With Spider-Man: No Way Home set to arrive in theaters next week, it kind of feels like Christmas is just days away. However, the Holidays themselves are right around the corner, and if you haven't bought your gifts yet, then we have you covered with our 2012 Christmas Gift Guide!
Recently, we've been fortunate to get hands-on with a lot of great products, so we can promise you everything here is worth buying either for the most important people in your life...or yourself (there's nothing wrong with treating yourself to a Christmas gift in the midst of all this holiday madness).
Check out the most must-buy essentials below, all of which are on sale now in the usual places.
Call Of Duty: Vanguard
The latest Call of Duty game has not let us down, and returning to that World War II setting has proved there are still plenty of compelling stories to be told in that particular period of history. In the campaign, we've been able to experience a number of influential battles, fighting for victory across the Eastern and Western Fronts of Europe, the Pacific, and North Africa.
As per usual, Call of Duty: Vanguard boasts extensive Multiplayer and Zombie modes, so there's a lot to have fun with here. On the PlayStation 5, the game looks phenomenal, and definitely isn't lacking the polish of some of its predecessors. Having checked out the "Ultimate Edition," that's the one we'd recommend (especially as it comes bundled with lots of useful add-ons).
CBS DVD
Star Trek: The Original Series: The Complete Series and Star Trek: Discovery: Seasons One - Three are both available on Blu-ray, and if you're looking to catch up with the latter or revisit the classic show, then these promise to be a fun way to spend the holidays. For horror fans, though, we'd recommend The Stand 2-Pack DVD featuring both the new and original TV adaptations.
On a completely different note is Walker, The CW's new series starring Jared Padalecki. This reimagining of the long-running series Walker, Texas Ranger, stars the Supernatural alum as Cordell Walker, a widower and father with his own moral code, who returns home to Austin, Texas after being undercover for nearly a year, only to discover there’s harder work to be done at home.
EA
Unfortunately, the pandemic has delayed a lot of highly anticipated titles, but EA has us covered thanks to Battlefield 2042 and a whole host of other recent releases. Billed as a first-person shooter that marks the return to the iconic all-out warfare of the franchise, this online-only title throws you into the thick of the action for one of the grandest, most insane shoot 'em up experiences of the year.
A recent update added some improvements to the game, so we're optimistic this is going to be a title worth returning to again and again as it continues to expand over the next few years.
We were also lucky enough to try out Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, FIFA 22, NHL 22, and F1 2021. They're all great, but the latter really has us hooked at the moment, especially heading into the final race this Sunday with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen battling it out for the F1 World Championship.
Funko
There are heaps of great Funko Pops currently available to purchase or pre-order, but there are a couple of ranges, in particular, we want to focus on here. First up are Pop! Keychains for The Suicide Squad; we were able to check out some based on Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, and King Shark, and they're in equal parts badass and adorable. When it comes to stocking fillers, they're perfect.
Another fun possibility this Christmas are Gingerbread Funko Pops based on some of your favourite Marvel superheroes. While we only got hands-on with Black Panther, keep an eye out for characters like Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch too.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy is now available from Square Enix, and while we weren't initially sure what to expect from this one, this unique and original story put us in the jet boots of Star-Lord for an epic journey across the cosmos, and never disappointed. Heading into action alongside Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot proved to be an absolute blast, and the game is essential for any Marvel fan.
We actually reviewed the game prior to its release back in October, and concluded by saying: "Guardians of the Galaxy delivers everything a Marvel fan could want from a game featuring the iconic team, and a rockin' soundtrack, soulful story, and amped up gameplay ensure this action-packed cosmic caper is worth experiencing."
LEGO
There were two sets we were thrilled to get our hands on recently. First up is the 1989 Batmobile based on Tim Burton's iconic Batman movie. This challenging build is comprised of 3308 pieces, and once completed, it's nothing short of stunning. Whether you're a longtime fan of the Dark Knight's first modern big screen adventure or just a lover of the Batmobile in general, this is an insanely cool set and one that comes with minifgures of Batman, The Joker, and Vicki Vale.
Of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without Home Alone, and this LEGO Ideas set most definitely does the classic movie justice. With a whopping 3955 brick count, you can relive all your favourite moments from the holiday caper, and the sheer level of detail here - from the basement to the attic - is staggering. Discovering all the different Easter Eggs while building this iconic house was an absolute joy, and we can't think of a better way to stay entertained over the holidays.
Paramount Home Entertainment
Streaming continues to rise in popularity, but for film fans, nothing beats having a cool Blu-ray collection of some of their favourite movies. These aren't as prevalent now as they have been in the past, so we're glad Paramount Home Entertainment has us covered this Christmas.
For starters, there's the 8-movie Friday the 13th collection; featuring every killer moment - starting in Camp Crystal Lake, and ending on the streets of Manhattan - this beautiful steelbook contains Jason Vorhees' first eight movies and even comes bundled with 8 collectable cards featuring original posters and photos.
Talking of movie icons, let's not forget that Indiana Jones also came to 4K UHD for the first time in 2021. All four unforgettable films are available together in 4K UHD and pristine, state-of-the-art audio presentation, including Dolby Atmos, and with restorations overseen by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, Indy fans should be very pleased to find this under the Christmas tree.
That's not the only iconic franchise available, of course, as the first four Star Trek movies are also coming to 4K UHD in one collection. Remastered in HDR for optimum picture quality from their original film elements, the set features hours of special features, and even contains both the theatrical and director's cut of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
Among the other titles available It's A Wonderful Life (75th Anniversary Edition), Younger: The Complete Series, and the first season of Emily in Paris.
Universal Holiday Gifts
Thanks to our friends over at Universal, we were recently fortunate enough to take a look at some of the toys they're putting on store shelves this year for younger movie fans (but hey, there's nothing to say adults can't buy them too - we're all big kids at heart here, anyway, right?).
The Jurassic World "Ocean Protector Mosasaurus" is a fan favourite in the blockbuster franchise. An impressive 17 inches in length, it features realistic sculpting, moveable joints and articulation that help this colossal creature come to life, including a wide-opening jaw. Also available now is LEGO's "Baryonyx Dinosaur Boat Escape" featuring a boat that actually floats along with a whole host of Minifigures and accessories. Inspired by Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, this is a wonderful gift for the younger dinosaur fan in your life.
Talking of LEGO, you'll also find "Illumination's Minions: Brick-Built Minions and Their Lair" ready for next year's Minions: The Rise of Gru movie. Kids can build both Kevin and Stuart, and then rebuild Kevin into Bob, but the fun doesn't stop there as each has a playroom inside and various moving parts. Also based on that animated feature is Babble Otto, a large interactive toy featuring nine different ways to play along with 20+ sounds and phrases. Of course, before we get to the next Minions movie, we have Sing 2 to look forward to, and the "Riff-Rock Ash" plush lets you use her interactive guitar to choose between Song Mode, Riff Mode, Jam Mode, Game Mode or Solo Mode.
Finally, we know many of you are fans of the Fast & Furious franchise, so believe us when we say we've been going nuts over the "1:12 4x4 Dom's Dodge Charger Elite RC Remote Control Car." Using the included pistol grip controller to experience R/C like never before, we've taken this Elite Off-Road vehicle to speeds over 10 miles per hour on land and dirt. It's awesome.