The Mother of All Popcorn Movies

Rating: 7/10 (1 February 2010)

This review contains NO spoilers and I did not see any trailer footage beforehand.
Ever went to a fun park where you wanted to take the biggest ride?
Well, in this case it is Avatar. It is the mother of popcorn that ends all popcorn movies. Literally really. But as with any popcorn movie, you should keep your expectations low story wise and then you will have a great time. Especially with teenage kids. Else get ready for some serious eye-rolling and groans.
And here's why...
SCRIPT: Man, what can I say? They say, Cameron has been working on this thing for years, wanting to recreate an detailed fictional world full of life, vistas, sounds, colours and spirit. So you might think he would have had time to develop the story as well. I don't know why it turned out to be so juvenile in the end; it really does not exceed the storyline of a Saturday morning cartoon show.
The characters are very one dimensional while the opportunities of exploring the characters more are so interesting and wide open. You cannot say anything, unfortunately, then that the characters serve nothing else but the cgi.
I think this can only be one of two reasons; OR James Cameron has the mental age of a 14 year old, which I doubt because it is takes enormous effort and organization to set something like this up. OR is aiming for such a wide audience that it also covers the Asian market. I am going for the latter, which uncomfortably fits Cameron's commercial aptitude towards movies.
EFFECTS But while you are waiting for the predictable plot to unfold you will be shown a beautiful world with interesting creatures. And this is were certainly the element of Asian influences shows. Although the world looks luscious and full of life, it still cannot escape the CGI look it has. It still moves too elegant or fluid to be lifelike. The irony is, that this becomes quite apparent in the cinema 3D version.
The 3D does not actually add much to my opinion, although once I was fooled into believing something small was in front of my face, the cliché of actual pointing or throwing things at the camera confirms the 3d but here it is done so subtle you forgot about it. And when it is apparent it is still not that relaxing looking at it. Afterwards I was curious about seeing it in 2D how it feels and look...but no.
All in all, the effects were of course cream of the crop. Everything was done to squeeze the last of 3D out of those gfx workstations and it shows. But the question is, what comes after this? It is not like anyone is going to outdo Avatar for a while. I can even hear George Lucas scratching his head from here. But Peter Jackson knows, and I think Hollywood does too; make it about the characters and the story. Instantly rendering Cameron without a job really. Har di har.
DIRECTION Well, needless to say it is quite an undertaking to set something like this up. But strip away the million dollar effects and then what do you have? Still some very nice, dynamic but familiar camera work, lighting always seems oddly even (because of the green screening) but the sound is just amazing. My hat off for the people who did that.
ACTING Somehow, even in the darker bits, the actors seem quite upbeat in this movie. Maybe it is just me, maybe it is because the non-cgi actors did not have to squeeze out the majority of terrible one-liners. The double irony is, that for a 3d movie the characters are very one dimensional, but the actors do a reasonable job of making the best of it. I was surprised to see main characters being filled by actors I admire but also surprised by actors I did not know at all.
So all in all 7 out 10