Monday, January 11, 2010

My review of Avatar

Go see it in IMAX 3D.


Okay, if that wasn't enough words for you, how's this:

The Plot: Dances with Wolves in Outer Space

Reason to see it: not the plot

I had thought I would not live long enough for Hollywood to once again impress me with visual effects, but I was astounded less than two minutes into this film. People criticize the movie for the simplistic plot, but I think that is a strong point. For your first visual experience this rich, you don't want to be side-tracked by wondering which of the Na'vi is secretly Kaiser Sosa. And definitely shell out the extra bucks to see it on a real IMAX screen. I've been disappointed by previous 3D movies on smaller screens, plus the different dimensions of regular screens / IMAX lite movies will reduce the sensation of vertigo in some scenes.

(click to embiggen)

If you don't find the IMAX 3D effects amazing, you are a quadruple lobotomized moron with astigmatism. If you walk out of a regular 2D showing and wonder what was the big deal, please see above. If you don't live near an IMAX theater, then put down the sheep and move to civilization, you bumpkin.

7 comments:

Robin said...

I still don't care about it.

Captain Dumbass said...

I went to the theatre for the 11:30am Imax. It was already sold out for the freaking day. I'll try again next week.

Unknown said...

I agree it's worth the 3D experience to not see it at home!

I don't get the whole the plot is a copy from [[insert earlier film]] thing . It's a commercial blockbuster not some profound analysis of (in)human political systems. Of course Titanic was Romeo and Juliet on a ship.

Grant said...

Robin - then the Voodou curse of Zorzan is upon thee.

Captain Dumbass - I bought tickets days in advance, then went to the early showing a half hour early and still had to sit in the last row in the far corner. And it still rocked. Keep trying.

SJ - actually it did use the whole inhuman political systems thing as a basis, but since the real treat was the 3D they didn't bother with a convoluted plot with complex characters, thank the zombie jebus.

Prata said...

Yep...freakin' fantastic. As a side note, I think a lot of people take the phrase "it's like [some movie here] in space/sci-fi" and immediately discount the movie. I don't think that's really fair.

Dances with Wolves for instance had like 50 different spin offs in various ways from Hollywood and people still raved about them. Avatar would have been in that category as well during that time had it not been for Cameron having the intellect to _not_ make this movie until he felt the technology was viable. Man, I thank him for that...because the flippin' movie looks amazing.

Kerry said...

I have to admit I didn't care about seeing the movie at all, but I went (kicking and screaming and demanding the BIG tub of popcorn since I had to go). omg! What an awesome movie! Totally agree its a must in 3D.

I heard on the radio this morning that some jackass is complaining that the movie gives the military a bad rap and more specifially the Marines. What a freakin' moron! Its Sci Fi. Not true. MAKE BELIEVE. We're not supposed to believe it. good gawd!

Love the movie though :)

Grant said...

Prata - I was going to call it Dances with Samurai in Space, but in Avatar the references to native Americans were so frequent and obvious that I didn't want to compare it to anything else. But you're right - sci fi is only for silly stories told to children and morons. I read a (bad) sci-fi story that was written from the POV of a woman having an affair and the sci-fi parts were told to her lover in between boffings. That was allowed because the bulk of the story was sandwiched inside of real literature.

Kerry - of course, if they showed the marines as being caring and compassionate, it wouldn't have made for much of a movie. "Gee... we're being really mean to these people... I think we should all go home and rethink our lives." But I'm with you - I walked out much more excited than when I went in. The opening bit when they were waking the marines really showed what James Cameron can do.