LATEST CHATTY HEADER
Subscribe to Shacknews Mercury starting at $1/month!
Chrome Shack Community Guidelines Chatty Search
Scroll down to join the conversation.
New to Shacknews? Signup for a Free Account
Already have an account? Login Now
Subscribe to Shacknews Mercury starting at $1/month!
Chrome Shack Community Guidelines Chatty Search
Scroll down to join the conversation.
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 25 replies.
Killing Native Americans is wrong. Destroying the environment is wrong. The Iraq War is wrong. PMCs are wrong. If you weren't already aware of these facts, James Cameron will do his best to drill it into your head repeatedly throughout the course of the film. The "Dances With Fern Gully" comments about the movie are spot-on. Cameron is obviously trying to make a political statement with this movie, and subtlety has never been his strong suit. He approaches these views in an incredibly heavy-handed fashion pretty much throughout the entire film. Even as someone who agrees with pretty much all the political statements he is trying to makes, I found myself a bit turned off in several parts throughout the film, as Cameron approaches all of these points with the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the forehead.
The Good
When Roger Ebert said that Avatar is the best and most fully-realized science fiction universe since Star Wars he wasn't exagerating. At all. Pandora feels like a living place, moreso than almost any world I've seen portrayed in film. Instead of coming across as a showcase for "How crazy can we make the world look?" like a lot of sci-fi films do, Avatar presents a world that feels thoroughly belivable, even if it is populated by 9 foot tall blue aliens.
The special effects definitely set a new bar for Hollywood. There was no feeling of viewing characters that resided in the Uncanny Valley at any point in the film. The emotion, performance, and weight of the CG characters is second to none. I can't wait to see what other filmmakers will do with the tech that Cameron used in Avatar. Along these same lines, the 3D in the film really is a huge step forward for the medium. Rather than just shoving things in your face to get the "gee-whiz" factor like every other 3D movie I've ever seen, it realy serves to immerse you in the world. The sense of depth allowed by the 3D in the film really does have to be seen to be believed. It's to the point where I don't see how the movie will succeed on DVD since the 3D is so integral to the overall feel of the movie.
The story, while insanely predictable, is handled very well. It may not have the meatiest plotline ever, but it is entertaining nonetheless. By the time you leave the theater you want to be back in that world. Although heavy-handed, it is entertaining throughout and is definitely a must-see if you like movies.
TLDR
It's "Dances With Fern Gully In Space". There's no doubt about that. Despite this, however, it really is a fantastic film. It's not the game-changer that so many were expecting, but it is undoubtedly one of the most innovative and remarkable films I've ever seen.
The post has been reported. Thank you!
You must be logged in to post.
You must be logged in to post.