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Plot: A group of scientists go off to another planet, along with some warriors to rid the planet of aliens in order that the enterprise might better extract a rare metal, which they are effectively stealing. In order to interact with the aliens, it's necessary for many of the humans to supply their brain power, literally, to operate androids, which resemble the natives in every detail. Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Michelle Rodriguez. Directed by: James Cameron |
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Genre: Family Movie (based on Truth) |
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| Dan |
Terri |
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Whatever you do, be sure to see this in 3-D, because I'm confident that it would lose much of its impact, if you saw it any other format. My overall experience with the movie begins with the special effects. They were not only aesthetically pleasing, but also exceeded my expectations by a very wide margin. These are the best special effects, given my own personal tastes, that I can ever remember seeing. Beyond that, this was just an ordinary movie. It reminds me of an adage that we have, as novelists, that you can sell a lot more popcorn and French fries than champagne and caviar. This was much more the former than the latter. While the plot was stable in every respect, it was not a unique story, notwithstanding the setting. It was a typical action film, whose plot, challenges, emotional ups and downs, and sense of urgency has been repeated thousands of times in different contexts. What comes to mind for me is that it could easily have been told with animated characters as a Saturday morning cartoon. I found that to be the depth of the plot. Insofar as acting is concerned, I didn't feel as though there was any, except when the actors were not represented by their own personal avatars. I heard Director James Cameron interviewed on the Charlie Rose Show, where he talked about the painstaking efforts that were made to preserve human facial expressions on the avatars. However my brain is programmed, it didn't work for me. I would describe an avatar as a blue dolphin with legs, walking upright. I wasn't drawn into their humanity, which I found only in their voices. To me one of the outstanding actor achievements in this movie was Sigourney Weaver's plastic surgery. Whoever performed that is deserving of an Academy Award! I would think that particular individual’s stock in Hollywood either has or will soon go through the roof. She looked spectacular, not a day over 40. In the unlikely event that she has not had plastic surgery, then my kudos go to the makeup artist, or, more likely, to both. While this is clearly a thumbs-up movie, based largely upon the animation and special effects, it is not in my opinion worthy of a best picture award. Looking beyond those features, think about it, and what you're seeing is really very trite. I do give the screenwriter(s) credit, however, for telling a complete story, with most of the aspects of a hero's journey in place. I did miss the jester. I looked at my watch seven times during this movie and was weary by the time it ended. I had some slight nausea, presumably from the 3-D glasses, which lasted about 45 to 60 minutes after the movie was over. I would also not recommend this movie to anyone who suffers from acrophobia, i.e., fear of heights. My grade for this movie as a compelling story and a work of art is C+. The special effects speak for themselves.
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I couldn't get Terri to go see this with me, because she doesn't like animated action films. When seeing movies begins to feel like any other job, it's time to do something else. We go to movies, because we love them and we love the experience.
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