Marneus' Review of Avatar - BAD COP

Porqchop and I saw Avatar on Friday in its full IMAX 3-D grandeur.

Here are my takes:

The PROS.

This movie is a technological wonder. I could not believe how seamlessly the real characters and the CGI toons flowed together. The marine jump-jet-helicopter-esque gunships (taken straight out of The Incredibles, I might add) looked so real, you literally take them completely for granted. They look ABSOLUTELY, PERFECTLY, R E A L.

Yes, the movements of the aliens weren’t quite as perfect, but even still, they were very nearly so. In order to suspend disbelief for a fantasy of this magnitude, the viewer cannot be distracted by inconsistencies with the effects. In that regard, this movie was truly revolutionary. The effects were absolutely seamless.

The IMAX experience itself was absolutely gorgeous, and I loved the way the 3-D was used only to add depth to the visual experience, and not to make you duck in your seat to avoid being hit with a poison-tipped arrow!

For visual effects, I give this film an A+.


The CONS.

The plot is rehash. Big time. I’m saying it’s an amalgamation of Aliens, Dances With Wolves, and Braveheart, but with none of their heart. This is nothing you haven’t seen before.

If you are going to make a movie of this magnitude, with the insane budget and otherworldly effects, I think you also need to have a plot that is equally epic.

I’m a big James Cameron fan, but this time he George Lucas-ed us. He got so enamored with his effects; he forgot what makes a movie great. Story is key, and the sooner the big Hollywood types figure that out, the better!

The downside of the 3-D experience was the length of the movie. I walked out of the theater with a dull headache, and the bridge of my nose was aching from having the heavy plastic 3-D glasses sitting there for nearly 3 hours. I loved how the 3-D looked, but I am hesitant to recommend that anyone go to the 3-D showing. While the 3-D added a bit to my overall experience, I can’t say that I wouldn’t have enjoyed the movie as much without it. Bottom line, the 3-D is beautiful, just know what you’re getting into ahead of time :-)

For plot and ‘heart’, I give this film a B-.


The SOLUTION.

One of my giant aggravations in life is when people sit back and snipe at other people’s creations. Constructive criticism I can live with, but sniping with no suggestions for improvement is just petty, and usually indicates a person with no creative ideas of their own.

Because of that, I feel the need to at least offer up my own thoughts on how this movie could have been improved. Take them or leave them :-)

To begin with, the ‘bad’ characters were way too bad for my liking. The audience could not connect with them in any real way. Their motivations were never even hinted at. The ‘evil’ colonel and the bad corporate douche were pale, 2-D representations of conflict. This 3-D movie deserved better.

I think a slight plot change could have solved the problems mentioned above, and added a lot of much-needed heart at the same time.

It’s really quite simple: the ‘unobtanium’ that they were mining (weak name…), should have been touted as critical for the survival of the earth and/or the human race.

That would have created a very real moral dilemma, and would have given the ‘bad’ characters some believable motivation – they have families/friends/etc back on Earth that they are trying to save.

All of the characters would have been torn by what is right. After all, is it OK for us to destroy another species to ensure our own survival? (Even juicier if it’s hinted that we brought the ruin on ourselves…) At the end of the day, the characters could still ultimately have gone in the directions they did. Some members of the audience could have sided with the colonel, and even the corporate jerk-off. Regardless, they would have at least been given a bit more realism. (Granted, this is not necessarily the most original idea in it’s own right, but I’m trying to stay within the framework I’ve been given here...)

Villains the audience can relate to are always better, and more memorable. That is what Avatar needed, and what might have breathed true life into it, to complement the incredible visual effects.

At the end of the day, Avatar turned out to be the Tin Man (but in really stunning, 3-D CGI.)


Overall GRADE:

B


--Marneus out.