[Big thanks to Mike Sizemore for the following review.]
I just got back home from the world premiere of Avatar here in London. It's safe to keep reading. You are entering a spoiler-free zone.
I wasn't expecting much. I attended the 15 minute IMAX preview a few months back and out of context what I saw was pretty. Very pretty. The immersive technology was an obvious step up, but the scenes with the marines came across as just weird on the eye and the sequences with all the alien fauna gave me flashbacks to James Mason clambering through mushrooms forests in Journey to the Centre of the Earth. But what really had me worried was the story.
There's a lot of that same worry online. Avatar is often mentioned in the same breath as Ferngully: The Last Rainforest and Dances with Wolves, and then there was *that* South Park episode. I arrived this evening to a blue carpet event (I see what they did
there) surrounded by press and the stars of the film, actually surprised at the invite to be honest. Because I've been very cynical online. I'm not sure if it was oversight on the part of SKY MOVIES HD who invited me or just simple faith in the movie, but it was stressed to me that I should be as honest as possible in the review. So here goes.
All those worries are completely justified. There's hardly a single moment of truly original story telling up on the screen. The characters are developed exactly as you think they will be and key moments at the climax of the movie are sign posted clearly early on. If you think you've already seen James Cameron's Avatar then there's a good chance you're right.
And none of that matters.
I'm seeing it again on an IMAX screen in a few weeks and I can hardly wait.
It's the combination of story and technology that reeled me in. The visual depth of the 3D technology is not completely immersive on its own, but Cameron understands that. The opening sequence seems timed to let your brain get around the eye candy while the introduction to Sam Worthington's Jake Sully slowly begins to draw you in. By the time I met Sigourney Weaver the 3D element had settled down and simply felt comfortable. By the time I met the Na'vi I was immersed. And somehow the story had me too.
I'm a story guy so usually I like to be surprised. If I can work out where a movie is going then I get annoyed. But because Avatar's plot, to me at least, was so familiar I actually began to concentrate on how well Cameron had constructed it. By the time the first simple arrow-head bounced off a gun ship I was enthralled. Because I knew what was coming and that Cameron was going to execute it with a steady eye and confidence not only in the technology, but also in the cast.
I'm a hard guy to please and being a fan of Twitch for years I know its readers have a rabid love for cinema. But I'm the guy who thinks the Jedi should be edited out of Star Wars at the same time the elves and hobbits get scraped away from Lord of the Rings. I found Dr Manhattan's blue penis hard to swallow and the last cat person I fell in love with was Natassja Kinski. Avatar was never going to work for me.
Yet for 150 minutes this evening James Cameron had me in the palm of his hand.
Snigger away. But this is the important part:
"Rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking."
Next week a kid who hasn't seen Dances with Wolves is going to sit down wearing a silly pair of spectacles and be blown away.
By the time he or she gets to my miserable jaded age, the effects here will look as old fashioned and as dated as anything I choose to rewatch for the umpteenth time in my DVD collection. But I collect those movies for a reason. So right now I'm jealous of that kid and what he or she is going to experience many years from now in the same way I'm jealous of the first kids who got to see King Kong back in 1933.
But if none of that sways you, just buy the ticket for Michelle Rodriguez and Stephen Lang. They steal the show.
I just got back home from the world premiere of Avatar here in London. It's safe to keep reading. You are entering a spoiler-free zone.
I wasn't expecting much. I attended the 15 minute IMAX preview a few months back and out of context what I saw was pretty. Very pretty. The immersive technology was an obvious step up, but the scenes with the marines came across as just weird on the eye and the sequences with all the alien fauna gave me flashbacks to James Mason clambering through mushrooms forests in Journey to the Centre of the Earth. But what really had me worried was the story.
There's a lot of that same worry online. Avatar is often mentioned in the same breath as Ferngully: The Last Rainforest and Dances with Wolves, and then there was *that* South Park episode. I arrived this evening to a blue carpet event (I see what they did
there) surrounded by press and the stars of the film, actually surprised at the invite to be honest. Because I've been very cynical online. I'm not sure if it was oversight on the part of SKY MOVIES HD who invited me or just simple faith in the movie, but it was stressed to me that I should be as honest as possible in the review. So here goes.
All those worries are completely justified. There's hardly a single moment of truly original story telling up on the screen. The characters are developed exactly as you think they will be and key moments at the climax of the movie are sign posted clearly early on. If you think you've already seen James Cameron's Avatar then there's a good chance you're right.
And none of that matters.
I'm seeing it again on an IMAX screen in a few weeks and I can hardly wait.
It's the combination of story and technology that reeled me in. The visual depth of the 3D technology is not completely immersive on its own, but Cameron understands that. The opening sequence seems timed to let your brain get around the eye candy while the introduction to Sam Worthington's Jake Sully slowly begins to draw you in. By the time I met Sigourney Weaver the 3D element had settled down and simply felt comfortable. By the time I met the Na'vi I was immersed. And somehow the story had me too.
I'm a story guy so usually I like to be surprised. If I can work out where a movie is going then I get annoyed. But because Avatar's plot, to me at least, was so familiar I actually began to concentrate on how well Cameron had constructed it. By the time the first simple arrow-head bounced off a gun ship I was enthralled. Because I knew what was coming and that Cameron was going to execute it with a steady eye and confidence not only in the technology, but also in the cast.
I'm a hard guy to please and being a fan of Twitch for years I know its readers have a rabid love for cinema. But I'm the guy who thinks the Jedi should be edited out of Star Wars at the same time the elves and hobbits get scraped away from Lord of the Rings. I found Dr Manhattan's blue penis hard to swallow and the last cat person I fell in love with was Natassja Kinski. Avatar was never going to work for me.
Yet for 150 minutes this evening James Cameron had me in the palm of his hand.
Snigger away. But this is the important part:
"Rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking."
Next week a kid who hasn't seen Dances with Wolves is going to sit down wearing a silly pair of spectacles and be blown away.
By the time he or she gets to my miserable jaded age, the effects here will look as old fashioned and as dated as anything I choose to rewatch for the umpteenth time in my DVD collection. But I collect those movies for a reason. So right now I'm jealous of that kid and what he or she is going to experience many years from now in the same way I'm jealous of the first kids who got to see King Kong back in 1933.
But if none of that sways you, just buy the ticket for Michelle Rodriguez and Stephen Lang. They steal the show.
More from Avatar
- News: Todd (Not Quite) Live-Blogs The Oscars: Visual Effects
- News: Todd (Not Quite) Live-Blogs The Oscars: Cinematography
- News: Todd (Not Quite) Live-Blogs The Oscars: Art Direction
- News: Todd (Not Quite) Live-Blogs The Oscars: Ben Stiller Goes AVATAR
- News: AVATAR tops 8th Annual VES Awards Nominations
- Reviews: AVATAR review
- News: Avatar International Trailer
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Seldom have I seen such unanimous praise for an uber-expensive blockbuster. Every review or impression I've read about Avatar has been marked by effusive praise. They've come from very diverse quarters, as well. I had no intention of going to see this in the theater, but after today, I think I have to reconsider.
I have to say, this is my favourite review. And agree with zombeaner. However I did have every intention of seeing it and defnately in theatre.
It's great to see a review this honest. I worked on the film and as nice as it is to see reviews with whats seems to be almost biased praise I would rather see more honest, rational and thought out reviews like this.
Thank you.
Nice, honest review. I definitely can't wait to see this!
"I found Dr Manhattan's blue penis hard to swallow."
Lordy I hope that pun was intentional! :)
Great review, and has me psyched to see AVATAR. I can take the cliche' as long as it's done with panache'.
And yes I like using words with a ' at the end of them.
I have been a big fan of James Cameron so far, but with every new huge project of his I fear he will stumble and fall. So I approached the whole Avatar hype with a "hope for the best, but... be ready to expect less than that" attitude.
A good Cameron film rocks like little else, so this review couldn't possibly have made me happier. I'm seeing this film in one of the biggest IMAX 3D venues in Europe, Saturday the 19th. And I'm counting down the minutes...
the most cynical review so far, yet it's glowing praise. good stuff
good old blockbuster spectacle with predictable storyline ? why not. Cameron does nothing else, so no surprise here and I'm glad if he still is able to do it as opposed to a certain flannel shirted director of the past.
Just saw the movie.
Motherfucking movie of the year.
Actually, most of the reviews I've read have been putting the movie in the middle ground: not terrible, but not great. It all depends on what you want. I have no problem with great animation and special effects, but if the story is not good (or is tired and predictable), I'm not interested.
Wow, Michelle Rodriguez steals the show. I didn't see that coming.
good stuff...
but why were you trying to swallow Dr. Manhattan's penis?
you lucky blue carpet basterd
I haven't seen the movie, but the premise seems to be a direct reflection of the process. The cat people character designs are uninspired distortions of facial features. Just make the mouth smaller and the eyes bigger, then drag them apart a bit. So the actors are motion captured and instantly distorted.
That's the basic premise of the film too, is it not? The characters embody these distorted cartoon aliens. Again I haven't seen the movie, but I'm guessing it's got some kinda Pocahontas story. I'm always confused when people are hung up on story, one hollywood story is no better than another -they are all predictable. So how can you even decide which one is good?
This review is, in hindsight, SO INCREDIBLY SPOT-ON that I won't be posting my own. Yes there are problems with the narrative. Easily spotted and easily fixable ones too, so I'm puzzled to see that they are there at all. And they don't matter. If you are irritated by faults in the plot it means that Cameron has already got you believing his world. I went with an old skeptical friend of mine (the 3D-IMAX ticket was my birthday gift to him) and I value his opinion as being "The General Public's Opinion". He's no nerd, no geek and no film freak, but he does have a high-end system at home and can sensibly talk about films he really likes. And he was blown away by "Avatar".
In 2D this is a stellar blockbuster of a movie, a worthy contender of any of the Star Wars prequels, with even better special effects and none of their unfortunate baggage.
In 3D this is something you've never seen before. I will challenge anyone who says different.
In 3D-IMAX you get the 3D-film on 70mm, four times as sharp, with far better functioning glasses (and of lighter weight). I've never been THIS immersed into another world.
And Cameron makes true on his statement that not a single "money-shot" made it into the trailer.
I repeat: the trailer only has exposition in it, none of the highlights.
I have always said that "The Terminator" is one of the best edited films ever made. I now state that "Avatar", especially in 3D, is one of the best composited films ever made. There is some play with height difference and depth during the action scenes which I have never seen before, and seeing it in a 3D-IMAX made me exclaim out loud on several occasions (you know, the Keanu Reeves "WHOA").
Bottom line: I loved it but that was no surprise. But my friend wants to re-visit the same film in a cinema for the first time in his life.
I'm a tad late on this but did so a couple of days ago to a still packed London cinema. It's undeniably an enjoyable experience and a technical marvel, the best 3D in a movie so far - immersive and the least eye straining yet. And so it should be, given it's been Cameron's 3D project since the ice age. I have to say (and this isn't meant to be harsh) I think it's like Titanic... it's a landmark achievment in technical effects but will be remembered as just that. It's not that the story, performances etc are by any stretch bad, and there's nothing inherently wrong with his recycling. I love the space marines, so why not. It's a gripping movie, no doubt.
But what it doesn't do is pave the way for all movies to be 3D (in the way that at a point almost all movies became colour, or in sound) as some have been suggesting, and it to become a seamless part of the movie going experience. Avatar is a cool experience right now, but it is down to the novelty factor. T2 was groundbreaking technically for the CGI but has also stood up to the years incredibly as a great story with iconic characters. Avatar won't (hence Titanic) I don't think.
I can see 3D becoming much like the use of slow motion, or normal CGI - another tool in a director's arsenal. With Avatar I was immersed for sure in the story and action, but I was also constantly (and consciously) marvelling at the 3D. But when that's a commonplace as the CGI in 2012 or Terminator Salvation, I'm wondering how it'll feel... Hey, who knows the future and I'm probably wrong!
It does remind you how damn good JC is at action scenes in those last 30 minutes though...