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".

Dune (2021)

After a difficult year for many, it was a pleasure to begin seeing movies in theatre, once again.  "Dune" had originally been slated for release in November, 2020 but was pushed back to October, 2021.  For me, it was the beginning of the end of the pandemic.

Movie poster for "Dune" (2021)

I remember learning as a kid that Frank Herbert's novel had been rejected multiple times before finally being published, which was amazing, since my friends and I considered "Dune" to be the science fiction analogue to Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings".

The 1984 movie adaption featuring "The Police" frontman, Sting was a mixed success.  Critics largely panned it, although Herbert was apparently happy with it.  I rented the film on VHS, and appreciated many of the visuals, but hadn't read the novel.

My cousin Louie is a big fan of the series, and kept after me to read it.  I finally did so, one hot summer, back in the late 1990s, when I was living in Montreal (the fact that I didn't have air conditioning really helped set the mood).

I never got around to reading any of the sequels, but imagery from the book stays with you.  I was therefore excited to learn that a new movie was being planned, and looked forward to its release.  I saw it at Ancaster Cinemas with my son.

The movie won his approval.  My cousin Louie, a "Dune" purist, also loved it, as did mainstream audiences.  I'm happy for director Denis Villeneuve that "Dune" was well-received, and that a sequel is in the works.

District 9 (2009)

Every now and then, a film comes along that wasn't on my radar, but nevertheless turns out to be an instant classic.  "District 9", produced by Peter Jackson and directed by Neill Blomkamp, was just such a film.

Movie poster for "District 9" (2009)

It had been a challenging time, and so I welcomed the opportunity to go out and see a movie with a friend, who isn't into science fiction or fantasy, but appreciates a good film, regardless of the genre.

Like most good science fiction, "District 9" deals with matters of the human condition.  In this case, it's themes of racism and xenophobia, filmed against the backdrop of apartheid in South Africa.

An alien spacecraft suddenly appears in the skies over Johannesburg, back in 1982.  The plot then fast forwards twenty years into the future, which is when most of the action takes place.

I thought there were similarities to the 1980s TV miniseries "V", which was a bit of a pop culture phenomenon when it came out.  Perhaps that's one of the reasons the film resonated with me.

There has been occasional word that a sequel (or even a prequel) is being planned, but I don't know of anything definite in the works.  That's too bad, because "District 9" is a story worth returning to.

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.

Aliens (1986)

I can't recall if I saw the original "Alien" (1979) before I saw the sequel.  I know that we rented it on VHS, several times afterwards.  It was one of those movie-going experiences where I'm not sure I knew what to expect.

Movie poster for "Aliens" (1986)

I remember that my cousin Eva had just come up for a visit from the United States, and that we headed out to see the movie at Square One Cinemas shortly after she and her mother pulled up into our driveway.

This might have been the first "restricted" movie that I saw in theatre (although my 18th birthday was still a few months away).  The action was pulse-pounding and intense.  The emotions were so raw.  I loved it.

Bill Paxton's portrayal of Private First Class Hudson is the perfect breaker of dramatic tension for the audience, giving us such iconic lines as "Game over, man! Game over!" and "Why don't you put her in charge?"

Both this film and the later "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" (1991) impressed me for their use of strong, female protagonists, which was ground-breaking for the time, and led the way for later films.

I haven't followed the franchise closely, but did see "Prometheus" (2012) when it came out.  (I didn't realize until afterwards, however, that it was in any way connected to the "Aliens" cinematic universe.)

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

I was in Grade 8 when "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" came out.  My friend Joe saw it first, and it was all he could talk about during recess, one day.  (In fact, Joe pretty much covered the entire plot, by the time recess was over.)

Movie poster for "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" (1982)

Unfortunately, certain elements were lost in translation, and I somehow got the idea that Elliott actually becomes an extra-terrestrial.  When I saw the film, I kept waiting for Elliott to transform, and was really confused when he didn't.

As had become our habit, my mother brought us to see the movie with my aunt and cousins.  It was standing room only - literally (we couldn't find enough seats, and so took turns standing at the back of the theatre).

One of the cooler things was the scene showing the kids playing a role-playing game.  This was supposed to be D&D in the script, but Gary Gygax refused to allow the game to be mentioned, out of concern that it might be confused with gambling.

Another neat bit of trivia is that Harrison Ford was originally featured in a cameo as the school principal, although much of that scene was eventually cut, so that only the back of Ford's head is seen.

E.T. is one of those movies that I haven't viewed again since I saw it in theater as a kid.  It's strange that I didn't even rent it for my own kids, when they were little.  Perhaps I should go back and watch it again, some day.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

I saw "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" as part of a birthday party for a kid named Mark, back in grade 6.  He and his friend Tom approached me in the schoolyard to invite me.  (Birthday parties were smaller back in those days - it was only the three of us.)

Movie poster for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979)

We went to McDonald's for dinner beforehand, where all of us got "Star Trek" happy meals.  (I still remember one of the games on the side of the box "Can you spot the real McCoy?" in which you had to identify McCoy's face from among a bunch of similar faces.)

The film is known for being slow-moving, but I was fascinated by astronomy and space travel as a kid, and so it held my interest.  I distinctly remember being awed by the lengthy docking sequence, which seemed more realistic than anything in Star Wars.

For some reason, I never saw Star Trek II (1982), III (1984), or IV (1986) in movie theatres.  The next installment in the franchise that I actually saw in a theatre was Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), which is not considered one of the best.

A couple of years later, I watched Star Trek II and III back to back on VHS during a field course.  I rented Star Trek IV on my return, and started watching Star Trek: The Next Generation pretty regularly, thereafter, seeing all the remaining films in theatre.

I missed the J.J. Abrams reboots when they came out, but had a chance to catch them with my son at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.  I thought they were pretty good, but he prefers anime these days, and found them tedious.