I don't know about y'all, but I've been hearing about "Avatar" for such a long time that it's started to feel like something unreal. Director James Cameron has some ambitious plans for the flick, and he's talked about them at great length while sharing very little in the way of object examples. For a long time, I wasn't even sure if it was going to be a live action movie, a work of CGI animation or a mixture of the two, a la "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" or "Speed Racer."

Hell, a majority of the images we've seen from "Avatar" thus far come from the tie-in video game. Until today. Following on the heels of last week's "ThunderCat reveal," come a small collection of additional images. They're mostly character and behind-the-scenes moments, though one does serve up some computer-generated pretty. Just click the image below to check out our shiny, new "Avatar" stills gallery.

You can also head over to a French MSN site for an early look at the official trailer, which premieres tomorrow. It's in French, but that really doesn't matter in this case. Just sit back, turn the sound down and enjoy the pretty. And the kissing ThunderCats.

You want to see "Ninja Assassin." You may not know it yet, but that title should be enough to sell you. A sure-footed nod to the hundreds of campy martial arts flicks that came before it, in actuality director James McTeigue's ("V for Vendetta") latest is a stylish, digital effects-laden adrenaline blast. Then again, I would expect nothing less from a movie produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski Brothers, a group previously responsible for "Speed Racer" and the "Matrix" trilogy.

The story follows a young man named Raizo (Rain), kidnapped as a child by the shadowy Ozunu Clan. Trained to kill with blinding speed and no hesitation, Raizo grows up to be the world's deadliest assassin. And to think I wanted to be an astronaut! As is always the danger with shadowy ninja clans, Raizo is eventually betrayed by those who trained him. After spending a few years in hiding, he emerges to exact his bloody revenge. Oh yes, bloody revenge. Hit the jump to check out our EXCLUSIVE poster debut. Read more...

"Ninja Assassin" is just about everything I want in a movie. The title makes it sound like a 70s martial arts throwback, the sort that Wu-Tang Clan's RZA is likely to lift samples from. It is in fact a slick-looking action flick produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski Brothers, and directed by "V for Vendetta" helmer James McTeigue. It stars Rain ("Speed Racer") as Raizo, the world's deadliest assassin, and this exclusive debut trailer shows us why.

You've got swordplay, superhuman acrobatics, a whizzing kusarigama (ie a sickle on a chain), casual blood-letting and many, many, many flying shurikens. The ninja-loving child inside me is screaming for more. Sadly, he -- and the rest of you -- will have to sit tight until "Ninja Assassin"'s November 25 release.

It's fair to say that I've gotten a nice share of free stuff during my tenure here at MTV News. So much so that I've become jaded (a curse, I know). You can only get so many alarm clocks, vodka bottles and t-shirts before it all melds together. But every once in awhile, something comes across my desk that stops me in my tracks. That happened today when a hefty package arrived.

Opening its lid, I saw the logo of a show I rate in my top 3 of all time... yes, it was a massive "Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series" Blu-ray box set. This was no ordinary collection either. The 12-inch Cylon Centurion carefully nestled inside a see-through lid was the first clue. Read more...

For the record, I was a fan of J.J. Abrams' "Mission: Impossible III." I liked the first movie too, but Abrams did something special with "III." It was a hoot to watch, even if you tend to shy away from Tom Cruise's work.

It's encouraging to hear then that Abrams will be back to produce the fourth "M:I.," As he told TV Guide [via /Film], "I am incredibly honored that Tom has invited me back as a producer on 'Mission Impossible 4.' Tom and I have come up with a really cool idea [that] we are pursuing." Abrams hasn't committed to direct, and he likely won't given the huge success of his "Star Trek" reboot and the near-immediate demand for a sequel that followed in the wake of the sci-fi adventure's release. Read more...

At this point in my career, nothing fazes me... except when I get a humongous box decked out for whatever big blockbuster is around the corner. You see, in my experience that means only one thing: toys, and a lot of them.

I've already written about various deliveries -- from "The Dark Knight" to "Speed Racer" -- so it was with heavy anticipation that I greeted this latest package draped in Autobot logos. Yes, the "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" merchandise had arrived, courtesy of Hasbro. Read more...

Recently, rumors spread like wildfire across the Internet concerning a seemingly unlikely hybrid: “Twilight” anime. And if you picked up the film’s Special Edition DVD over the weekend, you’ve likely already heard director Catherine Hardwicke and Robert Pattinson plant the seed in their audio commentary.

To get to the bottom of the mystery, we went straight to the “Twilight” director herself. And, well, let’s just say that the only animated thing about Edward Cullen that you’ll be seeing in the near future is Robert Pattinson’s untamable hair.

Read more...

Is it just me, or was 2008 one of the worst years for movies ever?

Well folks, the time has finally come to vent. It’s one of my favorite days of the year, as my Razzie ballot just arrived in the mail. As a registered voter, I take my obligation very seriously, and it’s always interesting to see what the annual awards for bad filmmaking have nominated for the worst of the worst.

Here’s your chance to help me vote! Below are the newly-released nominations for the 29th Annual Razzie awards. Please post your picks in each category in the comments section below, and whichever clunkers get the most votes will make my ballot: Read more...

Having received a steady stream of "Bonanza: Season 26” box sets, hand-written press kits and god knows what else, the arrival of the mailroom guy isn't as exciting as it used to be. But when he walked over this morning carrying a gigantic carton adoirned with an official looking "Gotham National Bank" shipping label...well, let's just say it grabbed my attention.

I'm no stranger to cool deliveries, there was that "Speed Racer" thing a few months ago. But with "The Dark Knight" folks having seemingly perfected the art of viral marketing -- delivering newspapers, cell phones and even cake to journalists -- I was particularly excited about this one. (After the jump, tons more pics!) Read more...

Let the second guessing begin. The preliminary numbers are in and while we probably don't know if "Speed Racer" will end up in second or third place for the weekend, one thing is for certain: summer knows its first high-profile failure.

So why didn't you go? What made you pass on "Speed Racer" and perhaps opt to see "Iron Man" again (Robert Downey Jr.'s superhero debut continues to rake in the cash)?

Some theories...

-- Emile Hirsch? Great if you want an Oscar-caliber performance in a film like "Into the Wild"...not so great if you want help opening a movie. Read more...