CoreyTess

AVATAR: Going to Change Film AND Gaming!

Posted on 23. Dec, 2009 by Corey Tess in Featured, Film (Movies), General

At first I wondered why James Cameron, of Titanic and Terminator fame or should we say Infamy, had chosen to make such an ambitious and expensive film and then name it with the same title as a hugely popular Anime Series (AVATAR: The Last Air Bender) but after reading a bit about the technical aspects of the film, it became clear that the dictionary meaning of AVATAR was bound to the story and therefore made sense enough to risk butting heads with another “Sci-Fi” / “Animation” Franchise.

Like most people, James Cameron’s apparent arrogance makes me not want to like the film although I will fully admit (unlike a lot of people) that I did and have watched TITANIC quite a few times and did enjoy it and of course Terminator in their respective genre’s quite a lot. Cameron is a huge talent, NO DOUBT, but his areas of weakness get the most talk in the avid film going and loving community despite everything he does right. I am a little guilty of this myself having twittered recently about why he doesn’t work more closely with another powerhouse writer to fill in story holes and dialog that sometimes doesn’t sparkle and falls flat or just comes across silly in moments when the film is perfect in every other way, but in-spite of any of those small and overlook-able shortcomings..

This film makes use of new and profound technology the way The Matrix made use of the “Bullet-Time” effect. The story depended on the success of the technology, but the neither over shadowed the other. Avatar takes place in a futuristic world where humans are seeking alternative means of survival, one of their plans includes Pandora, a lush planet inhabited by tall blue cat-like people called Na’vi who live in a giant tree that happens to grow right over a very rich supply of a wonder mineral called (and don’t laugh) Unobtainium (one of my beefs with the film was this name… but no matter), in any case, you have the classic clash of military and diplomacy – tree huggers vs corporate greed… that lays the foundation for the story you actually are more interested in, which is the Na’vi themselves…

Chosen because his genius twin brother died, our main character and certifiable hotty, Jake Sully, a crippled former military warrior (played by Sam Worthington, who seems to have a faint aussie accent at times) is called upon to step into an AVATAR (giant Na’vi body made just for his brother to connect with) and go with the research team into the Na’vi village to earn their trust through the usual handing out of treats and offering of education etc… The lovely part of this set up is that Jake has no use of his legs, but his mind still has the training and knowledge on how to survive, fight and defend and so when he is dropped into the AVATAR his lack of scientific training is no match for his brute military self allowing him to use his new found freedom in a more amusing, fun and instinctive way. (he is US in the film..) learning as we do about everything and asking the questions we are wondering about.. a fish out of water and yet more useful in the long run than the actual trained scientists who accompany him in their respective AVATARs (Sigourney Weaver and Joel Moore) When he gets separated from the group in the middle of the Na’vi territory he is saved by a beautiful Na’vi female who doesn’t have much use for the guy at first, but soon learns to like him even knowing he is what they call a “dreamwalker” a human in Na’vi drag basically… I don’t want to give away too much, but let me just say – bottom line -

It is a love story… but don’t worry GUYS, there is enough action and stuff blowing up to keep you interested as well.

The film is LUSH, Beautiful and Intricate.. very inventive and yet classic at the same time. The AVATARs are SO spot on with the actors playing them underneath whatever process allows the transformation that you can even see the frame of the teeth, jaw, eye movement that matches so perfectly with the familiar movements of that actor, this is most noteable with Sigourney because we are so familiar with her face and the way she moves…

I read somewhere that Cameron said that this technology could allow Clint Eastwood to make the next Dirty Harry movie looking just like he did when he made the first one if they wanted to do that, that is how powerful the process is… I can only imagine how it will be used in film to come and more importantly in gaming, which is the bigger market right now..

I give the film 5 stars, two thumbs up and 98% tomatoes.

DO, if you have 3D or IMAX in your area, make the effort to see it there. It is definitely an experience..

Aside from the name of the mineral.. a few things that I would have changed..
1) the head military guy, Col. Miles – (played by Stephen Lang) was cartoonish in a bad way and his flying around in his big ship sipping on coffee while killing people made the scenes less intense for me..

2) the love scene.. why introduce the TAIL connecting thing if you weren’t going to use it there.. kissing? Does the entire universe kiss? That was kinda lame because another species would most likely not know what kissing was or have any use for it.

3) you said that their technology wouldnt work near the tree of souls and they never seemed to have ANY issues with it during that fight scene.. so that was a let down, i didnt see that figure in there…

4) some of the dialogue was very silly at moments when you didn’t really want it to feel that way.. but over all, it served the story..

READ THE ENTIRE SYNOPSIS HERE:

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