So I apparently lied before when I said we'll do a podcast for the Avatar review. Since X already wrote his review, I saw no need to make him discuss it again. We'll start the podcast with the Sherlock Holmes review instead. The timing for that will depend on how seriously injured X still is from his wisdom teeth extraction. Anyway, see below for my long awaited, much anticipated review of Avatar...
Avatar - BLOCKBUSTER
Since so many people have already raved about it, and X has also discussed it extensively I won't focus on the visual aspects of the movie. Simply put, it was stunning. It was most effectively used during Jake's training period to become part of the Omaticaya tribe. As Jake explored this new and exotic world, from encountering fantastic plants and creatures, to running along the branches of Home Tree, and especially soaring through the sky filled with magical floating mountains riding on his ikran, I felt I was with him every step of the way. James Cameron's attention to detail matched his boundless imagination. The digital effects and 3-D combined to totally immerse the viewer in the environment of Pandora, and helped me fall in love with it alongside Jake. This definitely enhanced the emotional response, and helped me understand Jake's decision to defend his new home.
In an extended interview with Charlie Rose (I don't have a direct link sorry, but you can find it by going to http://www.charlierose.com/ and searching for James Cameron), James Cameron expressed several goals he had for the movie. I have no doubt he achieved all of the technical ones:
100% human emotions on the Na'vi [check]
Realism, both in terms of human technology and organic life on Pandora [check]
Full, multi-dimensional cultures and peoples with backstory [check]
The most important thing he mentioned was distancing the theatrical experience from what people can get at home. Avatar has been called a "revolutionary" movie, one that will change the way movies are made and watched. I agree with these assessments. Due to the proliferation of DVDs and especially Bluray (you can now get a Bluray player for less than $100), watching movies at home has become a legitimate rival to going to theaters. People no longer have to leave their living rooms to experience 3.1 surround sound and crystal clear HD picture quality. One thing people cannot yet do at home however, is watch 3-D movies, at least not affordably. Therefore by pushing the boundaries of technology (a special stereoscopic camera was invented and used to shoot Avatar), James Cameron proved the viability of 3-D movies and preserved and widened, at least temporarily, the advantage of theatrical cinema over home entertainment. That's why I think there will be more and more 3-D movies coming out in future, until it becomes a majority of the movies released in theaters. The pressure to create visual spectacles in order to save the movie industry will dictate this trend (this is also why so many monstrous baseball and football stadiums are being built).
James Cameron is indeed a visionary director. His talents however, lie in how he tells the story rather than the story itself. I have several issues with the story of Avatar which keep me from giving it a Contender rating. First the plot isn't exactly original. It's basically an outerspace version of Poncahontus, or the Last Samurai (both of which I enjoyed). It was strong and detailed enough to grab the viewer's attention, and the pacing was excellent, but it was pretty easy to tell what was going to happen next.
The second and in my mind more serious shortcoming was that James Cameron overly ambitious attempt to communicate moral and political messages. In using Pandora as an allegory, he tried to criticize a wide range of stupid and despeciable acts humans have committed/continue to commit, ranging from colonialism, environmental desecration and Bush 2.0 and the Neocons' polarizing anti-terror policies, to capitalism and corporate greed. I feel like Cameron tried to be too topical, which is funny considering this movie took him over a decade to make (hmm what does that say about how shitty people are?). The way he explained and explored those vastly complicated issues was heavy handed and over simplified, and ending the movie with the final lesson of love conquers all felt a little too glib.
Instead, I would have preferred to see Cameron delve deeper into Jake's inner psyche. Jake's status as not only an outsider, but one biologically separated from the Na'vi, was a great place to deepen the story and offer a more nuanced interpretation of his themes and morals. It could have been a perfect way to discuss how people struggle and cope with multiple identities and allegiances. Cameron missed a great opportunity for storytelling by simply employing a plot device to allow Jake to totally abandon his human self and become a Na'vi. He could have asked the hard questions: Is there really good or evil? What drives people to make the choices they do? How does a person reconcile contradictions in his identity? By hiding behind absolutes, Cameron didn't allow Avatar to fulfill its full potential and rise above its simplistic story line.
Oh well, that's why we have sequels right?
Thursday, December 31, 2009
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4 comments:
I have to disagree with your view on Cameron being overambitious. I really think the fact that he tried to send us a message.
James Cameron loves nature, then why can't he put some of his passion in his movie? I think it's completely justified. And what he says is true, we ARE too cruel to our planet.
I'm not sure what Cameron will do with the sequel. Personally I think the movie ended pretty well where it did. But then again "The Terminator" (the original one, not T2, and definitely not some bullshit like T3 or T4) had a nice ending too, but Cameron surprised me with a very well done sequel.
I didn't mind his messages per se, but I think he had too many of them. He could have done better focusing and going deeper into a few of them.
I also agree with you on the sequel. I'm not really looking forward to one and I hope Cameron doesn't make one. He's only made one sequel-T2, and that's because he didn't have the money to make the. Oviedo he wanted to with the original Terminator.
Ok that last sentence should have said "he didn't have the money to make the movie he wanted to make with the original Terminator". That's what I get for typing on the touch (and not proof reading).
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