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No matter what you think of James Cameron's Avatar movies, their technical ambitions are undeniable. Cameron developed his own camera system to shoot the first Avatar in 3D, but since most of the actors were digitally captured, he also had the freedom to construct scenes with a virtual camera after they were physically shot. For Avatar: The Way of Water, which arrived a whopping 13 years after the first film, Cameron also leaned into high frame rate footage and new ways of modeling natural fluid dynamics. Even though the third entry, Avatar: Fire and Ash, is coming just a few years after the last sequel, I still expected Cameron to deliver some sort of new feat to wow audiences. He could have found a smoother way to employ high frame rate footage, so the film wasn't jarringly shifting between traditional 24 fps scenes and smoother 48 fps action shots. Maybe we'd see more natural interactions between live actors and virtual characters and environments (it sure is hard to beat Edie Falco suited up in a wicked exoskeleton in the last film, though). Instead, Avatar: Fire and Ash is just another Avatar film it doesn't push any boundaries, narratively or technically. And without any technical achievements to lean on, the narrative issues inherent with Avatar become all the more glaring. It's still basically a story that places a clueless white dude in the middle of a fight between indigenous and colonialist powers. (Improbably, he's crowned one of the Na'vi's best warriors!). The script from Cameron and his co-writers (Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, continuing their work from The Way of Water) often hits identical beats to a low-rent CW show. And perhaps worst of all, the stakes of the story haven't really changed much. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family are still fighting off the militarized Resource Development Association (RDA), Col. Quaritch still holds a grudge from being killed (twice now!) and from the Sullies raising his Tarzan-like son, Spider (Jack Champion).Theres an attempt to cast the Navi in a new light with the villainous Ash People, who spend their days attacking and stealing from other tribes. While most Navi people work cooperatively with other clans and share their reverence for Eywa, the collective consciousness of Pandora, the Ash People resent it for not saving their villages from natural disasters. Despite a deliciously evil performance by Oona Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin's grandaughter!) as Varang, the Ash People don't amount to much more than "evil Na'vi." When they inevitably work together with humans to attack other Navi, it doesnt feel surprising in the least. Honestly, its a tad insulting.Avatar: Fire and Ash20th. Century StudiosPerhaps we've been spoiled by Cameron's last few films, but Avatar: Fire and Ash ultimately feels like more of the same. Even its massive final battle feels like a retread, since its set in the same ocean environment as The Way of Water and is once again focused on protecting psychic alien whales from humans. Cameron does let his action chops shine throughout the film, but after a certain point, trying to enjoy those sequences is like trying to eat a family-sized carton of ice cream by yourself. Youll enjoy it for a little while, but eventually youre left with a massive headache and sugar hangover.Its clear that James Cameron has built the Avatar franchise to explore everything he loves: Stories about protecting the environment, fighting against capitalist excess and kicking tons of ass. Parts of Avatar 4 have already been shot, and that film is expected to arrive in 2029. But Im hoping the 71-year-old filmmaker eventually finds his way out of Pandora. Hes co-directing the Billie Eilish concert film, Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour, so thats a start. But Im eager to see what other new worlds he can dream up. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/avatar-fire-and-ash-review-maybe-its-time-to-sunset-pandora-140000997.html?src=rss
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China has taken another step forward in the self-driving car market. The country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has made its first approval for cars with level-3 autonomous driving capabilities. The two electric sedans come from state-owned automakers Changan Auto and BAIC Motor. The US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines level-3 driving as "the system handles all aspects of the driving task while you, as the driver, are available to take over driving if requested. If the system can no longer operate and prompts the driver, the driver must be available to resume all aspects of the driving task." According to a translation of MIIT's announcement, the Changan vehicle can drive autonomously in single lanes of both highways and urban expressways in traffic congestion. It is allowed solely in certain areas of Chongqing at a maximum speed of 50 km/h (31 mph). The BAIC electric sedan can also function autonomously on the same roads, but only in areas of Beijing at a maximum speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). "The team strictly followed the standards and procedures to conduct preliminary review, selection, testing, and safety assessments," MIIT stated. "Both automotive companies have completed and passed the product testing and safety assessments as required." They didn't present a timeline for when the models would become available. The US approved its first certified level-3 car in January 2023, a Mercedes.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/china-approves-two-level-3-autonomous-evs-134548316.html?src=rss
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The definitive version of Divinity: Original Sin 2, the sequel to Original Sin first released back in 2017, is now available for the PS5, Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox X|S. The role-playing game was developed by Larian Studios, the same company that developed Baldurs Gate 3. To be clear, the games new release isnt a remake or even a remaster its just a port for new consoles so that old and new fans alike can enjoy the game without having to bust out their previous-gen devices. Fans who already own a copy of the game can even get it for free. Original Sin 2 is the fifth main entry in the Divinity game series. In it, gamers play a sorcerer who can wield forbidden magic and who gets captured by the Magisters of the Divine Order so they can be cured of their powers. Players can make their character from scratch, creating their own class and giving their character the abilities, skills and stats they want. But they can also use any of the pre-set characters the game provides.Players who already have the 2017 version installed will get a free upgrade applicable to their console. If they dont have it installed anymore, they can go to games store page on their new device and download the upgrade for free aside from fans in Japan wholl have to pay 100 for the Switch 2 and PS4 upgrade. Larian is also working on the latest entry to the franchise, simply called Divinity, which is its biggest and most abitious game to date.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/divinity-original-sin-2-for-modern-consoles-is-free-for-old-fans-130000192.html?src=rss
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