Avatar review
Posted Monday, February 8, 2010 - 12:52pm
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With Titanic sinking box office records in 1997, James Cameron seems poised for world domination (aka $$$) with his latest film Avatar. Contrary to his win for Best Picture at the Golden Globe Awards, I hope he strikes out on Oscar night. Not that I bear hard feelings against the “king of the world ” for what many have called a technical masterpiece, but without the visual effects, Avatar is nothing more than an in-your-face morality tale without imagination.
It’s not as if we haven’t dealt with blue people before. Do you remember the Smurfs? (Fans should know there will be a live-action 3D movie released in July 2011!) Gargamel was an evil wizard who weasled, manipulated,and even used brute force to take what he wanted from those cute little Smurfs with pug tails sticking out from white pants. The only difference is that Smurfs are smaller than humans whereas the Na’vi (Avatar species from planet Pandora) are lanky giants. Their blue faces are merely a contrivance to show the power struggle between two worlds.
A story about morality, about the essence of our humanity, should be engaging, thought-provoking, even awe-inspiring. Avatar only proves to be a letdown with a shoddy script and lines so predictable you can quote them before they are even spoken. It is no wonder that despite nine Oscar nominations, it did not earn one for screenplay. Apparently, superficiality proves acceptable for Saturday morning cartoons but not for a movie that claims to be the revival of the film industry.
Originality aside, why not experience the film for its true machinations – the visual effects? I took myself to the nearest IMAX 3D cinema, expecting at worst to be impressed, at best to be ruined for all movies to come. The effects drew me into the scene with enough panache to keep me interested. Some moments were more obvious than others, but for the most part, I felt as if I was in the midst of the action, even if Pandora looked like an overdone rave club with its incessant glow-in-the-dark sets. Unfortunately, despite the advanced technology, I am sad to say it did little more for me than other 3D movies I have seen in theaters. (I can hear the gasps from sci-fi fans everywhere.) Though the bulk of 3D features have been cartoons until now, Avatar doesn’t pull itself apart. In fact, it falls comfortably into that animated genre with its own heavy hand in CGI.
It’s not as if I am stirring up an anti-Avatar campaign. It is entertaining. For action seekers especially, this will be more than satisfying fare. Adrenaline, explosions, gun-fire and mindless fun, i.e. you won’t have to think because every detail will be spoon-fed to you. My question is: Whatever happened to the art of story-telling? Looking at the other Oscar hopefuls this year, and you can’t help but see what Avatar is missing. Heart. Like life, it can’t be all about what things look like, but how they make you feel inside. At least the Smurfs didn’t put on airs. They just made me laugh, and laughing makes me happy.
My ratings: 2 stethoscopes
Editorial: Dr. Tanya Feke is a physician at Middlesex Hospital Primary Care - Durham and guest columnist for the Town Times. She was press credentialed to the LA Film Festival in 2009 and continues to pursue a love of film. Her reviews are rated on a five stethoscope scale.
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