Wednesday, January 20, 2010

AVATAR - finally, geez

After 3 failed attempts to see this uber-hyped movie, we finally made it in last night. In eye-popping IMAX 3D, of course.

While I don't understand people's suicidal thoughts after seeing the movie, I do understand the depression they might feel afterwards.
But not because of longing for a beautiful world.


We already have a beautiful world. People just don't go outside to look at it or appreciate it because of cubicle jobs, computers and video games, and busy schedules.

I will admit, I had the blues (haha, get it, cuz they're BLUE) after watching Avatar.
I had the same blues after seeing Pocahontas and Fern Gully and Medicine Man (soundtrack for that one kicked so much ass).

Why? Because it made me sad that Man is all about destroying the natural world around us.
It makes me wonder what would've happened had the Native American's pushed out the Euro's and been able to keep the land they thrived on and among without having to tear everything down.

I attribute these feelings to being a small percentage Native American and as small as that percentage may be, the feelings I get after watching so much senseless destruction of nature is really quite strong. My somewhat pagan spiritual beliefs also have something to do with such a reaction.

The people that long for a Pandora-like world are those that take our own for granted. Go take a long walk some where there's no traffic. Get outside of the city every once in a while. Take a kayak out on a river. Go diving in the ocean. Go camping. Take a hotair balloon ride. Unplug yourself from electronics and plug yourself in to being in tune with what's around you.

Yeah, yeah, I know this makes me sound like a damn dirty hippie.
I don't care. I'm not the one longing for a computer-generated-made-up alien world.

What I LOVED about Avatar was all the bioluminescence James Cameron used in the night scenes. That's always been my favorite part about underwater studies and its so cool to see what he's been able to observe in the ocean over the past 10yrs being used in a movie.

Greatest movie ever? No. Its the same story that's been told and retold about someone trying to fit into a different society or culture that doesn't belong, learning their ways only to be seen as the one that brought death & destruction with them, and then saving everyone's asses in the end. But it sure is pretty to look at.

Will it change the way movies are made? Yes, without a doubt. Its the most real motion capture computer generated anything we'll see for a while. Remember how cool it was when Trinity did that jumpkick in Matrix and we were all like, "Holy Shit that was fuckin' awesome!! I've never seen that before!!" And now we're like, "Yawn...I've seen that before."
This will be like that.

I also think its funny that computer software has evolved to perfect things like hair movement and water ripples but fire is still a bit tricky. Not explosions, but just a lit fire.
Someday, computers will perfect everything we already see in life, but I don't think we're quite there yet.
And for that, I'm a small percentage thankful.

What's YOUR favorite part of Avatar or favorite jaw-dropping effects moment in a movie?

3 comments:

Willie said...

There were too many "wow" moments in the movie, so I generally liked how JC kept the 3D subtle by not doing shit in 3D just to show it as 3D (like throwing crap at the audience). I also like how he used the 3D to enhance depth of field properly, especially when it came to playing with the edges of focal planes.

Yes, this will be one of the subjects we discuss during MT!

Anonymous said...

my favorite part was the scene where he picked his flying creature for the 1st time--I loved how they flew around--how cool would that be? I think the idea of "hooking into" a creature like that is so neat --to become as one..I wish we could do that...as a matter of fact I wish I lived in Pandora--now I am sad that there is no Pandora or flying creatures--I feel a deep depression coming over me---sigh....

Mickey said...

I came in cynical, low expectations...and left impressed. Actually, in an opposite sense, movie made me feel good. The colors and beauty were pleasing. Seeing Michael and Reagan enjoy it was positive. I agree with you, there is beauty in our world sadly, so many people cut themselves off of it. So many people are choosing to be negative and depressed as opposed to opening their senses. This movie was a visual masterpiece. I'll see it again.