Avatar | Quick Review
There are two things going on with ‘Avatar’. Firstly there is the introduction of 3D cinema to the masses and secondly there is a narrative which serves as the vehicle for that introduction. By it’s nature, having to appeal to those masses, the second was never going to be as groundbreaking as the first. Those that thought any differently will be disappointed. James Cameron won’t be remembered as a great writer, he will be remembered as a visionary of film technology and CGI, which he has pioneered from the off as ‘The Abyss‘ and ‘Terminator 2‘ testify. Avatar is, if nothing else, born of that vision – and so it succeeds. With ‘Avatar’ , regardless of narrative, Cameron has managed to restore a sense of wonder to the cinema experience.
This film is an alternate reality into which we, the audience, are seamlessly inserted. The power of the visual effects make you feel like you are truly getting something new. This is far from that crappy 2 1/2 – D shark from Jaws 3-D. And it’s not only the 3-D that ‘Avatar’ delivers so well. Cameron’s use of motion capture, which he’s renamed ‘performance capture’, is adept. I found myself desperately trying to figure out how and which bits were or were not real.
I tend only to go to the cinema to see films that are a visual spectacle. I believe a good story can be told anywhere but big visuals and sound (great story or not) benefit from a silver screen. If enjoying that spectacle is one of the reasons you go to look at that screen, then Avatar is an experience you probably won’t want to miss.
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