Today's spoilers include a synopsis of James Cameron's Avatar, and the first review of Transformers 2. Harold Ramis shares some Ghostbusters 3 dialog, and there's a new Sorcerer's Apprentice set video. Plus Moon, Deadpool, Doctor Who and True Blood spoilers.
Avatar:
Producer Jon Landau narrated the movie for Slashfilm, including a bunch of details we didn't already know. Marine Jake Sully has lost the use of his legs, so he accepts the chance to become part of a mining operation on the planet Pandora, where a new mineral will be a total game-changer for Earth's energy production. The planet Pandora is so harsh, the usual armor and environmental suit options aren't enough, so humans have come up with a clone program, combining DNA from humans and Na'Vi, the native species on Pandora, to create half-human, half-Na'Vi Avatars that are a genetic match for the individual human.
Jake Sully's brother was one of the original Avatars, but he's dead now. So the corporation asks Jake to come to Pandora and "pilot" his brother's very expensive Avatar, because his DNA is a match. That means Jake will be able to walk again.
The story flashes forward a few years, and Jake has arrived on Pandora, a planet of indescribable beauty, including the weird flora and fauna and the bioluminescence. Floating mountains soar above 900-foot-tall trees. Working for the mining corporation, Jake has a nasty encounter with a Viperwolf, one of Pandora's scary creatures, and he nearly dies. But an arrow kills the creature — and it's been fired by one of the Na'Vi, played by Zoe Saldana, who starts telling Jake the truth about life on Pandora.
Jake starts to realize the Na'Vi live in harmony with nature, dangerous as it is, on Pandora. And he decides to help the Na'Vi fight for their freedom from humans — even though it means his Avatar will be driven away, and he'll lose the ability to combine with it. He'll give up his ability to walk, in order to save these noble savages. Landau described the film as not dissimilar to Pocohontas. And Cameron is definitely contemplating a sequel. [Slashfilm]
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen:
This Bay-opus had its debut in Tokyo yesterday, and some spoilers went online soon afterwards. In particular, there are "more robots, less humans." And there's weird sexual innuendo like the little robot Wheelie humping Megan Fox's leg.
Devastator only gets one line in the movie, shouting his own name. Soundwave, meanwhile, has a few lines, and he speaks English rather than Cybertronian. Soundwave never comes down to Earth, and he never becomes a robot — but at least he doesn't blow up, so there's hope for the next movie. In general, the robots all speak English rather than Cybertronian. The Twins are a lame "bust a cap in yo' ass" stereotype. There are three motorcycles, all of which are named Arcee, but she doesn't get much screen time.
Jetfire, meanwhile, speaks with an English accent and is sort of a Monty Python-esque comedy character. He doesn't actually combine with Optimus Prime — it's more like he's fatally wounded, and he gives up his spark so Optimus can use his parts. (When I first read this, I thought it said "pants.") There are lots of kitchen robots, including one Samurai. The only Constructicon who gets named is Ravage, and he's red.
The final battle scene has tons and tons of robots, and looks as though Bay is reusing some animation from earlier on. In fact, after the Constructicons combine to form Devastator, you can still see the individual Constructicons running around in the background. Scorponok is in the final battle, and gets killed by Jetfire very quickly. [Movie Chronicles]
How is this movie different from the first one? Ask Michael Bay:
What you will notice that is strikingly different than Transformers 1, is the level of animation detail. The robot characters (42 in all), you really can feel empathy for them. What is also very different is the sheer scale of the movie. We have been very tight holding back much of the best imagery in commercials and trailers.
He also says "Haters beware." So, you know, you've been warned. Your next warning will probably be in the form of robo-urine. [TLAMB]
Ghostbusters 3:
What's Egon been up to since the last movie? Harold Ramis shares his theory with Empire Magazine, including some dialogue that he may actually put in the movie:
I'm intrigued by my idea for where Egon has been. He's been working in the International Institute For Imaginary Science, in Geneva. He's evolved a post-rational, non-conclusive logic for dealing with problems of chaos. Someone asks him ‘What does that mean?' and he says ‘There are no spatial, conceptual or intellectual models to describe it - so we don't know.' Egon's gone so abstract, even he doesn't know what he's doing!
And Ramis says he hopes Alyssa Milano will play the same character she does in the video game — the love interest, Dr. Ilyssa Selwyn. [Empire Magazine via Slashfilm]
Deadpool:
Ryan Reynolds continues talking up his Wolverine spin-off, which he says is in the planning stages. And he hints that he'll "get to kick Captain America in the nuts" in the movie, which I'm guessing is just a joke. [IESB]
Moon:
Some more spoilers from this movie, which opens Friday in L.A. and New York, and elsewhere in the country over the following weeks:
In Moon, written by Nathan Parker based on a story by Jones, Sam Rockwell plays Sam Bell, a lone astronaut manning a Helium-3 mining facility on the dark side of the moon. He periodically drives his lunar rover to a number of computer-guided trawling machines to retrieve canisters of the isotope, which have been cooked out of the powdery lunar surface, and shoot them back to earth where the gas is used as a clean form of nuclear energy. Sam's only companion on the moon base is GERTY, a HAL-like computer that monitors his every move. Due to a communication malfunction, the astronaut cannot communicate directly with earth, including his wife and daughter, except via increasingly anguished pre-recorded video messages. Sam has also begun suffering from blinding headaches, nosebleeds and hallucinations and his sole source of comfort is the knowledge that his three-year shift is just weeks away from ending. That is until Bell suffers a hallucinatory spell during a Helium-3 collection run and wrecks his rover into one of the trawlers. When he awakes back at the moon base, he realizes that his rescuer is a younger, fitter carbon copy of himself. Although you've probably guessed that cloning is involved, how Bell and his doppelganger unravel the mystery of just who they are is something you should see for yourself.
Tipster LJ made this Youtube clip of Alfred Molina and Monica Bellucci filming a scene at Bowling Green, where the fountain had been converted into a pedestal:
Doctor Who:
Not really a spoiler per se, but fans are speculating (in part based on the rumors we posted yesterday) that the David Tennant/Russell T. Davies era will end with drastic changes to the timeline that will bring back both Gallifrey and Skaro, undoing the Time War and giving new showrunner Steven Moffat a totally blank slate. (But this isn't even a rumor, it's just speculation.) [Doctor Who Forum]
True Blood:
Here are the official synopses of the first six episodes of season two:
2.01 - Nothing But the Blood: A shocking murder outside Merlotte's bar has the people of Bon Temps reeling; Sookie and Bill's relationship is tested; Sam recalls an encounter he had with Maryann as a 17-year-old.
2.02 - Keep This Party Going: Sookie and Bill contend with teen vampire Jessica; Jason impresses his Light of Day leaders; Maryann casts her spell at Merlotte's.
2.03 - Scratches: Bill enlists Eric's help to save Sookie after she is attacked by a mysterious creature; Jessica finds a willing suitor in Hoyt; Tara finds her attraction to Eggs interrupted by a swirling fog.
2.04 - Let's Take a Trip Together: Bill and Sookie travel to Dallas to carry out Eric's mission; Jason falls victim to a practical joke; Maryann throws a birthday party for Tara.
2.05 - Never Let Me Go: While in Dallas, Sookie connects with one of her own; Jason is rewarded for his hard work at the Light of Day boot camp; Eric shares a secret about his past with Bill.
2.06 - Friend Is a Four Letter Word: Sookie embarks on a dangerous mission to locate Godric; Bill is shocked when a vampire from his past resurfaces in Dallas; Jason must make difficult emotional and physical choices.
What the heck are "physical choices"? [SpoilerTV]
Additional reporting by Alexis Brown.