Just about everyone has seen the Avatar trailer, or the various behind-the-scenes and the-making-of specials surrounding the blockbuster, and I, for one, was looking forward to it. A point to note, though, was that I was more than willing to accept a rather brainless action movie about aliens and big guns and flashy animals with stunning effects. Which was why I wanted so badly to watch it in 3-D.
That didn't happen, and it was a downer for the hour or so I had to wait before the film began. And even after being seated, Golden Village saw it fit to cram what felt like 49 advertisements for hair-care products and alcoholic beverages (and the perfunctory Visa commercials) while only screening trailers for Alvin & the Chipmunks 2 and Sherlock Holmes. I want to watch one of those movies. Here's a hint: It isn't the one with the word Squeakuel in the promo.
So there I was, all settled in, trying hard not to mind the row of prepubescent Chinese girls and boys (who sounded like girls) that were happily running amok as the lights dimmed. At first, I thought they were misplaced and were actually looking for sparkly gay Vampires, but then the movie started and they shut up.
It's a hallmark of a great and special film when the kinds of people that one expects to tarnish your cinematic experience fade into oblivion. Not a sound came from the group of them, and I'm sure that the fella beside me had his nachos untouched until the end of the movie.
As I was sitting there, trying to think of ways to rephrase "a visual feast that satisfied one's appetite for anything else", I was blown away by, of course, the effects and the sheer magnificence of the backdrops and just about everything going on on-screen. The lush world of Pandora (Borderlands!) is breathtakingly beautiful, and the indigenous flora and fauna are stunning, for lack of a better word. I watched a pretty cool documentary about what life on low-gravity planets might look like, and this seemed close. And there are Mechs! I haven't seen a Mech since The Matrix: Revolutions. Plus, Dragonhawks! Sheit.
The plot isn't that profound, and a quick scan of the trailer would enlighten the casual viewer on the gist of it, but, more importantly, it isn't stupid either. Midway through I realized that it was a hybrid of Pocahontas and Star Trek, quite honestly. There are a handful of things in the film that you would expect and predict, though I won't reveal any details. This doesn't detract from anything though, and while you might not get any Sawesque twists, it seems like just the right blend of intelligent dialogue, witty humour, solid storytelling and fast-paced action to warrant at least a second viewing.
Yep, I decided I was going to watch it again less than an hour in. Oh, the movie is long, more than two hours, and trust me, you do NOT want to leave for a pee break. Make sure you are suitably relieved before it starts.
Sigourney Weaver's character, of course, made me think of the last one that was directed by James Cameron, and her as well as Michelle Rodriguez', another tough, no-nonsense chick. It's the second Sam Worthington movie I watched, and like the first one, I absolutely loved it.
It's been a good year for movies for me, I think. Star Trek. Coraline. Terminator Salvation. 500 Days of Summer. Up. Saw VI. Watchmen. How does Avatar rank among them?
I told a number of people the instant I stepped out of the theatre that it was the movie of the year. By far. Some might attribute that to just post-film gushing and euphoria, and that may be so, but then, no other film made me feel this way either. It definitely sits among favorites like Lord of the Rings, Terminator 2, and Jurassic Park in almost every way.
I'd give it a minimum of 9/10, though the only reason it might lose out on a perfect score is that I would have liked if there was more detail for certain parts, but I'm a geek and it's not at all important. Oh, and also for the cheesy name of Unobtainium.
But wow.
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