Sunday night I finally saw "Avatar" - the newest scifi flick from James Cameron.  We went to IMAX 3D in at the Mall of Georgia to see it.  So here are my impressions:

The visuals

Special effects, CGI, animations etc. are really as stunning as they are described. Although not the first 3D film and not the first to use photo-realistic CGI "Avatar" really takes it to the next level. All the artists who dreamed up the alien landscapes, plants and animals, as well as all the animators and motion capture experts who helped bring this extraordinary vision to life deserve every accolade thrown at them.

The story

The plot can basically be summarized as "Dances with Wolves" meets "Red Scorpion".

The story takes place in a distant future on an alien moon called Pandora. Humans come there to mine a mineral poetically called Unobtainium. The issue is that the moon is home to a native race called Na'vi a large group of who live in a tree (it's a big tree) that grows right on top of rich deposit of said Unobtainium.

Earthlings are trying to [unsuccessfully] persuade Na'vi to move. So they enlist a former Marine named Jack Sully (Sam Worthington) to take mind control of an Avatar - a genetically-bred human-Na'vi hybrid, infiltrate the native tribe, and learn of a way to persuade them to relocate. Instead, Jake discovers that Na'vi really cannot move and there is nothing they would want from humans to do it. So, human leadership decides to move the Na'vi by force and the war begins.

To make a long story short it is suffice to say that the plot is simplistic and has holes big enough to fly a helicopter through. You had to suspend disbelief more then a few times as you see arrows penetrating not just body armor, but helicopter cockpits, lack of Predator drones or any remote weaponry in the future etc.

Political Parallels

Many critics have noticed parallels between the story and current events. Jake, for instance, mentions that he cannot afford a spine surgery that is not covered by his VA benefits. He also mentions an economic crisis back on Earth. Human soldiers on Pandora are part of a mercenary group like Blackwater. The Na'vi aliens have too many similarities to Native Americans.

Overall

Even so the plot is very weak and dialog is flat the movie is still worth watching for visual effects alone. However, to fully appreciate the scenery and you need to see it at IMAX 3D. It is really not worth watching in a regular theater.

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Sasha

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Work is a matter of taste. If you don't work you don't taste.

Not even in 3D?

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Saw Avatar in 3D in a regular theater Saturday night.  It was just fine.  They gave us all the 3D glasses.  The visual effects were great.T

The story is very, very politically correct and reminded me of the story of the evil white men who were out to exploit the indian lands for gold back in the 1860-70 period.  Course they threw in how the "white men" had destroyed the climate on their own planet and were trying to do the same to the beloved, naturally unspoiled planet of the Navi. Also, let's throw in how "all living things are connected and how a force called Eywa "mother nature" protected the planet in the end by repelling the evil white exploiters.    This movie plot could have been written by Greenpeace.  Trust me here.

All in all, it was a great movie.

Warning,  Natasha got motion sick over the 3D thing.   She felt sick to her stomach for a whole day after.

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Make each day count to improve yourself and those around you

412:

Not even in 3D?

 

Well, you are basically watching it for the visuals, so if you watch it in a higher-resolution/larger format you will probably enjoy it more.  However, it is all very subjective.  

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Sasha

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Work is a matter of taste. If you don't work you don't taste.

I hate IMAX, so I saw it in regular 3D - it was amazing.

Cameron's attention to details and realizm are outstanding, the movie is a great adventure and plain and simply Oscar worthy...

However, it definately has this tree-hugging, imperializm is bad message... Main character abandons his own race in favor of a new body and interspecies sex... :)

And it's all true - westers white man did destroy anything in its path to resources - native indians, Chinese (opium wars) etc...

As to the other aspects - The one true hole in the movie- they never actualy talked to natives about moving :) Jake was supposed to do that, but he didn't. he never asked...
So there were never any negotiations... Also, Cameron never showed the other sides of living with nature.... why there are so many warriors na'vi have... who are they fighting  ?
We know they have diff clans, which are not united.....  etc...

Blackwater doesn't use remotes and all military aspects are fairly correct and real. It's not an army there, those are mercenaries - corporate security force. It doesn't have the heavy weaponry.

mech thingy is definately not a military model.. it has no armor...

The penetration of the plexiglass by arrows is OK, considering it was only possible from extremely short range and Na'vi are much stronger than humans with carbon fiber enhanced bones... so this is completely withhin possiblilities...

Until the planet itself got involved  this mercinaries were doing just fine and total destruction of all na'vi forces was minutes away. With minimal casualties... as expected.

What I want to see in the sequel is how Cameron is going to be able to save natives after Earth sends real military in. If this mineral is that crucial to eath, they'll be back.

Personally, I'd bomb with neuron bombs from orbit, sterilize the planet and get what I need without any native presence... 

 

 

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- Независимость - это когда в 20-й раз наступаешь на одни и те же грабли, а русские уже ни при чем....