Avatar

I find that I go to the movies more and more, expecting to see art that will expand my horizons regarding a subject or idea; something that will allow me to see in a new light, the relationships that we build in life and our reasons for doing the things we do. It is rare that I go and see a movie, let alone find a good one, that is just a pure, fun escape from reality. Once again Mr. James Cameron fails to disappoint with his latest triumph: Avatar.

Avatar is a futuristic space movie, and I was a little scared going in that there would be some sort of intergalactic senate or some other form of space politics that I wouldn't really care to follow, but this movie kept it damn simple. They explain how everything works within the first twenty minutes or so, and while keeping it simple as far as the story goes, they show you so many details that your imagination can run wild. It feels very much like 2001 A Space Odyssey, in that you look at the machinery and can tell that everything in the world was done with a purpose. Each creature, machine, or environment you can dissect to the smallest level; blades of grass and leaves have beautiful textures and flow to their movement; it is incredible. At the same time you could point your standard 65mm camera at a lush patch of greenery on a windy day and get the same effect; having said that, Mr. Cameron is trying to reinvent the wheel here, so yeah.

As the box office numbers keep rolling in, it is clear that Mr. Cameron has an unprecedented hit on his hands, and it is clear why. Say what you will about his films, Titanic wasn't my personal favorite, but Terminator 1 & 2, Aliens, The Abyss, and True Lies... This is a director that knows how to keep cinema fun!

There are no weird sub-plots to follow to anything like that, it is just straight old fashioned hero's journey type stuff. The characters are very stock, and each one follows their respective character archtype to a tee, but they are well acted, and very likeable. The viewer can just sit back and take in the gorgeous visuals without having to be bothered by a complex story or a surprise ending. If you want a surprise go see Sixth Sense, actually don't; Bruce Willis is dead, that's the big surprise.

Some people may be reading this blog's title, and think 'There is nothing elitist about this film. Why would the author choose to write about this mainstream film?'

"Fuck you. That's Why"