Sadly, I must admit it took me until a couple of weeks ago to finally see Avatar. I’m aware that I am one of a very small group of people who had yet to see the billion dollar spectacle.
Because I waited so long to see it, I wasn’t able to see it in 3D. I can only imagine how that would have been. From the beginning of this movie, I was taken aback by the level of effects. I was completely aware of director James Cameron’s new camera invention, but seeing it first hand brought it to life.
Cameron’s film is about a group of scientists and military professionals sent to a planet called Pandora. The scientists are interested in learning about the culture of the Na’vi people. The soldiers are there to take something that doesn’t belong to them and could make them very wealthy. As the story progresses, the two groups clash as they try to determine who is in charge and what the right things to do is.
The Na’vi people are on the defensive and rightly so. Their world is about peace and living a life of spiritual harmony. Tough choices must be made in order for the Na’vi to keep their land and families safe.
I liked most of the movie, but I have some definite pros and cons. First of all, it was a little longer than I would have liked. This was the first movie I’ve seen with Sam Worthington and I know he’s going to be a star, but I couldn’t help notice his Australian accent slipping in now and again. I thought all of the Avatars bore a wonderful striking resemblance to their human selves, with the exception of Zoe Saldana’s. Granted she didn’t have a human form in the film, but I had a hard time noticing a resemblance with her non-Avatar self. Maybe that was intentional.
The supporting cast was great in this movie. Joel David Moore was such a great choice for the role of Norm. I’ve been a fan of Giovanni Ribisi for close to twenty years, so it was nice seeing him play a villain of sorts. Of course the effects were brilliant in this film, but I was so drawn to the colors Cameron used. They were vibrant and enchanting; whether they were hanging from a tree or illuminated when the Na’vi ran across tree branches.
This is a movie that must be seen at least once. It is beautiful in effects and story alike. I recommend seeing this film and I would suggest seeing it on the big screen before it hits DVD.
I was not actually one of the first to jump on board with this movie either. I think it’s important to remember that it is as much an event as it is a picture show. There was just a tremendous amount of work that went into this film. It really is a great show and I did not get to see it in 3D. It certainly has sparked a glut of 3D films that unfortunately are not really filmed the way this one is. I saw Alice in Wonderland and the 3D was not worth the extra cost of the ticket as didn’t really bring anything new to the film and maybe that’s why a lot of people were mixed on that film. Nice Review, though, I enjoyed your perspective.
I’ve heard a lot of differing opinions on Alice. I don’t know if there is really a need to turn a whole slew of new films into 3D. Avatar was filmed to be shown in 3D and now with the success of it, studios/filmmakers are just trying to film and then turn their pics into 3D, which doesn’t have the same effect.