Well I finally went out to see the movie about the blue people. You know the one...the movie that's breaking box office records all over the place. The one that claimed it would forever change how movies are made. The one written and directed by "the king of the world". I finally went because despite all of the hype (and James Cameron's arrogance about the film), friends of mine insisted I go see it in 3D and assured me I wouldn't be disappointed. So I paid my $15.50 for a matinee ticket, sat in a crowded theatre on a Sunday afternoon, put my 3D glasses on and then ... tried to keep my jaw from hitting the floor while my eyes and brain struggled to keep up with all the visual stimulus Avatar threw my way. Visually, this movie is nothing less than spectacular! It IS going to change how movies are made. And Cameron will once again make more money than anyone else and probably sweep up all the awards. (And I thought the folks of Hollywood couldn't hate him more than they already do)
If you are one of the two or three people who haven't seen Avatar yet, I'll tell you what it's about...It's set in the future and an ex-marine named Jake Sully is given an opportunity to go to a place called Pandora and partake in a mission that requires him to interact with the indigenous people there - the Na'vi. In the hopes that the Na'vi will accept the human intruders, scientists who are affiliated with the mission have created Human/Na'vi combined biological entities called "avatars" that the humans can control with their minds while lying in a white tomb-like box that's filled with some kind of gooey gel substance.
While the scientists Jake is working along side want a peaceful relationship with the Na'vi (as they collect samples of their organic world and study their traditions), the company funding the mission (with military back-up) have their own agenda. - to acquire a rich fossil resource that's on the planet. The company has grown tired of trying to "play nice" with the Na'vi and are on the brink of taking what they want by force. As Jake spends more time on Pandora in his avatar form, his loyalties to the company and the mission are tested when the conflict between the Na'vi and humans eventually comes to a head.
-To sum it up plainly...it's bad white people come to peaceful indigenous people to take what is not theirs. One of the bad white people is accepted by the tribe and he falls in love with the beautiful tribal princess. He then changes his ways and fights for what is good. Does this plot line sound a little familiar? Well it should...it's basically Pocahontas in space. (with a dash of Dances with Wolves thrown in).
But even though the story-line isn't that original, the way in which the story is told, is. The Pandora world that is created in this film is rich and multi-layered with all of it's beautiful plant life and bizarre creatures. And to see it all coming at you in 3D just heightened the experience of discovering this fantastical place. The CGI created Na'vi people/Avatars bring a whole new meaning to "special effects". You forget that they're not real and instead just try to keep up with their movements as they keep jumping off cliffs and flying on dragon-like birds.
There's not much to find fault with the movie Avatar. Even the messages of the film are good..."take better care of mother earth", "we're all interconnected", "energy is something that is borrowed and must be returned". And even though the film runs close to 3 hours, it really doesn't feel that long.
So in the end, I was glad I listened to my friends and saw this movie in 3D and on the big screen. The experience of Avatar just wouldn't have been the same otherwise. When the lights went up, and the crowded theater began to applaud (from people who had seen the movie for the first time or the tenth) I had to agree with them. Although it kind of pains me to say it...James Cameron deserves much applause for this film. Avatar is one of the best movies I've seen in a very long time.
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