Avatar
Started & Finished: 12/27/09
I’m not going to write anything revolutionary about this movie that you haven’t already read. It was what it was: an exciting visual experience with a mediocre story. It’s hard for me to accurately critique the film because my feelings are so disparate regarding what was seen on screen versus the narrative. One one hand it’s a technological success, but using the latest and greatest means very little if you don’t have a compelling story to back it up.
James Cameron is a great action director. But his storytelling skills leave much to be desired. At least he seemed to recognize this: Most of Avatar is a bloated second act of a screenplay, focusing on the struggles of our main character rather than spending any time developing that person. It dives right into the action, forgoing any sort of setup, despite numerous opportunities to create dramatic tension within the framework of the world. As a result, we’re left with a very two-dimensional plot with flat characters who really know how to kick ass.
In regards to all of the hoopla surrounding the political correctness of the film: It’s really giving too much credit to Cameron that he would purposefully concoct a racially tinged story. It simply reveals his own preconceived notions about race, because I highly doubt he is cognizant enough to create a grand colonization allegory.
But the one thing Cameron knows how to do is create a visually stunning landscape from his imagination. For the first time, I was actually interested in seeing a movie in 3D in the theaters for the experience. And though it may be a narrative failure, it was certainly a step forward in that he broke new barriers with the 3D technique: Cameron showed that it doesn’t have to be a gimmick— there are tactful and even artful ways to use the technology.
While it was entertaining (though a bit long), Avatar made me more excited for the future of 3D as a subtle immersion technique rather than an in-your-face trick to fool people into paying $14 for a movie. If the right director comes along with the right story, harnessing Cameron’s trailblazing use of the technology could create a truly epic film. But until then… here’s to hoping the trend takes a break for awhile, because those glasses are uncomfortable and kind of make the eyeballs sore.
