A quick Avatar review.
In essence, this movie to me was like a Thanksgiving dinner at a five-star restaurant. I knew exactly what dishes were going to be served, and in what order, well in advance -- but there will be a few surprises, and the feast will still be magnificent.
The surprise, for me, was the planetary intellgence that Eywa represented. Planetary sentience is rarely dealt with in sci-fi and only once, that I know of in movies before: the little known but amazing movie Solaris, remade in 2002 and produced by none other then James Cameron!
But it was barely touched on in Avatar, used as a Deux Ex Machina to save the Na'vi at the last minute. Honestly, it was the movie's only disappointment; had Eywa been made into a Solaris-like entity the entire Pocahontas trope could have been turned inside-out and some serious depth applied to the plot, but instead it followed form right to the end.
I've always said that even the most derivative of plots, told entertainingly, will beat an original story told poorly any day, and this is yet more proof. Visually and viscerally, Avatar is a stunning achievement and a true Geek's Delight, more then enough to carry it past it's weak points.
Highly recommended, particularly if it can be seen in IMAX 3D. In that format, it will rock your world. But even in standard 3D it's stunning.
The surprise, for me, was the planetary intellgence that Eywa represented. Planetary sentience is rarely dealt with in sci-fi and only once, that I know of in movies before: the little known but amazing movie Solaris, remade in 2002 and produced by none other then James Cameron!
But it was barely touched on in Avatar, used as a Deux Ex Machina to save the Na'vi at the last minute. Honestly, it was the movie's only disappointment; had Eywa been made into a Solaris-like entity the entire Pocahontas trope could have been turned inside-out and some serious depth applied to the plot, but instead it followed form right to the end.
I've always said that even the most derivative of plots, told entertainingly, will beat an original story told poorly any day, and this is yet more proof. Visually and viscerally, Avatar is a stunning achievement and a true Geek's Delight, more then enough to carry it past it's weak points.
Highly recommended, particularly if it can be seen in IMAX 3D. In that format, it will rock your world. But even in standard 3D it's stunning.