot was a good choice to play Wonder Woman on the big screen (her pronunciation in the one Greek line was spot-on, by the way), and setting the action during WWII, as in the original season of the Wonder Woman TV series, was perfect.

However, the scene which really caused me to jump out of my seat?  When Steve Trevor says "British tea for the Germans, German beer for the British, and Edgar Rice Burroughs' novels for both" of course!  (You can check it out, here.)

Wonder Woman was originally created by psychologist William Moulton Marston.  I found the documentary "Professor Marston and the Wonder Women" (which I caught on a flight, pre-Covid) to be interesting, although somewhat disturbing.

The Legend of Tarzan (2016)

As a lifelong fan of the character, I was excited to learn that a new Tarzan movie was in the works.  It had been over three decades since I'd seen "Greystoke" in theatre, and none of the Tarzan movies since then had been particularly good.

Movie poster for "The Legend of Tarzan" (2016)

I got back into the Tarzan novels in 2012, on the centenary of the publication of the first Tarzan story in the pulps.  I even attended the Centennial Conference at Bridgewater College in Virginia, that November.

When I learned that the Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship would be holding their annual gathering in Los Angeles that year, with a special advance screening of "The Legend of Tarzan", I knew that I had to attend.

My wife and I took separate planes to LA, and I was ready and waiting in a rented jeep when she stepped out of the terminal.  We saw the movie on the Paramount lot with fellow Burroughs enthusiasts and members of the Burroughs family.

I think director David Yates did an admirable job of portraying a classic hero through a twenty-first century lens.  The music and cinematography were brilliant.  It's a shame the movie didn't do well enough to justify a sequel.

We saw "The Legend of Tarzan" three more times in theatre, including once with my friend Joe and his wife, Kim.  We've seen the film again on DVD and itunes, since then.  It never fails to bring back memories of a really special trip.

John Carter (2012)

As a fan of all things Edgar Rice Burroughs, I looked forward to the release of "John Carter of Mars" with great anticipation (becoming worried and confused when Disney dropped the "of Mars").  While not perfect, it was a much better film than most realize.

Movie poster for "John Carter" (2012)

I saw a midnight showing on the Thursday before opening night (I called a few friends, but only my cousin Jim was game).  We saw it at Cineplex Cinemas on the Queensway, having dinner at Montana's beforehand (quite appropriately).

While a really enjoyable film, Taylor Kitsch was miscast as John Carter (which needed somebody like Henry Cavill to carry the role).  On the other hand, Lynn Collins was excellent as Dejah Thoris (they should have renamed it "A Princess of Mars").

Disney's abysmal marketing campaign makes more sense, when one realizes that the studio acquired the Star Wars franchise while "John Carter" was in production, thereby losing all interest in the century-old tale that inspired Star Wars in the first place.

The details are captured in Michael Sellers' excellent book "John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood".  Sellers also created some awe-inspiring fan trailers for the movie, (very much worth watching, in case you haven't seen them).

For my kids, who were underwhelmed with the original Star Wars trilogy, "John Carter" is their Star Wars.  They've seen the movie several times, and my son still has a "John Carter" poster in his room.  Hopefully, one day we'll be able to go back to Barsoom.

Predator (1987)

We were big fans of Arnie by the time "Predator" was made, although given our ages, we'd viewed most of his prior films on VHS.  Naturally, I loved "The Terminator" (1984) although never saw "Commando" (1985) or "Raw Deal" (1986).

Movie poster for "Predator" (1987)

By the summer of 1987, my brother, my cousin, and I were hanging out with a bunch of Greek friends with whom we regularly saw movies.  Most of us would grab seats while a few others would line up at the concession stand for everybody else.

I can still hear my cousin's exclamation of frustration when he entered the darkened theatre with bags of popcorn and drinks, only to realize that the movie had already begun!  (He didn't miss very much, only Jesse Ventura spitting onto Carl Weathers' shoe.)

Back in those days, suspension of disbelief was easier for me.  I quickly lost the impression that I was watching a movie, and got totally swept into the action.  The cinematography and musical score were immersive.  (The lack of CGI probably helped.)

It's interesting to realize that two of the movie's stars were later elected to political office.  Jesse Ventura as governor of Minnesota in 1999, serving one term, and Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor of California in 2003, serving two consecutive terms.

I don't think I saw any of the subsequent Predator movies, although Dark Horse Comics released a four-issue limited series in 1996 called "Tarzan vs. Predator: At the Earth's Core".  If there's ever another Tarzan movie, that should be it.

Greystoke (1984)

I discovered the Tarzan novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs when I was in Grade 7.  By the time "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes" was released, I had read the first 10 of them (there were 24 novels published).

Movie poster for "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes" (1984)

I also read Philip Jose Farmer's fictional biography of the ape man "Tarzan Alive!" (which I discovered in the actual biography section of our public library, not the fiction section, leading to confusion on my part...)

I remember how excited I was to see this movie on opening night, taping the full-page newspaper advertisement to the back of my bedroom door.  My father was supposed to take me, but something came up, and we couldn't go.

Since my father had to work the next day, "Greystoke" became the first movie that I saw on my own.  I purchased a popcorn and a large Sprite (almost choking on it during the scene in which one of the African explorers gets shot in the chest with an arrow).

Even though the second half of the movie wasn't faithful to Burroughs' original story, it was still the best Tarzan movie I had ever seen.  The versions starring Johnny Weissmuller depict a totally different character from the one in the novels.

Years later, I learned that Andie McDowell's voice was dubbed by Glen Close, and screenwriter Robert Towne, dissatisfied with the movie, insisted that his dog "P.H. Vazak" be credited with the screenplay (which earned an Oscar nomination).

Return of the Jedi (1983)

As the target demographic for Star Wars, it was a foregone conclusion that we would see the final installment of the original trilogy (especially after such an unexpected ending to "The Empire Strikes Back").

Movie poster for "Return of the Jedi" (1983)

 

I think we saw "Return" at the original Square One Cinemas, in Mississauga.  My younger sister spent the summer in Ottawa, Illinois, and ended up seeing the movie 3 or 4 times (there wasn't much else to do in Ottawa, Illinois).

Carrie Fisher looked uncomfortable in that metal bikini - a deliberate homage to Dejah Thoris in "A Princess of Mars" and the influence of Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars Series on the Star Wars universe.

While the special effects were cutting edge, I appreciate the playfulness in using a tennis shoe in the climactic battle scene in the skies above the moon of Endor, as told in "The Making of Return of the Jedi".

I thought ewoks were dumb, but understood the rationale behind them.  (We purchased the soundtrack to "Return of the Jedi" which concludes with a song in which the ewoks sound "like drunken halflings" according to a friend of mine).

With the conclusion of the original trilogy, I didn't think much about Star Wars until the prequels came out.  There's certainly a lot to like, but I was more into reading, listening to Rush, and playing Dungeons & Dragons.

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

There was a fair amount of hype surrounding the release of The Empire Strikes Back.  I was in Grade 6 at the time, and more into Marvel comics and Micronauts, but it was hard to escape the growing pop culture phenomenon that was Star Wars.

Movie poster for "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980)

I remember the buzz about Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian (I distinctly recall seeing this issue of People magazine while shopping for groceries with my mother at Miracle Mart in Westdale Mall, in Mississauga).

There were plenty of schoolyard spoilers - soon, everybody knew that Darth Vader was revealed to be Luke's father - which, like rumors of the glimpse of Vader's unhelmeted head, only served to generate publicity, not disincentives to see the movie.

My mother took my siblings and me to see the film at the Westwood Theatre in Etobicoke, where we were pleasantly surprised to see two of my cousins, on our way out of the theatre.  We were all a bit perplexed about the ending (the bad guys won?)

When I saw the re-release in 1997, while living in Montreal, the campy dialogue struck me as a little stilted (one of the more notable exceptions being Harrison Ford's improvised "I know" in response to Leia's declaration of love).

A cool thing I've learned in recent years is that an early draft of the screenplay was written by Leigh Brackett, who also wrote "The Sword of Rhiannon" (1953), a planetary romance in the tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars.

The Island at the Top of the World (1974)

My first trip to the movies was with my father, when I was only six years old.  I can still remember how excited I was to be doing something special with him!  I didn't know what to expect, but I was all in.  The movie?  Disney's "The Island at the Top of the World".

Movie poster for "The Island at the Top of the World"  (1974)

The film was released on December 20, 1974 together with mini-featurette "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too".  I recall entering the darkened theatre, after the mini-featurette had already started, to see Tigger sliding down the printed margins of a book.

Unfortunately, the movie couldn't hold the attention of my six-year old self, and at some point I turned to my father and asked to leave.  I remember that he seemed a bit surprised, and was at first reluctant to go, but I insisted, so we got up and left.

Feeling nostalgic, I rented this film over the holidays, and was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was.  A rich industrialist convinces an archeologist to join him on an expedition to the Arctic in search of his son.  Their mode of transportation is a French airship.

Actor Mako, who later played the wizard in "Conan the Barbarian" (1982) was cast as Oomiak, an Inuit guide.  Discovering a lost enclave of Norsemen, the expedition is ultimately successful, although complications naturally ensue.

The screenplay was based on the 1961 novel "The Lost Ones" by Donald G. Payne, writing under the pseudonym Ian Cameron, and represents a late example of "lost world" fiction popularized by writers such as Jules Verne, H. Rider Haggard, and Edgar Rice Burroughs.