So, I've just come back from the cinema where I saw one of the most talked about films this year - Avatar. Having heard a few people's opinions, I must say I didn't expect the film to be much more than some nice special effects, a mediocre plot and a tribute to sex equality and political correctness (by the way, who the hell came up with the phrase 'gender equality'?!).
But let's start from the beginning. The ticket, with a student discount, was £6.30 which was much cheaper than that I paid last time I went to see a film in 3D (The Final Destination - one big shite) in Edinburgh but I also had to pay extra for the glasses which, judgeing by the number of new films coming out soon in 3D, I will have to keep. Initially, my eyes got quite sore and even watered a bit (something that didn’t happen when I was watching the previous film in 3D) and I was quite worried I wouldn’t be able to watch comfortably but they soon adjusted and the pain eased off. I know I’m not going to write anything revealing but there you go. Just some chaotic, random thoughts.
I knew what the film was going to be about so I wasn't surprised at all when it turned out that the killer 'savages' from the forest were actually the good guys; but even this knowledge didn't reduce my enjoyment of the picture.
So yeh, the plot... Unlike many people who have seemed to indulge in criticising it, I thought it was great. Adventure, clash of civilisations, good versus evil, love, betrayal - these are timeless themes that have been known for millennia to be components of many great works and they certainly added value to this film. You cannot make a bad film about these things, can you?
When you first see the human technology, you can't help but admire the sophistication and advancement. The shiny metal, computer screens, engines and so on look very close to home but the more time you spend with the Na'vi, you become more hostile to technology and more appreciating of their way of life and the strong bond they have with nature. At least that's how I felt. The Na'vi were amazing. Their behaviour and character in many ways resembled those of humans but at the same time there was something noble and, despite their lack of using advanced technology, something, erm..., advanced. Their religion, if it was a religion, a subject of yanks’ mockery, made so much more sense than human made up beliefs. It was embarrassing to see people, who believe in an invisible man because some ancient books say that he exists, laugh at a civilisation which believe in and have proof for existence of a benevolent force or deity which they call Eywa.
The yanks were the baddies in this film (finally a picture where they don’t save the world from an asteroid/comet/alien invasion/deadly virus and what have you). And after the destruction they had caused, it was really satisfying to see them having their arses seriously kicked. Their corporate greed, illusion of superiority, general stupidity and a bit of bad luck led them to their ignominious fall.
Now about the special effects. There isn’t much to say apart from: WOW. And I meant it, they were very impressive, the colours, especially those of bioluminescence, were delightful, the whole world of Pandora looked very convincing and the scenes of riding animal, chases, falls and battles were breathtaking. The only negative comment I want to make is that sometimes certain objects looked blurred but I think that might have been due to my eyes not fully adjusting to watching films in 3D.
The music was great too, at one point it even resembled music from the Terminator (which, for those you don’t know, was also directed by Cameron). If anyone knows the title and the singer of the song that was played at the end, please write in the comments below.
The only flaw of the film that I can think of is that the fauna (including the Na’vi) and flora looked too earthly. I don’t think it’s possible that evolution on other planets or moons could have gone almost the same direction as evolution on Earth, I mean, come on, the Na’vi were mammals! But I don’t care, we’re used to watching films set in ‘galaxies far, far away’ were the main species look just like humans and where English is the most widely spoken and understood language :)
If I had a choice between living here or living with the Na’vi, I wouldn’t hesitate one moment and say: take me there!
