"Avatar" has been on the brain of late. Almost everyone's brain, it seems.
Close to home, at my desk in fact, it's been mostly "Avatar" as my Edelman team worked on some events to support IMAX auditoriums opening at AMC Theatres in New Jersey and Florida.
So it was an easy decision to purchase a ticket to "Avatar: An IMAX 3D Experience" for one of the first local Metro Atlanta theatres -- I took in the film at midnight this morning. Great stuff!
While watching "Avatar" unfold, numerous adjectives came to mind to describe it: Original. Creative. Spectacular. Surprising. Miraculous. Awesome. Awe-inspiring. Jaw-dropping. Stunning. Dazzling. Amazing. Breathtaking. It was fun to later read many of these words in the reviews of my favorite film critics.
First thoughts exiting the theatre: Yes for Oscars, but only for effects and soundtrack.
"Avatar" really delivers on the entertainment front -- beautiful scenery, excellent score and thought-provoking themes. Several times there were subtle (or not so subtle) references to superb films of the past. It is likely I will have to see it a few times to really absorb it all.
My lone "complaint" or negative criticism of "Avatar" is that during the mental compilation of all those adjectives, I realized that the words coming to mind to describe the film actually, consistently have more syllables that most of the dialogue.
It seems a shame to me that the writing for "Avatar" never tee'd up an Academy Award-worthy actress like Sigourney Weaver, one of the "Avatar" co-stars, to deliver a thoughtful monologue, lesson or detailed point of view. Rather than empower her with captivating words and emotions, as in Weaver's performance in "Death And The Maiden," for example, James Cameron & Co. gave Weaver's "Avatar" scientist a lot of monosyllable exclamations and pseudo-surly (and almost monosyllable) banter.
And regarding Weaver's chain smoking for dramatic effect: WTF!?! Totally unnecessary -- they might as well have had her carrying around a shot glass of bourbon. Or, hey. How about some Na'vi crack?
More than once I also sensed there was a LOT of stuff filmed for "Avatar" that got scrapped to cut it down to just more than two hours and forty minutes. In the mad rush to showcase action-action-action there was not a lot of character development. But the action does deliver. Fortunately, the dialogue (one syl la ble at a time as it was) in "Avatar" was not a distraction as was the comically-stupid script of the "Star Wars: Episode II" action scenes.
I looked, but could find no obvious nor subtle "Avatar" connection to the Olympics, except to ponder what sports contests might be played on Pandora, the planet in the film.
Of course, athletics (specifically long jump, high jump, marathon and sprints), archery, equestrian (on the horse-like and dragon-style creatures of "Avatar"), and shooting (on the human side) would be other-worldly options.
Close to home, at my desk in fact, it's been mostly "Avatar" as my Edelman team worked on some events to support IMAX auditoriums opening at AMC Theatres in New Jersey and Florida.
So it was an easy decision to purchase a ticket to "Avatar: An IMAX 3D Experience" for one of the first local Metro Atlanta theatres -- I took in the film at midnight this morning. Great stuff!
While watching "Avatar" unfold, numerous adjectives came to mind to describe it: Original. Creative. Spectacular. Surprising. Miraculous. Awesome. Awe-inspiring. Jaw-dropping. Stunning. Dazzling. Amazing. Breathtaking. It was fun to later read many of these words in the reviews of my favorite film critics.
First thoughts exiting the theatre: Yes for Oscars, but only for effects and soundtrack.
"Avatar" really delivers on the entertainment front -- beautiful scenery, excellent score and thought-provoking themes. Several times there were subtle (or not so subtle) references to superb films of the past. It is likely I will have to see it a few times to really absorb it all.
My lone "complaint" or negative criticism of "Avatar" is that during the mental compilation of all those adjectives, I realized that the words coming to mind to describe the film actually, consistently have more syllables that most of the dialogue.
It seems a shame to me that the writing for "Avatar" never tee'd up an Academy Award-worthy actress like Sigourney Weaver, one of the "Avatar" co-stars, to deliver a thoughtful monologue, lesson or detailed point of view. Rather than empower her with captivating words and emotions, as in Weaver's performance in "Death And The Maiden," for example, James Cameron & Co. gave Weaver's "Avatar" scientist a lot of monosyllable exclamations and pseudo-surly (and almost monosyllable) banter.
And regarding Weaver's chain smoking for dramatic effect: WTF!?! Totally unnecessary -- they might as well have had her carrying around a shot glass of bourbon. Or, hey. How about some Na'vi crack?
More than once I also sensed there was a LOT of stuff filmed for "Avatar" that got scrapped to cut it down to just more than two hours and forty minutes. In the mad rush to showcase action-action-action there was not a lot of character development. But the action does deliver. Fortunately, the dialogue (one syl la ble at a time as it was) in "Avatar" was not a distraction as was the comically-stupid script of the "Star Wars: Episode II" action scenes.
I looked, but could find no obvious nor subtle "Avatar" connection to the Olympics, except to ponder what sports contests might be played on Pandora, the planet in the film.
Of course, athletics (specifically long jump, high jump, marathon and sprints), archery, equestrian (on the horse-like and dragon-style creatures of "Avatar"), and shooting (on the human side) would be other-worldly options.
Maybe the Na'vi Olympiad will make the cut for "Avatar II -- The Sequel" (or would that be aptly titled "Avatar's Avatar" for part two?).
Avatar photo via this blog
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1 comment:
I saw Avatar at the AMC IMAX Altamonte Springs over the holiday weekend. I am a known critic of CGI in film, but this movie was amazingly beautiful. Like Space Station 3D and Hubble 3D, this film is certainly best experienced with IMAX 3D.
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