After no doubt living like a king off the stupendous profits earned by Titanic (the highest grossing film of all time), James Cameron returns to directing blockbusters with the sci-fi action film Avatar. The story is set in 2154, where humanity has discovered the planet Alpha Centuri B-4, a world of not only unimaginable treasures and resources, but also deadly life forms. Those who attempt to use the resources for their own personal gain risk not only the new planet fittingly dubbed Pandora, but also the future of earth itself and all who inhabit it.
Cameron has developed a new visual technique, a dual lens stereoscopic camera, which is the closest cinematic approximation so far to the human eye and is expected to produce the most convincing 3D experience in movie history. It will be applied to the film’s live action scenes that constitute approximately half the film, the rest will be presented through cutting edge CGI techniques. Sigourney Weaver plays the lead role, re-uniting with Cameron for the first time since Aliens, with Michelle Rodriguez and Giovanni Ribisi other notable names to sign on. Some of the film is shot in New Zealand, and Peter Jackson's Weta Digital company is on board to help with visual effects.
We’re happy to report that the most hyped film of the year actually lives up to what it promises. Avatar is a pulpy sci-fi adventure, delivering bar-raising visual effects and plenty of thrills.
It’s fair to say that James Cameron’s return to directing is more of a technical accomplishment than a leap forward in storytelling, but while the strokes of the narrative are fairly broad, the inordinate level of visual detail is nothing short of astonishing.
The early stages of the movie build anticipation (much like in Jurassic Park, we’re only told of dangers lurking beyond the fence) and then – boom – we’re dropped into the wild with the research team. The jungle environment of Pandora is fully immersive, packed with incidental background details like fluttering leaves or tiny bugs. The night-time bioluminescence is breathtakingly beautiful (we urge you to see this in 3-D if you can).
A chance encounter with a particularly fearsome six-limbed beast separates ex-marine Jake Sully (a soulful Sam Worthington) from his fellow humans and leads to his eventual indoctrination with a native clan, replete with nipple-covering necklaces and Xena-ish war cries. State-of-the-art motion capture technology allows for an engaging performance from Zoe Saldana, charismatic as the chief’s daughter, Neytiri.
The film’s lengthy middle section dabbles with hippie mantras and magic trees (aided by James Horner’s score of African harmonies, South American pan flutes and Asian drumming) but the eventual climactic battle scene is a fan-boy’s dream come true. A fleet of gunships and helicopters meet natives riding winged creatures in a psychedelic explosion-fest that will ctrl+alt+delete your eyeballs and overheat your brain.
So the story rarely strays from classic formula, but Avatar is an experience. It’s escapism and adventure. At the dawn of a new decade, this movie is heralding a new wave of blockbuster entertainment, promising to take us to places as yet unseen.
By Andrew Hedley, Flicks.co.nz
Alot of ppl have mixed feelings on this movie but something, that stood out for me mainly was, the amazing Graphics, purely i think if there is another Avatar Movie it would be better, due to advice given from ppls coments all around.
Avatar really is a great entertaining spectacle of a movie and the animation and graphics are exceptional
terry that's sooooo not fair alien was the shiz sigourney weaver is the shiz and avatar waas the shiz. DON'T YOU EVER DISS SIGOURNEY WEAVER EVER AGAIN!!! i will sue you!!! and i mean it, i love sigourney weaver's acting and quite frankly it's just sad that you dissed her!!! i am soo upset i'm crying right now. i am sooo disapointed youd put her down like that i'm soo ashamed of you!!! let me just point out i'm 12 years old, look what youve done, now i will be depressed for life, but hay guess what there is a sigourney weaver film coming out and i will be seeing it if you like it then you will side with me and i wont put this sort of stuff on da web but if you go and diss her and tell me she's not da shiz i will SUE YOU go hide under a rock if you disagree thx for letting me have my oppinion said flicks.co.nz your da shiz quite frankly terry f.y.i you AIN'T from a diss apointed shiz loving sigourneyweaver fan who aint a fan of yours terry xx
Awesome movie love it and would watch it again
that movie was so good and i nearly cried because of it but its pretty good for 6 years or something lol.
Once again, [Cameron] has silenced the doubters by simply delivering an extraordinary film. There is still at least one man in Hollywood who knows how to spend $250 million, or was it $300 million, wisely.
James Cameron's stunning Avatar is ambitious but not quite adventurous enough.
A flawed but fantastic tour de force that, taken on its merits as a film, especially in two dimensions, warrants four stars. However, if you can wrap a pair of 3D glasses round your peepers, this becomes a transcendent, full-on five-star experience that's the closest we'll ever come to setting foot on a strange new world. Just don’t leave it so long next time, eh, Jim?
A fully believable, flesh-and-blood (albeit not human flesh and blood) romance is the beating heart of "Avatar." Cameron has never made a movie just to show off visual pyrotechnics: Every bit of technology in "Avatar" serves the greater purpose of a deeply felt love story.
Go see. Be amazed. More so in 3D.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 17th Dec 2009.
Release date: December 17th 2009.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
