don't think twice

Movie Review: ‘Avatar’

// December 18th, 2009 // Film/TV

Avatar was never on my radar for movies to be excited about. Motion captured blue people? Dragons, mechs, and constant explosions? That actress I hated from Lost? No. It was never even close. Yeah, I read about the new technology and the fancy cameras – but I’d heard all of that before and been let down to the point where I just knew that anything you have to put on a pair of 3D glasses to see would be kitschy, diluted, and a chore to watch (I’m looking at you, Zemeckis).

Well Mr. Cameron, I stand corrected.

It should be said from the beginning that this film should only be seen in 3D. I know some would say that the film should hold up on it’s on, and I normally wouldn’t disagree with that. I’ll admit that I haven’t fully decided what seeing this film in 2D would be like – but it doesn’t matter. In my opinion, the 3D dynamic of this movie is as essential and integral to its viewing as the sound and image. My professors always talk about theaters selling not just the viewing of a movie, but a unique experience that can only be had by being there. That has never been more true. Watching this film in a packed theater, on the big screen, with your glasses on and a Coke in your hand is the only way it should be seen.

In a genre crowded these days by big-budget, flashy, over-the-top action flicks, Avatar stands above the crowd. Not that it isn’t all of those things (trust me, it’s all three and then some), it’s just that no one has ever done it like this. You’ve seen this story before – the kind, primitive culture meets the powerful rich people who want to take their land for money. And I’ll admit that the story is predictable right up to the end – but the ride it takes you on makes you forget all of it. Visually, this film is downright gorgeous. Colors bleed off the screen in every shot. The alien world of “Pandora” is realized through shot after shot of extraordinary environments and creatures unlike anything seen before. Yet even in this hyper-realistic, over saturated world, everything you see feels tangible – which I would credit to the extreme attention to detail and the pure imagination in every scene.

The animated characters are similarly believable in every way, thanks in large part to Cameron’s efforts in advancing motion capture technology. Halfway through the film I recognized the actress behind one of the main digital characters, and not because of likeness or her voice – it was from her expression and performance that was coming through in this 10ft tall, yellow eyed, blue creature that bears very little resemblance to her in real life (that person was Zoe Saldana, whom I was very impressed by). Subtle emotions come through in these creatures that I’ve never felt from motion capture before, and the creepiness factor that plagued previous attempts like Final Fantasy and Beowulf is a non-factor.

Avatar is just plain fun from beginning to end. It’s funny when it needs to be, and serious when it should be. I shouldn’t like this movie. I hate predictable films. I’ll take intimate dialogue over action and explosions any day. I think 3D is gimmicky and a detriment to the industry and the films I want to see made. Now James Cameron has changed all of the rules for epic filmmaking – simultaneously changing my personal rules, if only just this once, for the type of movie I like to see.