First the bad, yes, this is the evil human empire against an indigenous people. That's where the similarities end with other movies like Fern Gully, X-Terra, Dances with Wolves. When you boil the movie down to it's most basic parts, it's that kind of story. The problem with those aforementioned movies is they are pandering and preachy. They do it so much in those movies they make you want to puke. Cameron does none of those things. The way he tells the story is actually good. It doesn't pander or be preachy. When you look beyond the premise of the story, you realize it's not only the evil cowboys vs the good Indians. I can understand why people draw conclusion when the Na'vi are so Indian like. It's about corporate greed. The lengths corporations will go to make a buck. Though they go to extremes in this movie, but then the movie wouldn't be as exciting if they didn't make it so epic. I draw parallels with some of our own very real evil empires. The RIAA is a prime example. The RIAA will go to any length to squash the little man for downloading and sharing music. They also go to extremes, case in point the recent ruling against a file sharer for $1.92 million. That ruling was against someone who will never have the means to pay back that fine in his lifetime.
Taking the story at face value, and how well Cameron executed it, makes it a good story. The story could have been better with better dialog. It's not a great story, and it's evident that the story takes a back seat to the action, exploration and understanding of the world of Pandora.
The most important aspect the film, is the film itself. The visuals, for lack of a better phrase, breath taking. The film is truly groundbreaking. I'm not talking about the True 3D experience. I'm talking about the entirely cg world Cameron and countless effects studios have put into this movie. It's clear that Cameron borrowed a great deal he had learned doing documentaries on plant and animal life. He uses it such a way, along with the visuals makes the world real in the minds eye. Weta, which was the lead effects studio on the movie, really pushed the limits of what can be done with motion and facial capturing technology. Never has body and facial movement looks so real in all cg characters. I was floored with what they did with Gollum in Lord of the Rings. They set the bar with that movie, and with Avatar, they didn't just raise the bar. They flung it into space.
With most movies, especially with my artistic eye, I usually find those moments where I say "Holy shit that's some bad CG". It's usually so glaring it instantly removes me from the world the director is trying to bring me into. I found none of that in this movie. The CG is flawless, and appears to real and life like. This brings me to the True3D experience. It is indeed an experience. One you have never before seen in your life to this day. Those that have seen the movie in 3D know exactly what I'm saying. The CG world and story already does a great job bringing you into the world of Pandora. The True3D and glasses quite literally holds you there. While watching the movie, I found myself engulfed in the setting. On until the movie ended, was I even aware of the crowd of people around me. The depth, distance all seem real. You can even see the distance between windshields and the person piloting the cool looking aircraft. Liquids in tanks, show their volume in depth. The visuals on the computer consoles, look truly interactive, literally wrap around the actor/actress. So much so that you can almost feel like reaching out and touching the screen they are using.
This movie, is in my opinion the most ground breaking and innovative movie ever released. Sadly the story isn't as ground breaking, but it's still a good story that at least helps you along the visual journey. I highly recommend anyone who loves scifi and/or fantasy films.Taking the story at face value, and how well Cameron executed it, makes it a good story. The story could have been better with better dialog. It's not a great story, and it's evident that the story takes a back seat to the action, exploration and understanding of the world of Pandora. The most important aspect the film, is the film itself. The visuals, for lack of a better phrase, breath taking. The film is truely groundbreaking. I'm not talking about the True 3D experience. I'm talking about the entirely cg world Cameron and countless effects studios have put into this movie. It's clear that Cameron borrowed a great deal he had learned doing documentaries on plant and animal life. He uses it such a way, along with the visuals makes the world real in the minds eye. Weta, which was the lead effects studio on the movie, really pushed the limits of what can be done with motion and facial capturing technology. Never has body and facial movement looks so real in all cg characters. I was floored with what they did with Gollum in Lord of the Rings. They set the bar with that movie, and with Avatar, they didn't just raise the bar. They flung it into space.
With most movies, especially with my artistic eye, I usually find those moments where I say "Holy shit that's some bad CG". It's usually so glaring it instantly removes me from the world the director is trying to bring me into. I found none of that in this movie. The CG is flawless, and appears to real and life like. This brings me to the True3D experience. It is indeed an experience. One you have never before seen in your life to this day. Those that have seen the movie in 3D know exactly what I'm saying. The CG world and story already does a great job bringing you into the world of Pandora. The True3D and glasses quite literally holds you there. While watching the movie, I found myself engulfed in the setting. On until the movie ended, was I even aware of the crowd of people around me. The depth, distance all seem real. You can even see the distance between windshields and the person piloting the cool looking aircraft. Liquids in tanks, show their volume in depth. The visuals on the computer consoles, look truly interactive, literally wrap around the actor/actress. So much so that you can almost feel like reaching out and touching the screen they are using.
This movie, is in my opinion the most ground breaking and innovative movie ever released. Sadly the story isn't as ground breaking, but it's still a good story that at least helps you along the visual journey. I highly recommend anyone who loves scifi and/or fantasy films.
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