The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

When I first heard James Cameron was going to direct a new movie, I was excited for it. Terminator, Aliens, True Lies...I'm never bored with what he brings to the screen. When I saw the trailer for the first time...ugh, the first though that came to mind was who thought these Ferngully rejects passed as good character design? It didn't make me want to see it at all. But when the reviews came in, they were mostly positive so I decided to give it a try. And in 3D no less.

First, the 3D experience was rather neat, there were a number of scenes that really enhanced the presentation. At the same time, other scenes they didn't really add much to the visuals, and to be honest I don't particularly enjoy wearing glasses to watch something, especially with this film running nearly 3 hours. So, I'm sort of okay with 3D but if you told me I wouldn't see another one, I'd be okay with it. (And this may sound a little weird, but I thought it made the movie screen look smaller, if that's possible).

So as my buddy Rick and myself summed it up, it's Dances with Wolves meets the Matrix or Star Wars depending on how you feel about the action. It's the classic story of how the white guy gets to know the indigenous people of a land his race is trying to take over, and how he switches sides after getting to know them. It's fairly obvious Cameron draws parallels with the American invasion of Iraq and our current world climate crisis, but it isn't too preachy. In any case, most people are coming out in droves to see the action and special effects. Some work quite well, others, considering the reported $300 or so million dollar budget, don't feel any more original then your average action show.

After seeing the Na'vi scene after scene, I guess it grows on you, but I didn't ever get the feeling I wasn't witnessing CGI, as good as it was. I've read countless reviews on how the last 30 minutes redefine the action genre. I didn't think it was that mind-blowing. There was some slick action, don't get me wrong, but I don't see how it changes the way films are made like the way Terminator 2 changed visual effects. The characters are a little too cartoony, especially the lead villain. But a strong point in Avatar is the idea Cameron puts in his story on how the Na'vi are literally linked to their environment , whether plant or animal, and it drives home the point on how we need to feel the same connection to our world and realize how important it is to take good care of it. David Suzuki may have written the screenplay.