Jack Sparrow and Avatars lack of BAFTA's

Just glancing through some of the weekend news that gathered over on SciFi Wire and two items literally screamed for my attention.

The first of which is that Johnny Depp is once again fully committed to the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie (On Stranger Tides). Why is this a good thing? Especially in the aftermath of Worlds End, which sqaundered a terrific plot device with those pieces of eight. Well the good news is that Orlando Blooms character will not be returning, and I for one was getting tired of that character anyway. Granted we have to balance that with a distinct lack of Keira Knightly, but to be honest her character was begining to grate a little too. Furthermore could anyone actually have stomached a plot that featured Elizabeth and Will with a child (and you know that's where it was heading)?

Anyway Johnny is in, Orlando is out - good news all round. Of course I still think it would have been nice if they ditched the Pirates title and went with a new series such as "Captain Jack Sparrow: On Stranger Tides," but alas it was not to be.

The second thing that grabbed my attention was that Avatar did not sweep the board at the BAFTA's. Finally someone has to sense to see that this movie is not the be all and end all of movie making, and Jim Cameron does not actually shit solid gold. Never the less it did win a couple of awards, but thankfully they were among the less prestigious (Visual Effects and Production Design). Instead the Hurt Locker brought in most of the big awards and even Up in the Air (which I really enjoyed) was able to snag one for Best Screenplay (adapted).

For a complete listing of BAFTA nominees and winners, check  out IMDB.