Avatar - Worth the Hype

Avatar (2009)
10/10

As far as epic movies go, "Avatar" certainly ranks up there with the best. Everything is done on such a grand scale, you have the feel of a sweeping epic like "The Lord of the Rings" but all the characterization that most epics lack. "Avatar" is absolutely gorgeous; the CGI is seemless. After one scene with an avatar you don't even notice that almost everything you're seeing is done with computers. This is perhaps more beautiful than "Finding Nemo" or "Up", and those were quite vibrant.

"Avatar" is set in the year 2154 and mankind has more or less desecrated Earth. Humans have started traveling through space and found a moon, Pandora, which is rich in a rare metal, "Unobtainium." The only problem is that the moon has unbreathable air and is inhabited by hostile native. Avatars are genetic hybrids between humans and the natives, and were created to be telepathically controlled by humans so they might be able to communicate and learn about the natives. Sam Worthington ("Terminator Salvation") stars as Jake Sully, a crippled marine who through certain
circumstances is given the chance to go to Pandora to pilot an avatar. His responsibilities are split between head scientist Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) and his Colonel (Stephen Lang). Both ask him to learn as much as he can about the native people but for very different reasons.

When Jake is "linked" to his avatar he is no long crippled, but a lean, fit warrior. As he adventures through the jungle we are given obscene amounts of eye candy. It is all delicious. Every color imaginably finds its way into this movie and never seems out of place. As the story develops you become more enamored with Pandora, just like Jake. You are taken in by the sounds, the people, the fantastic creatures and the sheer beauty of it. By the time the epic battles start, you are genuinely invested in the outcome, as every character has something at stake.

The runtime is 2 hours 40 minutes. I did not notice at all. This could have just kept going and going, serving up more and more of that delicious eye candy, and I would just keep gobbling it up. I must admit that I went into this as a skeptic. I knew it was going to look good, but I was wary of a terrible movie wrapped in pretty packaging. I was given a wonderfully told story of war, romance, morality and cultural understanding in something much more than pretty packaging.

It's Been A While...

I haven't been to the theater in a long time. There are a few things I want to see; I just haven't gotten out. Coincidentally, all star George Clooney. Anyway, I have been watching movies at home via Netflix, and thought I'd share my thoughts on some things that are on DVD.

Gran Torino - Great movie from last year starring Clint Eastwood. Deals with issues of aging, loneliness, and racism. Very well done. I didn't see it when it was in theaters because the trailer made me thing it was going to be an action movie. It is not.

The Great Buck Howard - This came out last spring I think. It is the story of a mentalist (John Malkovich) who is based off of a real life person. It is told from the perspective of his new assistant (Colin Hanks) and manages to be quite funny while maintaining the drama. It does paint Cincinnati in a somewhat negative light, but that doesn't make it a bad film.

The Girlfriend Experience - This is sort of a weird movie, but definitely interesting. It is rather short, but follows a high society escort who is trying to market herself in new ways to bring in more money. We see lots of conversations between her and her clients. All of these scenes hint at who she really is, but the truth is we don't really know.

So there you have it. Some DVDs you should check out if you have the time. I've got Monster, starring Charlize Theron.