Avatar (2009) (PG-13)
Directed by James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver
Daddy Says:
Hey look, a movie review for a film that's still in the theaters! Yes, your intrepid movie critic actually ventured out to see a film in an actual movie theater, instead of renting from the local video store. Why, you ask? Well, Sammi had a date who wanted to take her to the movies. Did I mention she's only 15? So one of us parental units felt it was our obligation to not just drop her off, but to actually be in the same theater, albeit eight rows back. I promise that keeping one eye on her and her friend won't color my opinion of the movie a bit.
For anyone who doesn't know, and judging by how much money this movie has raked in there aren't too many left, Avatar is the story of Jake Sully, recruited to fill the shoes of his dead brother because they share the same DNA. He has to link his mind to his "avatar", a sort-of imitation life-form that looks like the native species on the planet Pandora. The government agency wants to relocate the natives, so they can harvest the precious Unobtainium. No, I'm not kidding about the name. Along the way, Jake meets and falls in love with a native girl named Neytiri (played by Zoe Saldana, who was Lt. Uhura in the recent Star Trek reboot). They have adventures and Jake finds himself drawn to the the native people more than his own kind. If all this sounds vaguely like Pocahontas or Dances with Wolves, it felt that way at times.
The movie is impressive on a technical level. All the incredible colors of the scenery, the various lifeforms on Pandora, the interaction between CGI and actors all worked on a level I've never seen before. James Cameron shows off his skills as a director once again and has created an incredible spectacle. I can see why this movie is so popular. It immerses you into a world that, while dangerous, I could see myself wanting to go back to again and again.
But, and there is a "but" coming, I'm not going to rate this movie highly. As I mentioned, this movie feels a lot like Dances with Wolves to me. I would have preferred a more original story than this one, as it felt like it was just connecting the right dots many times. Also, and this could just be me, but I really don't like watching 3D movies. It feels like I'm watching a movie through one of the old View Masters. Yes, there's a sense of depth, but the different layers often feel very flat, just spaced out. I'm not sure I'm explaining this well, but you can tell that there are different layers to any given scene, but none of them feel three-dimensional.
I may re-evaluate my opinion with a second viewing at home someday, minus the 3D glasses. Until then...
Grade for Avatar: B-
Daughter Says:
I enjoyed Avatar, even though it was in 3D. The last movie I saw in 3D was Shark Boy and Lava Girl and that was bad. This on the other hand was very well done. I know it was different technology than Shark Boy and Lava Girl, but it still was very realistic. The friend I was with had seen it already and warned me not to try to touch the stuff. "It isn't really there." I had to tell myself over and over again.
Overall, the story line was pretty well written. I will agree that it did seem a bit like Pocahontas and Dances with Wolves. The adventures in the movie were well spaced and not rough either.
I liked this movie enough to give it an "A-"
Directed by James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver
Daddy Says:
Hey look, a movie review for a film that's still in the theaters! Yes, your intrepid movie critic actually ventured out to see a film in an actual movie theater, instead of renting from the local video store. Why, you ask? Well, Sammi had a date who wanted to take her to the movies. Did I mention she's only 15? So one of us parental units felt it was our obligation to not just drop her off, but to actually be in the same theater, albeit eight rows back. I promise that keeping one eye on her and her friend won't color my opinion of the movie a bit.
For anyone who doesn't know, and judging by how much money this movie has raked in there aren't too many left, Avatar is the story of Jake Sully, recruited to fill the shoes of his dead brother because they share the same DNA. He has to link his mind to his "avatar", a sort-of imitation life-form that looks like the native species on the planet Pandora. The government agency wants to relocate the natives, so they can harvest the precious Unobtainium. No, I'm not kidding about the name. Along the way, Jake meets and falls in love with a native girl named Neytiri (played by Zoe Saldana, who was Lt. Uhura in the recent Star Trek reboot). They have adventures and Jake finds himself drawn to the the native people more than his own kind. If all this sounds vaguely like Pocahontas or Dances with Wolves, it felt that way at times.
The movie is impressive on a technical level. All the incredible colors of the scenery, the various lifeforms on Pandora, the interaction between CGI and actors all worked on a level I've never seen before. James Cameron shows off his skills as a director once again and has created an incredible spectacle. I can see why this movie is so popular. It immerses you into a world that, while dangerous, I could see myself wanting to go back to again and again.
But, and there is a "but" coming, I'm not going to rate this movie highly. As I mentioned, this movie feels a lot like Dances with Wolves to me. I would have preferred a more original story than this one, as it felt like it was just connecting the right dots many times. Also, and this could just be me, but I really don't like watching 3D movies. It feels like I'm watching a movie through one of the old View Masters. Yes, there's a sense of depth, but the different layers often feel very flat, just spaced out. I'm not sure I'm explaining this well, but you can tell that there are different layers to any given scene, but none of them feel three-dimensional.
I may re-evaluate my opinion with a second viewing at home someday, minus the 3D glasses. Until then...
Grade for Avatar: B-
Daughter Says:
I enjoyed Avatar, even though it was in 3D. The last movie I saw in 3D was Shark Boy and Lava Girl and that was bad. This on the other hand was very well done. I know it was different technology than Shark Boy and Lava Girl, but it still was very realistic. The friend I was with had seen it already and warned me not to try to touch the stuff. "It isn't really there." I had to tell myself over and over again.
Overall, the story line was pretty well written. I will agree that it did seem a bit like Pocahontas and Dances with Wolves. The adventures in the movie were well spaced and not rough either.
I liked this movie enough to give it an "A-"
No comments:
Post a Comment