I watched director James Cameron’s Avatar in awesome 3D and really can not strongly enough stress how incredible it was seeing this film in that format. Even more astonishing was how quickly this science-fiction story flew by, despite clocking in at two hours and forty minutes long.
Cameron’s singular vision and dedication in getting this movie made over an extended period of years from when he first thought up the basics of the storyline is truly mind-blowing, and it’s too bad that a handful of snobby genre critics feel the need to minimize Avatar with comments that the story utilized here is nothing new under the sun (as if much of anything really is) or that there are clichéd elements present. Maybe so dumbasses, but the difference here is also remarkably obvious. There are terrific characterizations by a topnotch cast underneath the landmark performance capture techniques that have helped bring the fictional world of Pandora to life. At the films conclusion, I realized that I could have sat through it even if it had run twice as long. I just didn’t want to leave the world of Pandora behind.
What the actual dollar cost of making this film supposedly totals matters not to me. I’m just in awe that something like Avatar also made it into theaters in the very same year that brought us a phenomenally successful reboot of Star Trek. Blockbuster genre features have become an accepted staple of our times, with each one ramping up fans expectations, and these movies never fail to attract naysayers whose only desire is to flaunt their own limited opinions on the rest of us.
But enough of that, before I forget, let’s just agree with those folks who HAVE praised the outstanding cast which includes Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, Zoe Saldana, Wes Studi, CCH Pounder and perhaps the real lynchpin of an already great group, Stephen Lang as the villainous Col. Miles Quaritch. Lang (pictured above; middle) is devastatingly effective in his role and the film is superior for having him onboard as the heavy.
I hope that Avatar finds a huge audience to recoup some of the cost of making this gem of a flick, and then justifiably takes its place as an instant classic. It really is that good, but try to catch it in 3D. You really will feel like you’ve visited an actual alien planet.
Cameron’s singular vision and dedication in getting this movie made over an extended period of years from when he first thought up the basics of the storyline is truly mind-blowing, and it’s too bad that a handful of snobby genre critics feel the need to minimize Avatar with comments that the story utilized here is nothing new under the sun (as if much of anything really is) or that there are clichéd elements present. Maybe so dumbasses, but the difference here is also remarkably obvious. There are terrific characterizations by a topnotch cast underneath the landmark performance capture techniques that have helped bring the fictional world of Pandora to life. At the films conclusion, I realized that I could have sat through it even if it had run twice as long. I just didn’t want to leave the world of Pandora behind.
What the actual dollar cost of making this film supposedly totals matters not to me. I’m just in awe that something like Avatar also made it into theaters in the very same year that brought us a phenomenally successful reboot of Star Trek. Blockbuster genre features have become an accepted staple of our times, with each one ramping up fans expectations, and these movies never fail to attract naysayers whose only desire is to flaunt their own limited opinions on the rest of us.
But enough of that, before I forget, let’s just agree with those folks who HAVE praised the outstanding cast which includes Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, Zoe Saldana, Wes Studi, CCH Pounder and perhaps the real lynchpin of an already great group, Stephen Lang as the villainous Col. Miles Quaritch. Lang (pictured above; middle) is devastatingly effective in his role and the film is superior for having him onboard as the heavy.
I hope that Avatar finds a huge audience to recoup some of the cost of making this gem of a flick, and then justifiably takes its place as an instant classic. It really is that good, but try to catch it in 3D. You really will feel like you’ve visited an actual alien planet.
1 comment:
Out standing review...
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