Thanks to some good planning, I got to see Avatar tonight. Had I not pre-purchased my tickets online, I probably would have missed it. Thankfully, I did buy online. (Handy tip for all you holiday gift card receivers - you can pay for your tickets online with your gift cards!)
Plot Summary from www.IMDB.com:
"In the future, Jake, a paraplegic war veteran, is brought to another planet, Pandora, which is inhabited by the Na'vi, a humanoid race with their own language and culture. Those from Earth find themselves at odds with each other and the local culture."
The movie opens showing some of the film's amazing cinematography. It is so very beautiful. The colours and textures would be jaw-dropping all by themselves. Throw that in a 3D format... you have yourself more than a movie, you have an experience.
The storyline is a classic "bad guy turns hero" tale, but told in a way that you feel involved. I've never had a film draw me in so far that I forgot I wasn't part of it. In Avatar, James Cameron pulled my imagination into the screen. I felt like I was one of these unfortunate indigenous people.
More impressive than the epic nature of the story is how the film is made. The 3D characters really look like the actors portraying them. When Sigourney Weaver's (Grace) avatar smiles, it truly looks like her. The smallest details are the most impressive parts. When a Na'vi character steps on the grass, every blade of grass reacts as if it were in the real world. The fluid motion of the characters lets you forget that you're watching a new form of CGI and allows you to feel like these are real creatures, as if you could actually meet them (if you lived to see the year 2154).
The end result of reading this review should be you planning for when you can go to see this film in theatres. All movies I review, from now on, will be compared to this amazing piece of art. This is the best film I've ever seen, in so many ways. See it for yourself (in 3D and, if you can, in IMAX).
HR
