Subscribe to PostsSo, after months of hype and speculation, it was finally here. Avatar, in case you missed the boat, is the new James Cameron movie spectacular. It’s the story of one Jake Sully, who is sent to the world of Pandora in place of his brother in order to work in the “Avatar” program, which is an attempt to win the hearts and minds of the natives in order to get them to move off their land. Why do they need to move? Because there’s a rare mineral the company mining the planet needs, and the natives’ hame is right on the biggest load. So Jake goes in to try and persuade them to leave, but ends up “going native” as it were. It’s Dances with Wolves meets Last Samurai with a little bit of Apocalypse Now thrown in. But this is not a bad thing.
Some people have complained that the story is simple, or just a rehash. But you know what? Star Wars was a simple, familiar story too, and that seemed to work. After all, an old story told in a new way is still a new story. And this story is perfectly suited to the real star of the show, which is the special effects. And special is the key word here. This is hands down the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen put on screen. Yeah, we’ve seen computer generated vistas before, but not like these. And sure, we’ve seen motion captured people before, but not with this sense of realism. There are close up of the Na’vi’ (the alien race) that are simply astounding in their details. You see veins, you see translucency in the skin, you see dirty, ragged fingernails. Before too long, you forget you’re seeing computer images and just assume they are tall actors in makeup. If you really let your imagination go, you can think Cameron just took some 3D cameras to another planet and shot his movie with native actors.
The planet itself is a wonder of ecology, with vibrant creatures, large flying lizard that bond with the natives (shades of Dragonriders of Pern), and living plants that react with bioluminescent displays when people approach. It’s obvious Cameron was influenced by his time underwater.
The acting, which some have complained about, is perfectly fine. This isn’t a movie that’s meant to win acting Oscars. All the people play their (admittedly somewhat 2 dimensional) characters perfectly fine. I also didn’t have a problem with the dialogue that many seemed to have. The military guys have a few corny lines, but they’re the kind of cliches you could picture military guys saying, so it worked. There’s a ecological message here, but it isn’t preached at us like it was in The Abyss. It’s just there to take if you want, or not. Some have complained that it’s about Iraq and is Anti-American, because the military are the “bad guys.” I choose to see it more as an indictment of human nature throughout the ages, anytime a technologically superior culture comes upon a more primitive one. It’s happened in the past, and Cameron is saying it’s certain to happen in the future. It’s a bleak message if you choose to take it that way, but this is far from a bleak film. Quite the opposite.
It’s a wonder to behold. The closest I can come to describing it is the first time I saw Star Wars when I was 12. It’s that same sense of wonder all over, and I can see this movie inspiring many up and coming teens to want to make their own amazing stories. See it as soon as you can, and by all means, pay the extra couple of bucks to see it in 3D. I personally plan on seeing it at least two more times to catch everything I missed the first time.
Rating: 10/10
Leave a reply
Steve Miller
December 20th, 2009 at 14:44
Hmmm… maybe I will take a break from my current diet of cinematic crap to go watch this film.
Chris
December 20th, 2009 at 14:57
Paul you hit the nail on the head. I was at first sort of like “Blah I don’t want to go see Fern Gully with Computer graphics. Let me say just how wrong I was. This was one of the most mind blowing movies I have ever seen. The Acting was great (Have you seen most of the trash they are calling movies in the last 20 years) the story (while being a remake of Fern gully) was very well done and had great cohesion. I can not even begin to describe the visuals of the movie. Words can not describe the beauty and wonder that he put in that movie.
Who ever wishes to see it try to catch it at the IMAX in 3D. I would recommend driving no less then 2 hours if you have to just to see it in IMAX 3D. You will spend the next 2 hours after the movie just trying to grasp the orgy you put your brain through. That is what it was like. It was like your first time. You remember that well this is like that only it lasts 2 hours and 40 minutes and will leave you numb and twitching. I too have to find out how I am going to squeeze seeing it 3 or 4 more times into my schedule.
Oh and if this doesn’t sweep the Oscars then they really have gone to hell. I am just not sure how they are going to get the Na’vi down here to claim their prize
Liz
December 23rd, 2009 at 23:07
I was absolutely stunned by the CGI. The story may be simplistic and a remake, but the presentation was emotionally engaging to such a degree that I burst out in tears at the end. (The Ice Queen thawed!) One could say the dialog was lacking, yet the characters showed their depth through well-directed (or generated) body language. We saw it in non-3D and I am looking forward to a 3D showing soon. This coming from a person who hasn’t seen a movie twice in theaters since the Empire struck back in 1980. Cameron is welcome to the $10 for each time I sit though this wonderfully produced tale.
ProducerPaul
December 24th, 2009 at 12:40
Yeah, if you think the 2D knocked your socks off, wait until you see it in 3D (preferably IMAX)
Jed Troop
January 8th, 2010 at 14:38
Aw, this was a really quality post. In theory I’d like to write like this too – taking time and real effort to make a good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate alot and never seem to get something done.
Matt Walsh
January 16th, 2010 at 20:09
Yet another great article this time on Avatar. I checked out the Avatar Movie Review and had to check it out. I do have to admit it was a bit long but WOW the 3D was amazing!
Gene Hatton
January 17th, 2010 at 08:41
Thanks for this cool post. Anyway i found your blog on google and find it very useful. I’ll be sure to come back again for more!