For the past year and a half I have been going to see at least one newly released movie a week. Last February I decided to begin writing some of my thoughts down about the movies I was seeing and I Hate Movie Reviews blew up.
With millions now in the bank I needed a few months to figure out what my game plan for the future would be. During this time I took a class that focused about 50% of its attention on the Science Fiction genre. Over the past 4 months I have probably seen 17 or 18 Sci-Fi movies, sometimes viewing the same films several times. I ended up focusing a lot of my attention to James Cameron. I have viewed Terminator (1982) Aliens (1986) The Abyss (1989) and Terminator 2; Judgment Day (1991) at least once in the past 4 weeks, watching T2 three times as it was the focus of my final paper. All these films were directed by Cameron*.
During this time I have;
1. Not had the chance to see a movie in a theatre in 6 weeks
2. Read a copious amount of Science Fiction related essays and film criticisms and
3. Seen a ton of science fiction flicks all while trying to break them down while watching them.
Then I went to go see a movie called Avatar, Directed by James Cameron.
You probably did too.
If you haven’t, you’re planning on it.
And if it’s not on your radar during this Holiday season, then, well, I’m speechless.
I am not a Sci-Fi geek. I’m some other kind of geek… but I’m not a Star-Wars or Star-Trek or Lord of the Rings or anything else that’s geeky like that geek. I’m a good writing, solid stories and characters kinda geek. I hate CGI. I like the look of The Graduate. I think the mumblecore movement is cool.
So, with all this being said I would have to say that Avatar is a spectacle...and nothing less. For me, the experience of watching Avatar 3-D was the single most impressive theatre experience I have ever had. I felt like I was on a ride at Disneyland. I’d like to think this was how Cameron intended me to feel.
I have heard, read, and considered the critiques of the film that can mostly be summed up as a weak script with silly dialog and a predictable timeline of events.
Well, yeah…but so what?
I put up with the dialog that spoke to the 10 year olds seeing this movie because I knew in a few minutes I would stare in awe at the screen as I watched Jake Sully speak or one of those panther things that’s got 6 of the meanest looking legs I have ever seen run around and jump off of shit. It was nothing short of amazing. It was like Cameron took a little bit of something from every Sci-Fi flick I had just watched and put his own twist on it and made it better. And isn’t that where great shit comes from, other peoples okay shit?
I was excited when I left the theatre in a way I don’t ever think I have been. It’s not everyday you witness something like Avatar. I’m sure this technology will become pedestrian sooner than we think. Avatar “knock-off’s” will spring up in theatres and on the Sci-Fi channel but it will be years before you get the chance to witness technology catch up to such a practiced filmmakers vision the way Avatar has.
My Vote: Don’t let life get in the way. Escape to Pandora ASAP.
*Unfortunately, some of his other films like Piranha II: The Spawning (1981), True Lies (1994) or Titanic (1997) didn’t quite fall into the Sci-Fi category.
