And here's your spoiler warning. Spoilers ahead!

So in Avatar, Jake Sully is a marine who's suffered a spinal injury (someone "blew a hole in my life," as he puts it) and his life is going nowhere. Until he gets a chance to go to the far-off Pandora and take his dead brother's place, piloting a genetically engineered "avatar." Built out of alien DNA, the avatar allows Sully to walk among the Na'Vi, the giant blue natives of Pandora, and look like one of them. Because Sully is a warrior, like the Na'Vi tribespeople, he finds acceptance in their ranks — even as he knows his fellow humans are preparing to relocate the Na'Vi by force, to get at a rich supply of a rare substance called Unobtanium.

As Jake learns to use his new alien body, leaping from treetops and clifftops, romancing the chief's sexy daughter (Zoe Saldana) and bonding with a flying dragon for life, you'll discover your new favorite escapist fantasy. Jake falls in love with the excitement and the nobility and yes, the biodiversity, of Pandora, and you're right there with him. Avatar's journey really does feel magical and transformative, for Jake and for the audience.

It's hard to imagine a movie where medium and story are so closely married. Even as Jake Sully climbs into a coffin and abandons his human body for a spry alien one, Cameron is hoping to pull you into his alien world to a much greater degree than the usual movie immersion. Cameron has spent untold millions of Fox's dollars to make you forget you're really in a movie theater, instead of on an alien planet. The whole exercise is a metaphor for the experience of watching any movie, with Cameron's camera lens represented by the beds that transfer people's minds into alien bodies.

And the film's 3-D, CG and motion-capture really are all they're cracked up to be. The scenes which look trifling on your little computer window become etched on your mind's eye, when you see them on the big screen in 3-D. The transition from live-action to animation feels like a costume change, and when live-action people are on the screen with CG characters, it's miles away from Roger Rabbit, or even from Andy Serkis' Gollum.

Cameron is clearly saying: Look what technology can do. It can tight-beam your consciousness into a totally foreign time and place. And just maybe, like Jake Sully, you'll find yourself going native.

There's only one problem with this notion, and it nearly wrecks an otherwise nearly perfect movie: The further we venture into Pandora's heart, the more unconvincing it is. At first, the forest moon is heart-breakingly beautiful and well-realized, and every weird creature on the planet stands out in its own way. When Jake gets chased by big dinosaur-like monsters, it's tons more thrilling than your standard Roland Emmerich/Michael Bay CG spectacle. But once Jake gets himself embedded among the alien Na'Vi people, the illusion starts to fall apart.

This is partly because once you're surrounded by Pandora's fantasy-land, it starts to get just a bit too pretty, and certainly too rich. About the time hundreds of glowing tree-spirits land on Jake's blue avatar body, the animation starts to feel a bit... cartoony.

But more than that, we never really see the Na'Vi as a convincing society — instead we see a ludicrous "noble savage" stereotype, that only gets cruder and more ridiculous the deeper into it we go. When Jake is only interacting with Saldana's character, Neytiri, their interaction feels natural enough. But once you're in the middle of a Na'Vi crowd scene, you have a harder time believing in these people. And that, in turn, may pull you right out of the movie.

Cameron has clearly thought endlessly about every aspect of this movie's worldbuilding, but it never seems to have occurred to him that populating his planet with Pocohontas/Tarzan ooga-booga people would be a mistake. The Na'Vi are animalistic and in tune with nature, and they're good-hearted in direct proportion to their simplicity. They worship a mystical world-mind and its messengers, magic happy tree spirits that connect them to their ancestors — through their magical native-people hair. (Their tree/ancestor religion turns out to have a scientific basis, to be fair.)

By the time the Na'Vi's matriarch is leading the whole tribe in a hippie ritual, with lots of swaying in front of the sacred tree, you'll be rolling your eyes so much, it may interfere with the 3-D stereoscopy.

(When I mentioned the term "forest moon" a little while ago, it may have created an association in your mind. That association was not entirely unintentional.)

In a way, Cameron's strengths work against him a little bit here. The humans' world feels completely lived-in. Pandora's soldiers could have stepped right out of the first reel of Aliens. Cameron is in love with all of the toys, from the Huey-helicopter-inspired flying machines to the "avatar" chambers. His human characters are mostly well-worn archetypes, from the weaselly evil corporate guy (Giovanni Ribisi, channeling Aliens' Paul Reiser) to Stephen Lang's brutal Col. Quaritch (bringing the George C. Scott) to Sigourney Weaver's tough scientist with a heart of gold. The human world isn't as original as Pandora, but it feels a lot more fully inhabited. The contrast doesn't do the dragon-riding, hissing, deeply spiritual tree people any favors.

It's likely that if the Na'Vi felt as real as the human society — if you could feel the dirt under your fingernails after a day's bow-hunting and chafe under the patriarchal tribal leadership — then the escapism of running off to join the clan might not seem as alluring. In his earlier movies, Cameron never had to try and make us fall in love with Skynet, or the Alien queen. So it's not surprising that he stumbles when he tries to create an "other" that's lovable rather than scary.

The movie's other big problem is somewhat related: It gets preachy about environmentalism, to an extent that may grate on your nerves. Early on, when Jake is learning about the nature-loving ways of the Na'Vi, he grumbles that he hopes this "tree-hugger crap" won't be on the final exam. And it totally is.

But like I said, Avatar is otherwise a nearly perfect movie. (It's up to you whether stereotypical native peoples or eco-lectures are a deal-breaker.) As an action-adventure movie, it's vastly superior to pretty much any you've seen in the past few years. As science fiction, it's thrilling, because it's pro-exploration and its most unambiguously heroic character is Weaver's character, Dr. Grace Augustine. It shouldn't feel so refreshing, to have a smart, heroic scientist whose scientific explanations are cool and important to the movie, but it is. Weaver has lost none of her fire, and is a joy to watch.

Sam Worthington, as Jake, does a great job of selling his slow transformation from cynical wise-ass human to a warrior of the Na'Vi people, without overplaying it. Worthington has that rare gift, of seeming totally down-to-Earth even when he's in the middle of a totally outlandish scene, and it keeps him completely relatable even as he's embracing a totally alien culture. He really does carry the movie, in both his human and alien bodies.

And you have to admire a movie whose central message is that only by becoming a wholly artificial life form can you touch something true and natural. This contradiction is at the heart of the movie — a luddite fable made with technology so advanced, Cameron had to create it from scratch.

Cameron deliberately avoids any of the usual cop-outs you'd see with this kind of story. The natives know from the first time they lay eyes on Jake that he's a "dream walker" (their word for alien meat-puppets operated by sleeping humans. And they call humans the "sky people.") When they come to accept Jake as one of them, it's with the knowledge that he's actually a tiny pink-skin in a tank somewhere. And the movie's arc isn't the standard one, of Jake realizing that he's "really" a human and should stop trying to pretend to be one of the aliens. Rather, becoming a genetically engineered, and hence synthetic, creature allows Jake to discover who he really is.

So, to sum up, everything you've heard or thought about Avatar is true. It's one of the most vivid, visceral movies you've ever seen. It's cheesy enough for ten Swiss villages. It's James Cameron delivering an action thrill ride, at the top of his game. It's a schlocky Dances With Wolves rip-off. It will transform the way you think about movies forever.

Talking to the LA Times during a promotional Avatar interview, Sigourney Weaver was asked about the possibility of making an appearance in the third Ghostbusters movie:

As far as I know, I think Bill [Murray] is actually the only one in it.... That may be wrong — the last time I talked to Ivan was a couple of months ago. It's not meant at this point to be a reunion of our particular group of ‘Ghostbusters' at this point, it's a younger group. My only wish is that Oscar, my [on-screen] baby in ‘Ghostbusters II,' has grown up to be a Ghostbuster, too.

On the one hand, let's face it: Peter Venkman was the best character in the original movies, so if you're only bringing one back for the new one, it's the right choice. But on the other, no Dan Ackroyd, Ernie Hudson or Harold Ramis? Not even in cameos? That just seems wrong somehow. Here's hoping they changed their minds since Sigourney's last update.

'Avatar' star Sigourney Weaver as queen of sci-fi: 'Outer space has been good to me' [Hero Complex/LA Times]

Sigourney Weaver plays the Na'vi sympathizer, Grace, and Giovanni Ribisi plays the money-hungry CEO, Parker Selfridge. It's actually pretty fun to see Ribisi in this sort of role. Either way, now we know how the Na'vi learned English and that there had been better relations between the two species, until now... but why?

[via MSN]

Give the video a few minutes to download, to see the new footage.

Avatar will be out December 18th.

[Via LG]

First up, I'm glad they cleared up the nagging question of why Jake Sully is being used in this huge military operation anyway, since he's not super trustworthy and defects rather quickly to the alien side. His twin brother is 6 feet under, and they have the same DNA. So sure I guess that works. But what's really interesting are all the new creatures uncovered in this featurette, and we pulled pictures of a few for your enjoyment. To be honest, we like these guys more than anything we've seen before especially that monkey fella.

Avatar will be in theaters December 18th.

Thanks to Marketsaw for putting up the scans from Empire Magazine's Avatar issue.

While Sigourney's human form ages, her yellow eyed Avatar leaps and jumps through the trees with the greatest of ease. Look at those eyes, I know some people say it's still very CG, but this is a scan of a scan and even I'm impressed by the detail. [Via Marketsaw]
Let's assume this is the science brigade.
After watching the trailer I noticed a few things over the eyes of the Na'vi people while they were riding their winged beasts, and thought: Are those Na'vi oakleys?
Turns out yes, yes they are sunglasses. As is evident from the new Empire Magazine close up of Zoe Saldana. And does Zoe's character have ear gauges?????
Also I kind of love how they get scared cat ears when threatened, here's Sam Worthington's Avatar Jake demonstrating the mew pose. I Can Haz Avatar?
Finally, if we're going to talk about the cat ears then we must bring up the skinny tail. I have a feeling getting whacked with end of that is going to sting like a rat tail surprise in the shower.

MTV News tracked down Weaver at Comic Con, and asked her whether she would be involved in the upcoming Alien film, to which Weaver replied that she couldn't imagine an appearance by Ripley:

Just this winter, Weaver was talking about the possibility of a Ripley-centric movie with no Aliens, so it's a relief to hear once and for all that we'll be getting back to the Xenomorphs. And, as awesome a character as Ripley (at least the original Ripley) was, it's probably time for her to step aside and let other characters show off their Alien-killing chops. Hopefully, this is just one of many signs that Scott is genuinely looking to tell an interesting story set in this universe, rather than simply milking the franchise.

[MTV Movies Blog]

The four megastars met on stage as part of Entertainment Weekly's "Wonder Women" panel. Weaver, of course, starred in the Alien movies, plus Ghostbusters and countless other genre classics. Saldana is playing Uhura in the new Star Trek movies as well as an alien in Avatar. Dushku has co-starred in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and starred in Tru Calling and Dollhouse. And Mitchell is moving from Lost to V this year.

How Weaver got into playing Ripley:

Weaver explains, "I was the one who didn't want to do science fiction. It wasn't until Ridley Scott took me and showed me the pictures and the eggs had little [H.R.] Giger faces on them, and I realized I hadn't seen anything like this before."

What's next on Lost and Dollhouse:

Mitchell says she loves playing "complicated women" like Juliet, and she doesn't feel Juliet is slippery – she's just telling the truth as she sees it, but sometimes she takes wee shortcuts to get to the truth. So will she be back on Lost? "The best thing to say is it just depends if Jack's plan works or not. Which is amazing, because then it's not my fault."

Dushku says in Dollhouse season two, we'll be seeing more of Echo's glitches, but Echo will continue to emerge as a real person in her own right, distinct from her original personality, Caroline. "We'll see more of Echo as a composite. She's glitching and she's bring out all the characters."

Saldana on taking on Uhura:

Saldana says she wanted to convey the "normalcy" of being a woman of color in a respected position, among a bunch of men. "As a woman, an American woman, a woman of color, to be able to be granted an opportunity to play a character that symbolizes strength... a woman my mother wanted to be with when she was a little girl, is nothing but a humbling position to be in." And there are "very interesting" ideas for the second Trek movie, she says. "I couldn't be more excited."

So why aren't there more female action heroes?

Says Weaver:

The challenge that some writers take on very well, like Joss Whedon or James Cameron... They're not trying to create a woman action hero, they're creating a character who has a certain intelligence and drive and ferocity. That is the core. What they are trying to do, who they are trying to save, etc. Hollywood goes a little crazy, trying to figure out what you're supposed to wear. I feel grateful that I got to wear actual clothes. I never thought about being a woman, I was playing a person. I just think in writing, you just write it the way you write a man: they believe in things, they fight for things. There's a hero in each of us... and that's what Avatar is about.

In fact, Weaver mentions that the part of Ripley was originally written to be a man, but then she won the part instead. "Because she was better," Saldana adds.

So how do you get more awesome female roles and less drek? Allow Saldana to elaborate:

If we continue, as women, to see this as a battle, it will take so much energy away from what we are. What it takes is education. When i have to fight an army of men, and try to convince them that I shoudl wear pants for an action scene, where I'm running from one building to another, and jumping, and they are convinced that I shoudl do it in a short skirt and Gucci boots — fighting that small battle takes education. We are trying to teach how a women should be created, and how a woman should be treated. [When a male creator does get it right, the correct response is] a little pat on the head like "You did it." (She says this, like she's talking to a small child or a puppy.)

Later, Saldana added: "I do think if we continue to do it, one day we won't have to meet with our produciers and writers and directors and say, 'I don't have to understand why my character has to sleep with the lead guy just because she digs him.'"

Adds Weaver:

Jim Cameron was saying earlier that science fiction is sort of an investigation into what it is to be human. There are no rules. It's sort of a reflection of real life. Anything goes. Happily in this case, they weren't trying to control what women did in science fiction. It wasn't an important enough genre, and it just slipped through.

So what's going on with Wonder Woman?

Everyone on the panel agreed that it just takes the right script and the right take on the character. "People are taking passes at it," says Dushku, who presumably knows about Joss Whedon's attempt. "I think the stakes are set high for Wonder Woman, and Lynda Carter is so memorable."

Says Saldana: "They need to find the right writer to bring out all the stuff rom the comics, all the beautiful layers, and add all of the Neo stuff from the Matrix, instead of just this beautiful girl with beautiful buns and a great rack and a big smile." (She does a big fake smile with one pinky as she says this.) Someone asks about Megan Fox playing Wonder Woman instead of a woman in her thirties who can bring more stature to the Amazon princess, and Saldana responds:

I happen to have a huge crush on Megan Fox. I'm not hatin on that possibility. Do you want the real answer? I think it's just 65 year old men just want to see 25 year old little girls, but those are the people cutting checks not only in Hollywood but in America. I have to question: why they won't share a decision like that with a younger crowd that's part of this generation? There aren't enough african American superheroes or women or even Asian American. Have you ever met a superhero named Juan Gonzales? I would kill for that.

It looks like what we have here are the same weirdly fanged faces, with a bit more color. The fan faced panther beak creature is the Thanator. The flying creatures are called the Sturmbeasts. But, I'm most excited about the tame little blue horse-like beast with 6-legs in the back. Can you ride him? I assume yes. Besides the new orange creatures on Pandora, we now have a better look at the crew. Behold:

Character close ups:

Full action figure shots:

Well, color me excited — as long as it's more crazy alien action than moral lecturing (and who knows at this point), I'm ready to go to Pandora.

Avatar will be in theaters on December 18th.

Talking to Sci-Fi Squad, Weaver said that the chances of her appearing in a new Ghostbusters movie are "[p]robably non-existent... I don't expect to have anything to do with it, although I wish them well." She's similarly downbeat about the potential for an appearance in the much-discussed Alien prequel, for practical reasons:

Well, I don't think that Ripley could appear in an Alien prequel because she doesn't have any access to the creature until the first Alien. But Ridley (Scott) is producing it and that makes me happy. I wasn't thrilled with the whole Alien Vs. Predator thing. I never saw them, but one of the reasons I died in (Alien) 3 was to not have anything to do with those (laughs). Just because, you know, I think it just seemed so economically motivated somehow. I feel we did four good movies, and I'm content with that. I hope if they do something new, they will encompass the idea of where the alien first came from, because I think that's an interesting idea — to find out what happened and "how did it get to us?".

There goes my spec script where Ripley's clone time-travels to the past to place the Alien eggs on that planet in the first place, then...

Sigourney Weaver Talks About 'Ghostbusters 3,' 'Alien' Prequel [Sci-Fi Squad]

In making their selection, Total Sci Fi pointed to the character's iconic status and particular blend of traits:

An appealing combination of toughness, self-reliance, vulnerability and sexiness, Ripley is far from a conventional damsel in distress. New layers were added to the character in Aliens, which saw Ripley proving to be tougher and smarter than a unit of marines, yet still finding time to form a motherly bond with Newt. The two subsequent sequels added even more dimensions, leading to one of the most critically analysed characters in the history of cinema.

To be honest, I'm not sure how any self-respecting list of women in science fiction - particularly one that zeroes in on those who "shook" the genre - could put anyone other than Ripley in the top spot, so no arguments there. I'm a little less sure when it comes to some of the other characters they chose, however. Without further ado, here's the complete list:

1) ELLEN RIPLEY (Sigourney Weaver, Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection)
2) BUFFY SUMMERS (Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
3) STARBUCK (Katee Sackhoff, Battlestar Galactica)
4) DANA SCULLY (Gillian Anderson, The X-Files)
5) SARAH CONNOR (Linda Hamilton, Terminator, T2)
6) PRINCESS LEIA ORGANA (Carrie Fisher, Star Wars)
7) ROSE TYLER (Billie Piper, Doctor Who)
8) SAM CARTER (Amanda Tapping, Stargate SG-1)
9) NYOTA UHURA (Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek)
10) LEELOO (Milla Jovovich, The Fifth Element)
11) CLAIRE BENNET (Hayden Panettiere, Heroes)
12) STORM (Halle Berry, X-Men)
13) PRIS (Daryl Hannah, Blade Runner)
14) CATWOMAN (Michelle Pfeiffer, Batman Returns)
15) BARBARELLA (Jane Fonda, Barbarella)
16) KATHRYN JANEWAY (Kate Mulgrew, Star Trek: Voyager)
17) MIKAELA BANES (Megan Fox, Transformers)
18) SUSAN IVANOVA (Claudia Christian, Babylon 5)
19) NUMBER SIX (Tricia Helfer, Battlestar Galactica)
20) SARAH JANE SMITH (Elisabeth Sladen, The Sarah Jane Adventures / Doctor Who)
21) WILLOW ROSENBERG (Alyson Hannigan, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
22) WONDER WOMAN (Lynda Carter, Wonder Woman)
23) XENA (Lucy Lawless, Xena: Warrior Princess)
24 ) SYDNEY BRISTOW (Jennifer Garner, Alias)
25) MARINA (Stingray)

There are definitely a lot of great choices here, such as Buffy, Starbuck, Uhura, and Sarah Jane Smith (and the Gerry Anderson fan in me absolutely loves that they included Marina), but Claire Bennet? Mikaela Banes? I'm not sure that either of those really "shook" science fiction, and I'm skeptical they'd make a similar list made even five years from now. It's telling that even the listmakers admit Mikaela's inclusion pretty much comes down to the fact that Megan Fox is pretty.

Still, it's a good list, and the authors rather sportingly asked readers to let them know what they think are the biggest omissions. I'll go ahead and nominate Leela - either the Doctor Who or Futurama version, it doesn't really matter which. Which woman in science fiction would you vote for inclusion?

[Total Sci Fi]

Galaxy Quest gets a much-deserved fancy presentation in this tenth anniversary DVD, which just hit stores. The movie itself has never looked better - I figured I would just watch 15 or 20 minutes to see how it was holding up, and wound up watching the whole thing. The effects don't look nearly as dated as I'd feared, and the humor is just as fresh as ever - especially with all the excitement about Star Trek coming back from retirement.

Besides the above rap song (which Weaver explains she made as a "present" to her agent, because he was having a giant birthday dinner in New York and she couldn't be there) and the above deleted scene, there are tons of great extras. The other deleted scenes are mostly pretty great, including a sequence where Alexander (Alan Rickman) gets shown his quarters aboard the NSEA Protector — including a very unconventional bed.

There are also the usual featurettes, which are pretty entertaining and bizarre. I didn't realize that GQ started life as a spec script called Captain Sunshine - and that the Alan Rickman character was the villain. He was a science fiction writer who has written a ton of successful books, but felt frustrated and limited by our petty world - so he did a ton of experiments and created an interplanetary gateway, which took him to another planet. There, he enslaved the simple inhabitants and became, basically, Ming The Merciless. Until the inhabitants saw the "historical recordings" of Tim Allen's character, and went to fetch him, as the only person who could scare their dictator.

Also, it sounds as though Tim Allen really went "method acting" on the set and tried to be as much of an arrogant jerk as his character, ham actor Jason Nesmith - on purpose, he claims. (Sam Rockwell remembers Allen being a total dickwad in the makeup trailer when they made him wait his turn, saying "Guess whose name is first on the call sheet.") And Allen and Daryl "Chill" Mitchell (who's rapping with Weaver and Rockwell, above) would clown around on set, until Rickman asked them to act professional. Rickman and Weaver, meanwhile, were constantly doing exercises and being actorly. (But then at the end of the day, Rickman would invite Allen and Chill to his trailer for wine.)

One thing that endears me to Allen, though: He talks in the featurettes about how he reads "scifi blogs" and knows that everybody thinks every movie he's been in was a piece of shit... except this one.

Talking to MTV, Weaver said that she'll happily return to Ripley, as long as the script is right:

Even in twenty years, if someone came to me and said, ‘This is the story, and it's a really interesting story using that world' [I'd do it]. I think it's an amazing saga... I don't sit around thinking, ‘Oh I want to do another Alien,' but it does feel slightly unfinished to me. But that has a lot to do with Fox, so it wouldn't surprise me if another generation at Fox, looking at what they have, would [make it work].

That generation wouldn't include Dollhouse and Serenity creator Whedon, however; his script for a mooted Alien 5 left Weaver cold:

You know, Fox was going to do another one. They had it written. Joss Whedon wrote it... It took place on earth, [w]hich, I have to say, just really didn't interest me. And I just felt that every time we went out there, we needed to have a really original piece.

That sounds like a challenge to Fox right there. What will it take to see a new Weaver-starring Alien movie (sans Predator)? And does an audience really want to see a 60 year old Ripley taking on old enemies one more time?

Will Ripley Rise Again? [MTV Movies Blog]

Even if you don't know any children, it's a fair bet to say that you've at least been tempted to spend some money on an action figure or two, even for yourself. Whatever the reason, we're saying that it's definitely the time of year for toys for all girls and boys - and here are some picks that we hope you find in your stocking on the day.

Star Wars - The Ultimate Lightsaber Kit: Yeah, yeah; you could play that Wii lightsaber game and have a lot of fun, but those of us with the bigger midichlorians know that building your own lightsaber is where it's at. This kit lets you do that very thing, providing all the pieces that you need to become your own padawan. Just try not to slice your own hand off in some Joseph Campbell-esque maneuver whether by accident or in a misguided attempt to emulate your childhood idols.

Star Trek Phaser And Communicator Set: Along the same lines, these replica phasers and communicators from the original Star Trek series would let you get your William Shatner and/or Leonard Nimoy on, like the gentlemen in the picture. Insignia-ed t-shirts not included. Alternatively, the Dueling Kirk And Spock From "Amok Time" figures have the uniforms and sexy tears in shirts to influence hot slash action.

Anything From LEGO's Mars Mission Range: When I was a kid, LEGO's space sets consisted of a moon base and a few dull grey repurposed planes. Now, the rebranded LEGO Mars Mission sets are multicolored blocks of imagination, accompanied by aliens and heroes with stubbles and smirks. Ignore LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Batman; these are the blocks you're looking for.

A Breakdancing Robot:

I'm sorry, is there something else I need to say? (Alternatively, Robotic Pugilists. If that doesn't appeal, then good day, sir. I said good day!)

Twilight Action Figures: They may not be released until mid-2009 - way to miss the boat, toymakers - but they are available for pre-order right now; it'll be just like the Star Wars Early Bird Offer all over again! You know that you want to see the face of your favorite emo relative almost display an emotion when they open the IOU envelope for this baby on Christmas (or whatever day you deem appropriate) morning.

Risk Transformers Cybertron Edition: Update the depressing game of strategy from your youth by adding in the wildcard of robots in disguise, and their home planet - filled with countries that you have no idea about. Let the youngsters in your life experience the same hours of frustration and disappointment when they, too, realize that the game may be coherent and technically accurate but also endless and much less fun than playing with an actual Transformer, no matter how many times you tell them that the cardboard box transforms into an educational experience.

The Superhero Action Figure Of Your Choice: You can't go wrong by giving a small plastic representation of your loved ones' favorite defenders of truth and justice. Me, I'm rather partial to the original Firestorm, complete with puffy sleeves, but that may be my nostalgia overpowering my taste (Although, you know, if you really want to buy it for me, that's perfectly alright). Alternatively, you could go for a prop replica of something to do with your favorite Marvel superhero. You may scoff, but I don't know anyone who doesn't secretly want to put on Iron Man's helmet and pretend to be Tony Stark.

Alien Kubricks: Yes, there are Kubricks for almost everything, but our favorites are the ones based on Ridley Scott's 1970s classic SF horror movie. Surely, we're not the only people who find the sight of an overgrown LEGO dude with an alien bursting out of his chest to be the perfect representation of Scott's intentions with the original film. And the Kubrick Ripley's hair perfectly captures the hair of the previous Sigourney Weaver. See? Now you understand.

Pleo, Robotic Lifelike Dinosaur: Yes, we could take exception to the description of this overly cute robot as "lifelike," but we'd rather point out that anyone who really wants a lifelike dinosaur in their house - especially as educational tools for their children, as Pleo is supposed to be - is fucking insane. It would eat your child! And then you! Seriously, this Disney-esque version is a much, much better idea; and much safer, as well. For those less brave and/or rich, I'd like to suggest the (much cooler, let's face it) Miniature Godzilla that you can get from Giant Robot because, well, why not?

Deathbot Lederhosen Edition: Call me old fashioned, but the holiday season always makes me want to strap on a pair of lederhosen and dream of snowier climes. With this festive limited edition killer robot from Tim Biskup's Gama-Go, that gets that much easier. Get high on a hill with this murderous goatherd after triming the tree.

Weaver told MTV's Movie Blog that she and Scott have discussed returning to the character of Ripley in a new movie:

Both of us feel a kind of commitment to that woman. He’s as much responsible for who she is as I am... We’d have to go back to the drawing board on [the alien]... Ridley said that right away when we first talked about [a fifth film]. What we’re interested in is taking the character of Ripley and seeing what other science fiction story we can tell about someone who has lived several lives.

"Other science fiction story"? As in, one that isn't the latest iteration of "Bad Ass Woman Fights Aliens, Rinse And Repeat"? If so, color me interested; the Alien alien has become stale through over- and mis-use through the years, and the idea of taking the Ripley character out've her seemingly-eternal cycle of avoiding acid blood while killing monsters sounds a lot more interesting than seeing more people get sacrificed to the silent Giger-esque killer.

Sigourney Weaver And Ridley Scott To Team Up For Alien-Less ‘Alien’ Sequel? [MTV Movies Blog]

There are three components to the "Bechdel Rule," which Eisner-winning cartoonist Bechdel first articulated 25 years ago in an installment of her comic strip, Dykes To Watch Out For, particularly relating to movies:

1. Does it have at least two women in it,
2. Who [at some point] talk to each other,
3. About something besides a man.

So we asked Bechdel if she's happy the "Bechdel Rule" is getting so much play, and whether she thinks it should be applied to science fiction stories, as much as other genres. Here's what she said:

Yeah, I'm very glad people are talking about the "Bechdel Rule," even though I'm a little ambivalent about that name. When I talked to the NPR reporter, I suggested changing it to "Ripley's Rule," after the Sigourney Weaver character in "Alien." Since at the time of the rule's inception, that was the only movie that fit its criteria. But she didn't use that part of the interview.

It's funny to me that it's getting so much play all of a sudden. For me, the Rule is kind of like feminism in a bottle—applied theory, quick and easy. I think whatever name one gives it, the rule should be applied to everything everywhere, including real life.

The NPR story singles out ABC Family's The Middleman for praise, because Wendy Watson and her roommate Lacey talk about art, music, work and a ton of other topics that have nothing to do with Sexy Boss Man aka Pillow Lips. (Well, I guess work relates tangentially to Sexy Boss Man.) It's actually quite revealing to hear a snippet of smart dialog from The Middleman after we've just heard samplings of drivel from Sex And The City and Grey's Anatomy.

Middleman star Natalie Morales proposes her own corollary to the Bechdel Rule: the Morales Rule, which calls for Latino characters on TV to be well-rounded humans, who don't suddenly jump up and dance to Salsa music, sprinkle inaccurate Spanish into their conversation, or say "ay Papi" every few minutes.

Ripley has been forced to deal with a bevy of terrible younger sidekicks, from Newt to Winona Ryder, and she deserves better. Should a group of Hollywood scribes get together and try and piece together an Alien 5 please, this time, give Ripley a buddy worthy of sharing screen time with this butt-kicking legend. Almost every single returning hero has been subjected to the bad sidekick torture. Indiana Jones' over-the-hill return brought generic 1950s rebel Mutt, Live Free Or Die Hard paired the nerdy hacker stereotype Mac guy with badass John McClane and even T3 had to pin the T-101 against a cute blond she-bot.

So to all you scifi writers out there, should you chose to add a 5th Alien to your list of movie "to-dos" please think long and hard about pairing Sigourney up with a sassy young thing from the future.

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

[OK]

Frankenstein (1931)
The introduction of the iconic face behind Frankenstein, Boris Karloff as the monster. He was made through science — crazy, creepy grave-robbing science, but science nonetheless.

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
No relation to the Poe story. Evil scientist Dr. Mirakle kidnaps lovely young women and injects them with ape blood. His plan is to scientifically prove the blood link between man and ape, but of course they die horrible deaths.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920)
Dr. Jekyll runs experiments on himself, thus awakening a murderous alter personality and person Mr. Hyde (with John Barrymore). There were many more Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hydes, including the famous super-hairy Mr. Hyde, Frederich March.

Phantom Creeps (1939)
An officer and a reporter search for a scientist whose inventions can destroy the world.

Mad Love (1935)
Peter Lorre plays Dr. Gogol, a surgeon who has gone insane over an actress and replaces her loved ones hands with the hands of a knife murderer — and the hands still want to kill and throw knives.

The Invisible Man (1933)
Becoming invisible drives a scientist insane and sends him on a murderous rampage.

Metropolis (1927)
In the future there's still a problem between blue-collar workers and the upper class.

Flash Gordon (1936)
Humans travel to the planet Mongo and meet its many varied and strange inhabitants, from flying men to forest people.

Doctor X (1932)
A reporter tracks down the Moon Killer to Dr. Xavier's mansion and witnesses the Doctors strange science experiments crafting artificial skin. (Sort of like Darkman.)

The Island Of Lost Souls, (The Island of Doctor Moreau) 1932
Dr. Moreau plays god on his remote islands splicing humans and cats creating a whole new race.

Most of the clips we saw had already appeared at Wondercon. The one new clip shown at NYCC showcased M-O, the little robot hooked on cleaning:

Eve is sent home and Wall-E hitches a ride on her space ship holding on for dear life to the outside. While in space you get a peek at the new face of Earth. What was once blue is now brown, and green continents are yellow. Once inside Eve's home (a BnL ship) Wall-E hides as a steam of worker robots follow a designated path to clean the ship. Grunting his name the new character M-O pops out as the head of the cleaning crew. Much smaller than all the other 'bots, M-O scans each item contamination. His robot scanners can contact even the smallest amount of contamination. Filthy, Wall-E manages to get stuck in M-O's path and M-O deduces that Wall-E is 100% contaminated and in disbelief begins to rapidly clean him. Wall-E, being from a land of garbage, doesn't understand this new robot's obsessive-compulsive need to clean and begins to wipe his feet and watch as the exasperated M-O cleans up his mess again and again. Eventually Wall-E takes off, leaving a trail of mud. Twitching with anger M-O cautiously jumps out of his line, and braces for imminent punishment, but nothing happens and he is free to follow Wall-E, cleaning up after his mess.

According to synopses released so far, Avatar is the story of an injured ex-marine who gets taken to an alien planet, the Avatar world. There, he's forced to help humans colonize it against his will. But he eventually rebels and helps to lead the aliens in their fight for freedom.

Weaver said a few times that she's not a supporting character in Avatar, but "the female lead." Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana may have the "romantic leads," but Weaver has just as big a part. On her character, she says:

[James Cameron] created a wonderful character for me. She's a lot like him — she's very impatient, she's very driven, she's got a big heart, she's very complicated and you see very different people in the human world and in the avatar world. It's a fantastic canvas for me to paint on.

Avatar is "gonna blow the mind of this industry," with its vivid emotions and 3-D motion-capture visuals using Cameron's own self-designed cameras, Weaver predicts. The story is about ecology and greed, but also about love and "becoming a man." (I don't think Weaver meant her character becomes a man. But you never know.) "It's a very dense piece of work," she adds.

Not only did Cameron design the new 3-D cameras used in Avatar, but he also designed the sets, the guns and a lot of the alien creatures we meet. So it's understandable that he's a bit impatient with people who can't see inside his head and understand his vision, Weaver insists. "He's operating the camera," she adds, possibly exaggerating, but maybe not. "Considering what he's taken on, he's quite angelic, actually."

Weaver has turned down a lot of not-that-compelling parts in science fiction movies, and she doesn't think she has that much of a following among science fiction fans. But she loves the genre, because it involves "doing the impossible."

Separately, Cameron wrote to Ain't It Cool News about the status of Avatar:

I'm in New Zealand right now, working on effects, while Steve Quale shoots some second unit. We've worked together a lot (he did the engine room scenes on "Titanic", plus co-directed "Aliens of the Deep" with me) and he's the only guy I trust to shoot stuff for me, especially in 3D. We still have a little performance capture work to do with Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana in March, when we get her back from Star Trek (she's Uhura — but of course you already knew that.) And we have a couple of days with Stephen Lang in April or May, to shoot his character's last scene, which is so technically difficult it will take us until then to figure out how to do it.

[Premiere Magazine, via Jenni]