Avatar - My Review
- Thread starter Bodhisattva
- Start date
I don't know - it will break every box office record in the world... :conf3:LOL! So, everyone then? :biggrin:
I liked it. I think it's just one of those movies where you have to go into it knowing what to expect.
There's been a ton of movies like that. Stranger than Fiction is a fantastic example. People went into it thinking it was just going to be another Will Ferrell sophomoric comedy. People left the theater confused, which made them feel like it wasn't a good movie. It wasn't good because it wasn't what they expected. Personally, after watching it twice, I thought it was a great movie.
Reality doesn't equal Happiness.
Expectations equal Happiness.
Avatar is a great film for what it is. It's a 3 hour trip to a planet you'll never get to go to. If cynics took it at that, I think they'd enjoy it.
A lot of big grossing movies have great special effects with one dimensional characters and a tired, flawed script. Titanic, Jurassic Park and any of the Tim Burton or Joel Schumacher Batman movies. Avatar is much the same. The special effects make it entertaining enough, but that doesn't make it a good movie.
Hey now, don't be dissin the original Jurassic Park! The 2nd and 3rd ones, however, were definitely heavy on the killing and short on story.
I understand what you're saying, and to an extent, I agree.
That's what I mean by getting what you expect out of movies. If you go into it expecting some life-changing or thought provoking epic, you're wasting you're time.
Avatar was pretty much what I expected. And to that extent I was glad I went and enjoyed the movie enough. But, there's no denying the lameness of the characters and plot. With just a little bit of effort it could have been so much better. Post viewing, the more irritating thing is all the rave reviews from those who actually saw Avatar as some life-changing event, as evidenced by the above link on "Avatar blues." These days it seems all entertainment is dumbed down to the level of 13-year old girls.
Looks like a second trilogy. Of course, it could be like any other movie that will never be made. Anchorman 2 anyone?
And I do agree with character and plot development in regards to Avatar. You'd think if Cameron had been working on the movie for 15 years, the characters and plot would have been a bit better. It's weird to me that they would put so much time and effort into developing an entirely new language, but leave so much to be desired in other areas.
An entirely new set of movies based upon the movies that was based upon the book, lol. It should be a completely new angle on the whole Jurrasic Park legacy. Sorta like how every superhero is rebooted every 20 years or so... though Spidey is about to get a rather sudden reboot.
I
It's On A Slab
Guest
Yeah, I'm not holding out any hope for the Spiderman franchise. Sam Raimi is gone. Now that Disney bought Marvel, we can look for Miley Cyrus to show up, with a host of talking animals and brightly-shaded flowers. Or maybe they'll assign the Pixar folks to do a bust-up, kid-friendly, patronizingly awful Pixar treatment to the franchise.
Free Spiderman! :biggrin:
Despite its simple theme of Jake's spiritual awakening, I think the CGI does a lot to accentuate this particular aspect compared to other stories mentioned -- Pocohontas, Dance with Wolves (which I didn't really care for). If anything it brings more focus using more visual cues that Jake is undergoing incremental changes. The external transformation mirrors his internal transformation which is brought front and center to the audience's attention by the CGI.
For example at the beginning of the story, Jake was a crippled and broken human, suffering physical loss as well as the emotional loss of his twin brother whose spot on the Pandora mission he inherited. Even after arriving on base, he didn't measure up to standards to either of his superiors. However when he was found to be of value, he was now used for specific objectives.
Even when Jake was given a Na'avi body which mitigted his physical disabilities, he, emotionally, was still no different from his original human state. He still behaved and dressed like a human. However as he was taken in by the Na'avi tribe, the CGI colors accentuated how Jake began viewing the world. He found it a much lovelier and livelier world than he had ever noticed compared to the beginning of his journey. Facial expressions can be seen on the animals as he bonded with them, and his dexterity improved dramatically. During this portion of the movie while his physical abilities grew, he emotionally understood what it was to be a citizen of Pandora. While he was human, his view of the world was myopic, but as a Na'avi, he saw and appreciated and eventually embraced the spiritual interconnectivity. By the end of the movie, it is very clear that Jake, internally, was wholly a different person, even before the change was made permanent. And of course, he was much happier. I think the CGI really made the audience, not just see, but feel this transformation as it was happening to Jake. And it made for a very satisfying story.
For example at the beginning of the story, Jake was a crippled and broken human, suffering physical loss as well as the emotional loss of his twin brother whose spot on the Pandora mission he inherited. Even after arriving on base, he didn't measure up to standards to either of his superiors. However when he was found to be of value, he was now used for specific objectives.
Even when Jake was given a Na'avi body which mitigted his physical disabilities, he, emotionally, was still no different from his original human state. He still behaved and dressed like a human. However as he was taken in by the Na'avi tribe, the CGI colors accentuated how Jake began viewing the world. He found it a much lovelier and livelier world than he had ever noticed compared to the beginning of his journey. Facial expressions can be seen on the animals as he bonded with them, and his dexterity improved dramatically. During this portion of the movie while his physical abilities grew, he emotionally understood what it was to be a citizen of Pandora. While he was human, his view of the world was myopic, but as a Na'avi, he saw and appreciated and eventually embraced the spiritual interconnectivity. By the end of the movie, it is very clear that Jake, internally, was wholly a different person, even before the change was made permanent. And of course, he was much happier. I think the CGI really made the audience, not just see, but feel this transformation as it was happening to Jake. And it made for a very satisfying story.
This is the key. There have been about 10 movies in my lifetime that meet this criteria. We have all seen thousands of movies in that span. The greatness of the few does not diminish the entertainment value of the rest.
There are some really bad movies out there, no doubt. Avatar was neither great nor bad - but it was one of the most entertaining movies among the rest - and that can be attributed, almost completely, to the CGI, but Cameron's story-telling style is captivating.
It is no coincidence that James Cameron has written and directed two fictional movies in the last 12 years and they sit alone at the top of the revenue record book - far above the rest...
Latest threads
-
-
-
Alabama Transitions Wood to New Role, Returns Rainey to Staff- Started by Diamond Tide
- Replies: 0
-
