[Movie Review] Avatar

[maxcreigs]

I watched this movie in a High-def screening with quality sound and 3D. A brand new theater in Austin which has some nice trimmings. I decided to go for first day/first show (midnight) because that is when most movie-buffs head out over in this city.

The movie opens with a simple narrative style, putting together some thematic and stylistic elements that are drawn upon through the rest of the movie.

I thought to myself a lot of times during the movie that it is almost as if Cameron wants to show off his fancy cinematography and CGI. I guarantee you that at least a half hour of the movie could have been cut down by tightening up many different elements. However, it is his labor of love and I'll live with it.

The plot is somewhat simplistic and very cliched. This was the weakest part of the movie for me, mainly because we have already seen the same setup in "Battle for Terra", an under-rated animated movie released not too long ago.

Still, because of the art and the background established, the plot doesn't bog the movie down too much. It progresses and does it's job, taking us from one pretty locale to another while adding a few basic layers to the "epic".

The acting is decent for the most part, outside of the antagonist. The CGI characters are very impressive and outside of Gollum from the LoTR movies, are probably the most expressive and nuanced. Given the high level of virtual screen-time these characters are inhabiting, I was very impressed with the attention to detail. When viewing the movie in 3D, you will be further impressed with the level of interaction of the characters with their virtual environments, and that of CGI on CGI action that occurs throughout the movie.

A depth is added to the entire proceedings that adds a sense of realism and wonderment. You know the Navi are CGI, but it seems not to matter in the least. Oscar for best special effects and all that jazz should be a lock for the movie.