Weekend Events Planner

Here are the top 9 things to do in Houston this weekend

The weather has thawed, football has a week off (no one should watch the Pro Bowl), and the pull of those New Year's resolutions has started to feel more faint. In other words, it's time to get out and have some fun. We've rounded up a guide to the nine best things to do in Houston this weekend. For more options, check out the full CultureMap Events Calendar.

A new car
Thursday, January 25
Find a new set of wheels at the 2018 Houston Auto Show. The 35th annual event features all the latest models from more than 30 manufacturers spread out across more than 800,000-square feet at NRG Center. Open daily through Monday. (10 am Thursday and Friday, noon Saturday and Sunday; tickets: $5 kids six to 12, $12 for adults)
1 NRG Park; 713-629-3700

Come on down!
Thursday, January 25
Everyone's favorite TV show to watch on a day off comes to Sugar Land in the form of The Price Is Right Live. For one night only, randomly-selected attendees will have the opportunity to come on down for the chance to play classic games like Plinko™, spin the Big Wheel, and even compete for a fabulous Showcase. Lucky audience members can even win prizes right from their seats. (8 pm; tickets: $39.50 - $49.50)
18111 Lexington Blvd. Sugar Land; 281-207-6278

Joe jitsu
Friday, January 26
Comedian Joe Rogan brings his Strange Times tour to downtown's Revention Music Center for two sets. In addition to his inquisitive and intense comedic style, Rogan is known for his podcast and work as a MMA color commentator. (6:30 pm and 10 pm; tickets: $39.50 - $59.50)
520 Texas Ave.; 713-230-1600

Feel the rhythm
Friday, January 26
Kaleidoscope Houston brings an evening of art, film, music, and fashion to the Museum of Health with Houstonary 2018. The one night only event features performances, film screenings a fashion show, and a pop-up shop, as well as the chance to preview the museum's new BIORHYTHM: Music and Body exhibit created by Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin. Advance tickets are highly recommended. (7 pm VIP, 8 pm general admission; tickets: $35 or $55)
1515 Hermann Dr.

Hoop it up
Friday, January 26
Watch the Original Harlem Globetrotters demonstrate the ball handling wizardry, basketball artistry, and one-of-a-kind family entertainment that has made them world famous. Players will stay for an autograph, photograph, and high five session for fans after the game — after all, nothing gets likes on social media like posing with a Globetrotter. A second show takes places Saturday afternoon. (Friday 7 pm and Saturday 2 pm; tickets: $19 - $115)
1 NRG Park; 713-629-3700

Feet don't fail me now
Saturday, January 27
Join thousands of supporters, advocates, and breast cancer survivors at the 27th annual Susan G. Komen Houston Race for the Cure®. The event raises funds to helm the Komen Foundation realize its goal of a 50-percent reduction in breast cancer deaths by 2026. To date, Komen Houston has contributed more than $50 million to more than 65 local organizations to provide services throughout Houston to underinsured and uninsured men and women who receive life-saving breast cancer screenings, treatment, transportation, and other necessary supportive services. (8 am; registration: $40)
901 Bagby St.; 713-783-9188

Happy birthday, BuffBrew!
Saturday, January 27
Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company celebrates its sixth anniversary by tapping over 40 special anniversary brews as well as several classic draughts. This will be the brewery's last anniversary party before moving to its massive, $14 million new brewery and pub in Sawyer Yards. Blood Bros. BBQ will be on hand with plenty of smoky goodness. (6 pm; tickets: $40)
5301 Nolda St.

Watch 'em fly
Saturday, January 27
Nothing says a night of family fun like watching a 12-foot tall, 10,000-pound truck with at least 1,500 horsepower fly 130-feet in the air. No wonder Monster Jam packs NRG Stadium every time it comes to town. (7 pm; tickets: $15 - $60)
2 NRG Park; 512-477-6060

If you sing
Sunday, January 28
Head to Midtown's South Main Baptist Church to Hear the Future. The Houston Chamber Choir's 19th annual invitational choral festival features three outstanding choirs: the Aldine Children’s Honor Choir, Colleen Riddle, director; the Fort Settlement Middle Varsity Choir directed by Kimala Ross; and the O. Davis High School Choir under the direction of Daryle Freeman. (4 pm; free)
4100 Main St; 713-224-5566

Come on down to Sugar Land for The Price is Right Live.

Photo courtesy of The Price is Right Live

Come on down to Sugar Land for The Price is Right Live.

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Movie Review

Avatar: Fire and Ash returns to Pandora with big action and bold visuals

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Oona Chaplin in Avatar: Fire and Ash.

For a series whose first two films made over $5 billion combined worldwide, Avatar has a curious lack of widespread cultural impact. The films seem to exist in a sort of vacuum, popping up for their run in theaters and then almost as quickly disappearing from the larger movie landscape. The third of five planned movies, Avatar: Fire and Ash, is finally being released three years after its predecessor, Avatar: The Way of Water.

The new film finds the main duo, human-turned-Na’vi Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his native Na’vi wife, Neytiri (Zoë Saldaña), still living with the water-loving Metkayina clan led by Ronal (Kate Winslet) and Tonowari (Cliff Curtis). While Jake and Neytiri still play a big part, the focus shifts significantly to their two surviving children, Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) and Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), as well as two they’ve essentially adopted, Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) and Spider (Jack Champion).

Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who lives on in a fabricated Na’vi body, is still looking for revenge on Jake, and he finds help in the form of the Mangkwan Clan (aka the Ash People), led by Varang (Oona Chaplin). Quaritch’s access to human weapons and the Mangkwan’s desire for more power on the moon known as Pandora make them a nice match, and they team up to try to dominate the other tribes.

Aside from the story, the main point of making the films for writer/director James Cameron is showing off his considerable technical filmmaking prowess, and that is on full display right from the start. The characters zoom around both the air and sea on various creatures with which they’ve bonded, providing Cameron and his team with plenty of opportunities to put the audience right there with them. Cameron’s preferred viewing method of 3D makes the experience even more immersive, even if the high frame rate he uses makes some scenes look too realistic for their own good.

The story, as it has been in the first two films, is a mixed bag. Cameron and co-writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver start off well, having Jake, Neytiri, and their kids continue mourning the death of Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) in the previous film. The struggle for power provides an interesting setup, but Cameron and his team seem to drag out the conflict for much too long. This is the longest Avatar film yet, and you really start to feel it in the back half as the filmmakers add on a bunch of unnecessary elements.

Worse than the elongated story, though, is the hackneyed dialogue that Cameron, Jaffa, and Silver have come up with. Almost every main character is forced to spout lines that diminish the importance of the events around them. The writers seemingly couldn’t resist trying to throw in jokes despite them clashing with the tone of the scenes in which they’re said. Combined with the somewhat goofy nature of the Na’vi themselves (not to mention talking whales), the eye-rolling words detract from any excitement or emotion the story builds up.

A pre-movie behind-the-scenes short film shows how the actors act out every scene in performance capture suits, lending an authenticity to their performances. Still, some performers are better than others, with Saldaña, Worthington, and Lang standing out. It’s more than a little weird having Weaver play a 14-year-old girl, but it works relatively well. Those who actually get to show their real faces are collectively fine, but none of them elevate the film overall.

There are undoubtedly some Avatar superfans for which Fire and Ash will move the larger story forward in significant ways. For anyone else, though, the film is a demonstration of both the good and bad sides of Cameron. As he’s proven for 40 years, his visuals are (almost) beyond reproach, but the lack of a story that sticks with you long after you’ve left the theater keeps the film from being truly memorable.

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Avatar: Fire and Ash opens in theaters on December 19.

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