I affectionately summed up this movie to friends as "Dances with Wolves goes to Ferngully."
Basically, hear hear on everything you said - summing it up far more eloquently than I ever could. The special effects and sheer beauty of the film make it worth seeing - twice so far for me and I must confess I'll probably go at least one more time. Were it not so spectacular in 3D I wouldn't have seen it more than once. I probably won't buy it, because the story was so generic - regurgitated ethnic stereotypes and happily-ever-after in its ending. The story itself irritated me beyond belief. If I were anything more than 1/6th native I would have been hugely offended rather than seriously annoyed.
But I can accept it and willingly sit through it because of the pretty. The very fact that you're able to forget for just about every fucking second of the film that the na'vi aren't real beings is incredible. The fact that the best acting in the whole film is done by a recreation is amazing (I thought the woman who portrayed Neytiri did a great job, even if she was a little overdramatic at some points!).
But the predictability of the whole movie was what seriously annoyed me. I hate when you know every freaking thing that's going to happen in a movie. Like when they show the big toruk skull and say there's only ever been a couple super-special people to have ever rode them, it's like "gee, I wonder if Jake will catch one?" Don't want to spoil anything else for those who haven't seen it, but suffice to say within the first 20 minutes I could have written out how the rest of the story would go.
Basically, hear hear on everything you said - summing it up far more eloquently than I ever could. The special effects and sheer beauty of the film make it worth seeing - twice so far for me and I must confess I'll probably go at least one more time. Were it not so spectacular in 3D I wouldn't have seen it more than once. I probably won't buy it, because the story was so generic - regurgitated ethnic stereotypes and happily-ever-after in its ending. The story itself irritated me beyond belief. If I were anything more than 1/6th native I would have been hugely offended rather than seriously annoyed.
But I can accept it and willingly sit through it because of the pretty. The very fact that you're able to forget for just about every fucking second of the film that the na'vi aren't real beings is incredible. The fact that the best acting in the whole film is done by a recreation is amazing (I thought the woman who portrayed Neytiri did a great job, even if she was a little overdramatic at some points!).
But the predictability of the whole movie was what seriously annoyed me. I hate when you know every freaking thing that's going to happen in a movie. Like when they show the big toruk skull and say there's only ever been a couple super-special people to have ever rode them, it's like "gee, I wonder if Jake will catch one?" Don't want to spoil anything else for those who haven't seen it, but suffice to say within the first 20 minutes I could have written out how the rest of the story would go.
Okay, that's a long enough comment. Done now!
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