Avatar
I saw "Avatar" tonight. As I said on my Facebook page, the appeal of midnight showings is that if I can manage to stay awake, then the movie must be half decent. If I fall asleep during the first act, then at least I didn't waste a Saturday night on it.
I'll give it 3/4.
The effects are absolutely amazing and very much live up to the hype. If this is a movie you want to see for the special effects, then you MUST see it in 3D. Eventually you forget about the glasses and just find yourself immersed. It's just fantastic.
If you think the story may be interesting, well... I'll say that the comparisons to "Dances with Wolves," or any other "noble savage" movie for that matter, are off. Okay, yes, the noble savage is played out in Western cinema and story telling, but that's because it's a part of our history. We all understand the message, and it makes for easy drama. "Avatar" had a bit of uniqueness to, I think, stand on its own, but the execution was flawed.
There were two scenes in particular that sucked me out of the movie-watching experience and resulted in me laughing a bit too loudly. I would have drawn some ire from the people around me if others in the theater weren't doing the same thing.
The acting was great, fantastic in some places, but the script was lacking; and for a movie this beautiful, and for all the money that was pumped into it, I think a decent screenwriter would have helped.
So that was a major failing.
I still recommend it for theater viewing. For effects, go big and pay for 3D (or IMAX 3D if it's available in your area); for story, don't feel bad about paying regular price.
I'll give it 3/4.
The effects are absolutely amazing and very much live up to the hype. If this is a movie you want to see for the special effects, then you MUST see it in 3D. Eventually you forget about the glasses and just find yourself immersed. It's just fantastic.
If you think the story may be interesting, well... I'll say that the comparisons to "Dances with Wolves," or any other "noble savage" movie for that matter, are off. Okay, yes, the noble savage is played out in Western cinema and story telling, but that's because it's a part of our history. We all understand the message, and it makes for easy drama. "Avatar" had a bit of uniqueness to, I think, stand on its own, but the execution was flawed.
There were two scenes in particular that sucked me out of the movie-watching experience and resulted in me laughing a bit too loudly. I would have drawn some ire from the people around me if others in the theater weren't doing the same thing.
The acting was great, fantastic in some places, but the script was lacking; and for a movie this beautiful, and for all the money that was pumped into it, I think a decent screenwriter would have helped.
So that was a major failing.
I still recommend it for theater viewing. For effects, go big and pay for 3D (or IMAX 3D if it's available in your area); for story, don't feel bad about paying regular price.