So, just got back from Avatar (Digital 3D). Totally engaging movie experience. The time flew by. I’ll write a longer review (maybe) later, but for now, here are my initial thoughts.
- 3D worked well in some places (looking through windows, heads-up displays, floating embers), didn’t really get in the way, not sure how much it added to the experience having not see the non-3D version. It does give you a headache afterwards, because (I’m guessing) your brain gets pissed off with seeing in 3D but not being able to choose what to focus on.
- The CGI – breathtaking. Really, just astonishing. It’s a step and a half up from anything I’ve ever seen, anywhere. There’s plenty of stuff on screen that I truly have no clue if it was CGI, model work or real.
- The story – go with an open heart and let it affect you, and you’ll love it. Go and don’t open up to it and it’ll look cheesy. I hope you can empathise and get involved because it’s truly, honestly, moving.
- Some people will call it Dances with Wolves meets Dragon Riders of Pern meets Aliens meets World of Warcraft. Maybe they’re right, frankly, I don’t care. It rocked.
- The trailer, no matter which one you have seen, does not do the movie justice.
Will Avatar change Cinema? No, I don’t think so. Is it groundbreaking? Yes, in parts. Is it a fantastic fantasy/sci-fi movie with a heart? Yes, totally.
Every so often a movie comes along that not only begs to be seen on the big screen, but requires it. Avatar is one of those movies. If you do not see this on the big screen, if you do not let it fill your vision, your heart and touch your soul, you’ll not be seeing the same film as those people who do.
Go and see it, please.
I made some time to go see Avatar during the break and I agree with most of what you’ve said.
The 3D was okay (I didn’t get a headache, nor did the friends who were with us), but I don’t think I’d have complained if I’d seen it in 2D. A few others really liked the 3D, so I’m not in the majority with this opinion.
The CGI is awesome. On walking out I was asked, “The scenery was great, did they film it in New Zealand or South America?” 😀 The one thing I did wonder was, did the aliens look authentic because they were blue skinned and different? That is to say, would computer generated Humans look just as realistic?
The story is nothing special, and the plot holds no surprises. It’s okay (it reminded me most of Princess Mononoke, rather than Fern Gully, but there are many similar films out there), but I don’t think they were trying to do anything ground breaking with it. The characters were average (much like any action adventure such as Indiana Jones or Transformers), the acting was pretty good (but it’s never going to compete with the likes of Daniel Day Lewis, Patrick Stewart or Russell Crow) and I wasn’t hit by any flying blocks of cheese as the inevitable love blossomed (I thought it was handled in much the same way many films of this ilk do, such as Romancing The Stone, or Disney’s Aladdin).
As an aside, the one thing that stuck in my throat was the price. We paid £1.90 more to see the film in 3D, plus another £0.80 for the glasses. This, and the uncertainty that 3D adds anything, has more or less made my mind up about watching another movie in the same format. The queue for tickets was also socking, but in this instance technology came to the rescue and we had the infinite pleasure of sitting in a bar booking the tickets online using a phone rather than standing with the masses.
If I get the time I might go back and watch it in 2D, just to satisfy my curiosity.