Posted on 12/13/2009 6:52:26 AM PST by Borges
Watching "Avatar," I felt sort of the same as when I saw "Star Wars" in 1977. That was another movie I walked into with uncertain expectations. James Cameron's film has been the subject of relentlessly dubious advance buzz, just as his "Titanic" was. Once again, he has silenced the doubters by simply delivering an extraordinary film. There is still at least one man in Hollywood who knows how to spend $250 million, or was it $300 million, wisely.
"Avatar" is not simply a sensational entertainment, although it is that. It's a technical breakthrough. It has a flat-out Green and anti-war message. It is predestined to launch a cult. It contains such visual detailing that it would reward repeating viewings. It invents a new language, Na'vi, as "Lord of the Rings" did, although mercifully I doubt this one can be spoken by humans, even teenage humans. It creates new movie stars. It is an Event, one of those films you feel you must see to keep up with the conversation.
The story, set in the year 2154, involves a mission by U. S. Armed Forces to an earth-sized moon in orbit around a massive star. This new world, Pandora, is a rich source of a mineral Earth desperately needs. Pandora represents not even a remote threat to Earth, but we nevertheless send in the military to attack and conquer them. Gung-ho Marines employ machine guns and pilot armored hover ships on bombing runs. You are free to find this an allegory about contemporary politics. Cameron obviously does.
Pandora harbors a planetary forest inhabited peacefully by the Na'vi, a blue-skinned, golden-eyed race of slender giants, each one perhaps 12 feet tall. The atmosphere is not breathable by humans, and the landscape makes us pygmies. To venture out of our landing craft, we use avatars--Na'vi lookalikes grown organically and mind-controlled by humans who remain wired up in a trance-like state on the ship. While acting as avatars, they see, fear, taste and feel like Na'vi, and have all the same physical adeptness.
This last quality is liberating for the hero, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who is a paraplegic. He's been recruited because he's a genetic match for a dead identical twin, who an expensive avatar was created for. In avatar state he can walk again, and as his payment for this duty he will be given a very expensive operation to restore movement to his legs. In theory he's in no danger, because if his avatar in destroyed, his human form remains untouched. In theory.
On Pandora, Jake begins as a good soldier and then goes native after his life is saved by the lithe and brave Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). He finds it is indeed true, as the aggressive Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) briefed them, that nearly every species of life here wants him for lunch. (Avatars are not be made of Na'vi flesh, but try explaining that to charging 30-ton rhino with a snout like a bullet head shark).
The Na'vi survive on this planet by knowing it well, living in harmony with nature, and being wise about the creatures they share with. In this and countless other ways they resemble Native Americans. Like them, they tame another species to carry them around--not horses, but graceful flying dragon-like creatures. The scene involving Jake capturing and taming one of these great beasts is one of the film's greats sequences.
Like "Star Wars" and "LOTR," "Avatar" employs a new generation of special effects. Cameron said it would, and many doubted him. It does. Pandora is bevy largely CGI. The Na'vi are embodied through motion capture techniques, convincingly. They look like specific, persuasive individuals, yet sidestep the eerie Uncanny Valley effect. And Cameron and his artists succeed at the difficult challenge of making Neytiri a blue-skinned giantess with golden eyes and a long, supple tail, and yet--I'll be damned. Sexy.
At 163 minutes, the film doesn't feel too long. It contains so much. The human stories. The Na'vi stories, for the Na'vi are also developed as individuals. The complexity of the planet, which harbors a global secret. The ultimate warfare, with Jake joining the resistance against his former comrades. Small graceful details like a floating creature that looks like a cross between a blowing dandelion seed and a drifting jellyfish, and embodies goodness. Or astonishing floating cloud-islands.
I've complained that many recent films abandon story telling in their third acts and go for wall-to-wall action. Cameron essentially does that here, but has invested well in establishing his characters so that it matters what they do in battle and how they do it. There are issues at stake greater than simply which side wins.
Cameron promised he'd unveil the next generation of 3-D in "Avatar." I'm a notorious skeptic about this process, a needless distraction from the perfect realism of movies in 2-D. Cameron's iteration is the best I've seen -- and more importantly, one of the most carefully-employed. The film never uses 3-D simply because it has it, and doesn't promiscuously violate the fourth wall. He also seems quite aware of 3-D's weakness for dimming the picture, and even with a film set largely in interiors and a rain forest, there's sufficient light. I saw the film in 3-D on a good screen at the AMC River East and was impressed. I might be awesome in True IMAX. Good luck in getting a ticket before February.
It takes a hell of a lot of nerve for a man to stand up at the Oscarcast and proclaim himself King of the World. James Cameron just got re-elected.
>>If the race of the character is part of the story then yes it matters. If its irrelevant than its really not too hard to ignore it.<<
With that I agree. And that’s the problem.
Imagine the movie “Big” where Tom Hanks as a kid is played by Gary Coleman.
As Mr. White said about the name “Oneders” in “That Thing You Do: “It doesn’t work. It’s confusing.”
Honestly, if the parents were black, the brother was black, and the ballerina playing the little girl as an adult in the dream was black, it would have worked. Even then, considering the story (a young GERMAN girl!), the question is begged: If it is placed in old Germany, why would you cast non-caucasion characters unless they were all you had?
I suppose this sort of thing did work for The Wiz, because race was part of what was going on there.
Forced PC annoys the heck out of me.
Here’s the story: http://www.nutcrackerballet.net/html/nutcracker_story.html
If you don’t already know the story, the version going on in Seattle will confuse the heck out of you.
I think he’s just happy to be alive and hands out positive reviews like candy. He came very close to dying a few years ago.
I learned in economics 101 that buying a product is the ipso-facto equivalent of voting for it.
My forefathers gave their lives to preserve my freedom. The least I can do is avoid a movie for crying out loud.
I saw a production of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ where the three daughters were played by Aisan girls. It didn’t really grate once you got used to it.
“...and a faithful pursuit of the book.”
The parts where the LotR movies diverged from the books stank. No Glorfindel?! The love crap?! Still I think they are great.
I could take some slanting. A lot of his other movies have some slanting. This movie would seem to take it to a whole ‘nother level. I guess I could even swallow that if only the damn story hadn’t been done so many times already. Yuck.
Freegards
>>All Art is propaganda to some degree or another.<<
I agree with that 100%. It is amazing how many people argue with that though. That said, if it is overt enough, I will not feed it with my interest of money.
>>I saw a production of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ where the three daughters were played by Aisan girls. It didn’t really grate once you got used to it.<<
At least they were ALL Asian. :)
Honestly, if the ballerina playing the part of the girl as an adult were also black it would have worked much better.
Another reason I won’t waste my money on it...
I missed the signature line from Gandolph, "Expect me when you least expect me." That expression evoked a spirit about the character and the book that was missed by the screen writers. Still, I watch the movies again and again, just as I read the books over and over.
One of the problems I had with the star wars movies was the more and more dominant role the whole “force” thing took. As a little religious background thing in the first couple of movies it was fine, but it just got silly.
From the trailer I saw and the reviews I am reading about Avatar, It sounds like the same problem. It seems wonderfully imaginative and serious eye candy, but to then make that an overlay to an overt liberal utopian message would completely ruin it for me.
It is a “MAN is in the forest” thing or a “Feel the tree’s pain” thing for me. That is the kind of thing that makes me walk out of theaters.
Whatever Ebert says about a movie, go the other way. You won’t go wrong.
(He hated “Top Gun”.)
Well it was a piece of junk. It’s also a horrible visual influence on conteporary action films.
Yeah, the mysterious aspect of Gandalf was kinda lacking. But there is no excuse for replacing Glorfindel with a chick. I still really like the movies, though.
Freegards
Dancing with Smurphs.
My problem with the latest three starwars is that they didn’t have a Han Solo type character. And that this force for good, the Jedi, have no problem using an army of cloned soldiers who apparently have no choice about what they are or want.
“It is a “MAN is in the forest” thing or a “Feel the tree’s pain” thing for me. That is the kind of thing that makes me walk out of theaters.”
I just wish it departed from the greedy corporate military gubberment despoiling the wise and happy natives of their pristine land. I’ve seen that movie before, many times. I’m sick of it. I wish the story could be as new and as fresh as what the visual presentation seems to be.
Freegards
Kills it for me. I’ll wait until it hits Netflix and I can watch it for about $1.
The technological concepts suggested in the movie plot are fascinating. That is one reason I wanted to see it. I won’t be seeing it now, except maybe as a $1 rental down the road.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.