#stephen bliss

[artverso]

Stephen Bliss - DC: Absolute Power

[jkparkin]

Batman/Santa: Silent Knight Returns #2 (DC, December 2024) variant cover by Stephen Bliss

[crisisofinfinitemultiverses]

Absolute Power 3 (2024) variant by Stephen Bliss

[smashpages]

Absolute Power #2 (DC, August 2024) variant cover by Stephen Bliss

[theimaginauts]

BRAINIAC QUEEN

Art by STEPHEN BLISS

[mysteryonearth52]

Absolute Power 3 (2024) by Mark Waid & Dan Mora

Cover: Stephen Bliss (variant)

[neutron669]

[graphicpolicy]

A Secluded Teenager Wages War On The Crime Lords Of Fear City

A Secluded Teenager Wages War On The Crime Lords Of Fear City #comics #comicbooks

[noisemx]

The art illustration for the Debbie Harrie mural that went up in Miami, Florida in 2015.

Stephen Bliss

[gottdeswill]

[avatarmovies]

jackchampion

Thanks for the memories! #2022recap

[teyamaa]

“They are coming for you!”

Miles Quartich, Tuktirey Sully, and Kiri Sully

Stephen Lang, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, and Sigourney Weaver.

[smashpages]

Absolute Power #4 (DC, October 2024) variant cover by Stephen Bliss

[winterfieldfrontiers]

Are you ready for AVATAR 3

TRILOGY FILM WITHOUT CINEMATIC UNIVERSE!!

[genevieveetguy]

I know one thing: wherever we go, this family... is our fortress.

Avatar: The Way of Water, James Cameron (2022)

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Avatar: The Way of the Water

The art of world building in cinema has almost been none existent for a very long time. Sure you can say that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has done that for the past 12 years, but that is something that is adapted from already published source material. Star Wars was one of those franchises that kept creating more to expand the universe, but it seems to be stuck in a certain timeline. What I'm talking about is the ability to take something completely original and truly explore a world that is nothing like anything you've ever seen. In 2009, we all were introduced to such an idea and were blown away by the amount of creativity and beauty the first Avatar film had given us. It ended with the promise of endless possibilities of what the world of Pandora could show us in its ever expansive landscapes of jungle, mountains and oceans. To say that this new installment continues to dazzle and fulfills that promise of something new is an understatement. The last time I could honestly say that I felt as if I was living in a new world and didn't want to leave was the original Lord of the Rings Trilogy. This film lets you live in its vast aquatic part of the world and you get to see creatures and other types of life that has influences from our own world, but it is still breath taking. I almost felt like I was watching a nature documentary that featured many spiritual elements and a commentary on the horrific nature of human poachers of sea life. Now there are some familiar story elements about being a teenage outcast amongst other teens and races, respecting nature and connecting with it, but somehow this film finds a way to bring back that charm and wonder factor in many fresh ways.

Sam Worthington returns as Jake Sully now fully living a new life as chief of the Omaticaya. I loved that he is one with the Na'vi and he has truly come into his own as a leader and now a father of 5. He is even more compelling as he navigates trying to fight for his people while understanding that family is the only thing that is worth protecting. Zoe Saldana returns as his wife Neytiri and she was even more excellent and powerful than before. Her chemistry with Jake was so heartfelt and you see their loving relationship blossom. She really gets to kick some ass the latter half of the film and her physicality was astounding. Stephan Lang returns as his father Colonel Miles Quaritch and he has never been more sinister. He is on a revenge quest and he was relentless and yet so magnetic on screen. Cliff Curits is always excellent as the chief of the reef people clan of Metkayina Tonowari, he was powerful. Kate Winslet was amazing and equally powerful as his wife Ronal. Together they were a powerhouse of leadership and their connection to the sea was wonderful to behold. I loved that they were a representation of the Māori people.

Even though Jake and Neytiri are the leads in the film, it was truly about the coming of age story of their children. Jamie Flatters was great as their oldest son Neteyam. He fulfills the older brother role very well and I liked his constant protective nature of his siblings. He wasn't too overbearing, but there was conflict in the right moments. Britain Dalton was great as the younger brother Lo'ak and I related to his status of being the sort of reckless black sheep of the family. His intentions are good as he tries to get people to understand him, but not everyone would listen. Trinity Jo-Li Bliss was cute the youngest sister Tuktirey and she wasn't as annoying as I feared she would be as she constantly finds herself in some form of danger. Sigourney Weaver was outstanding as Kiri the daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine played by Weaver in the first film. I loved that the spiritual element of the story was given to her as she showcases the most beautiful and tranquil nature of the sea. She is different from the rest and she tangles with that as goes on a personal search for answers about her lineage. Jack Champion as Miles "Spider" Socorro was great and I loved the chemistry he had with the other kids. He gets to learn the best and worst parts of humanity while retaining his identity with the Na'vi. His story repeats the same beats of the first film, but luckily they’re rushed a bit and have a different feel to them given the circumstances he’s in.  

The score by composer Simon Franglen was excellent and added to the beauty and wonder of the world. His use of the themes by late composer James Horner were all correct and I loved his take on the emotional beats of the film. The same attention to detail to the visuals from the first film continues here and breaks new ground on what is possible in the world of CGI and motion capture. I saw this film in IMAX 3D with high frame rate, but it wasn't consistently at that speed which I didn't mind. There was a constant switch between 48 frames per second and the standard 24 fps and the 48 fps was reserved for the more epic action scenes and sweeping shots. It could be jarring for those not expecting the switch, but I was completely fine as it added to the nature doc feel to the underwater sequences and the smoothness of the 3D. Like I said before, I felt that I have now lived in a new world that I didn't know that I needed to explore and yet there's so much more to see. Director James Cameron is a true visionary and creative genius that has delivered again something truly magical and expansive. If you loved the first film, then get ready to go back to Pandora and witness that same childlike wonderment you first felt. This is definitely one of the most gorgeous films of the year and definitely one of the best of 2022. There hasn't been a film that felt like it needed to be seen in 3D for a long time and this film requires you to truly experience it in 3D. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!