I have been rather lax with my blog writing, and even though I saw this "epic" one month ago to the day - it has taken me that long to finally sit down and write about it. Maybe that will make my memory of it a bit hazy... but maybe - maybe that's a good thing. I'm not trying to put the film down, but the things that I found so annoying after watching it have subsided into a warm dislike and acceptance of Cameron's film making. Why try and change an old dog?
For those of you haven't seen or heard about the film - or have been living under a rock for the past 2 months; the film is about a paraplegic, Jake, ex-army officer, whose twin brother scientist as unfortunately died, who has to take over his brother's mission on Pandora by embodying his Navi Avatar. As well as the "good" scientists on Pandora, there are also the "bad" capitalists who want to mine the Planet's natural resource "Unobtainum" (go figure - I guess they had a bum day calling minerals that day). So Jake becomes a double agent trying to win the trust of the native Navi and convincing them to allow the humans to mine. Thus follows the eternal conundrum - destroying the environment for money, backstabbing the natives who at first seem like monsters and later become best friends yadda yadda yadda. For a better analogy see South Park's new episode: "Dances with Smurfs".
The film I must admit was fantastic - and even though I sat through it in German and had to undergo an interval, which they seem to love so much on the continent, it wasn't half bad. Yes I shall attempt to take a glass half full approach, which - as my friends know - rarely ever happens.
The photography is excellent - well what I mean to say is kudos to all those who worked so hard to make those epic landscapes! The acting was brilliant - but I wouldn't expect any less from a James Cameron film. And the plot although a bit weak held together quite well, the analogy of being at one with the world, did hark on a bit to the Circle of life in the Lion King, however man's conscience and the greater good was great, and did allow for great 3D (for a better review of the 3D quality and possibly a better review of the film: http://www.scribd.com/doc/24729968/Avatar-Review).
The detail that was gone into for the 3D experience was epic - such as fireflies at varying depths and flying on a Pterodactyl among the "hanging gardens". I dare not express my criticisms as I relive the joys of the film... however even though the 3D effects were thought about I would have thought that James (or at least the Producers) would have invested more money into the species development. I have two main irks regarding this - 1) considering that they link to every other animal via their hair-tentacle thingy why, oh why, do they have to kiss to show intimacy etc - surely it would make more sense to "bond" properly. 2) why do the Navi look nothing like the other animals on their world (grotesque) - I'm sure it would have made for a great and watchable film. If one can assume an evolutionary pattern they should look a bit like the moneys we saw at the beginning of the film, and if evolved from cats they they should resemble one of the "dog-esq" animals, well I hope you know what I mean.
My other criticism is about the "big-bad" Col. Quaritch. He's just one mo-fo who won't die. Able to hold his breath forever... having a body built like a tank... having a Matrix III style robot fighter... he just wouldn't go down. His never-ending-ness made the end of the film a bit more boring than it should have been. Which was a bit of a shame... coz you know how we all love our happy endings. A bit too saccharine perhaps??
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