I've seen it several times now, and I will own the extended edition when it hits the shelves Tuesday. There is definitely more to it than the visuals, and there are even some subtle reverberations to the style of Cameron's other films. My favorite in the Alien franchise is the second film. And Avatar pays homage to those marines in several ways right down to the motion trackers.
And listen carefully. Do you hear the bark of the raptors and the roar of the T-Rex from Jurassic Park? You bet you do. Another familiar resonance.
What I love most about the film is it's an effective and believable journey into another world. The level of realism and immersion even without 3D is incredible, and it suspends my disbelief. Eye candy? Perhaps. At least it doesn't distract you and remind you that you're watching something faked in a computer. Polar Express, Beowulf, even Star Wars with its puppet Yoda couldn't do that. We've come a long way in creature animation, but believable humans with their nuances of facial expression were difficult to achieve. Thankfully, Gollum from LOTR and the recent cast of characters on the Flying Dutchman raised the bar. Yes, I can still catch a few obvious quirks of computer animation in the mouth movements in Avatar, but overall the effect that we're watching living, breathing humanoids is exceptional right down to the paint and mud physics.
But getting so wrapped up in these other worlds that people are learning Klingon, Elvish, and Na'vi? I suppose it isn't much different from learning an accent and acting on stage or in a Renaissance Festival. I role-played for 15 years in the AD&D universe. I also acted on stage in high school and college. But I know where the fantasy world ends and the real world begins. Sadly that isn't true for everyone I know.
Movies are my escape. And Avatar took me away from this world for a full three hours. I look forward to another trip to Pandora just as I look forward to another journey with the Hobbits, with Harry Potter and with Flynn (Tron). I am also eagerly awaiting the next installment of the renewed Trek franchise. Transformers? Not so much. But that's another debate.
Cracker Funk, oél ngáti kámeie.
And listen carefully. Do you hear the bark of the raptors and the roar of the T-Rex from Jurassic Park? You bet you do. Another familiar resonance.
What I love most about the film is it's an effective and believable journey into another world. The level of realism and immersion even without 3D is incredible, and it suspends my disbelief. Eye candy? Perhaps. At least it doesn't distract you and remind you that you're watching something faked in a computer. Polar Express, Beowulf, even Star Wars with its puppet Yoda couldn't do that. We've come a long way in creature animation, but believable humans with their nuances of facial expression were difficult to achieve. Thankfully, Gollum from LOTR and the recent cast of characters on the Flying Dutchman raised the bar. Yes, I can still catch a few obvious quirks of computer animation in the mouth movements in Avatar, but overall the effect that we're watching living, breathing humanoids is exceptional right down to the paint and mud physics.
But getting so wrapped up in these other worlds that people are learning Klingon, Elvish, and Na'vi? I suppose it isn't much different from learning an accent and acting on stage or in a Renaissance Festival. I role-played for 15 years in the AD&D universe. I also acted on stage in high school and college. But I know where the fantasy world ends and the real world begins. Sadly that isn't true for everyone I know.
Movies are my escape. And Avatar took me away from this world for a full three hours. I look forward to another trip to Pandora just as I look forward to another journey with the Hobbits, with Harry Potter and with Flynn (Tron). I am also eagerly awaiting the next installment of the renewed Trek franchise. Transformers? Not so much. But that's another debate.
Cracker Funk, oél ngáti kámeie.
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