Sorry, no miniature related update today but I do have something to write about instead...Avatar, the movie.
Well it was advertised as a James Cameron masterpiece and in a lot of ways it lived upto the expectations.
The film was a technological marvel with fantastic special effects, wonderful design ideas and an awesome sound track (by that, I don't mean music but the general sound quality/effects of the film). The digital effects were done in such a way that they were very believable; the big blue aliens actually looked like they were flesh and blood, the indigenous creatures and flora also had the same realistic solidity to them. The vehicles were extremely well thought out, especially the 'helicopters' (and having worked on helicopters for nearly 20 years, I couldn't really pick out anything obvious that wouldn't have worked) and the drop-ship...but I thought the walkers were a little too agile and quick reacting to have that same sort of realism. The 3d effects were very good in places but occasionally there were blurred edges and a bit of motion blur too.
The characters were pretty simple, the story was pretty simple and extremely predictable...but I don't think that really had too much of an effect on the whole spectacle...I think the simple characters and predictable story meant that you didn't have to worry about thinking too much and that meant you could enjoy the finished article.
The general theme of the film was more akin to the Japanese 'earth mother/tree of life' story than the 'tree-hugging' environmental preaching I was expecting and it also had a sort of cowboys and indians in space feel to it.
Did I enjoy the film? YES!
Did I think the story could have been better? Yes...but I didn't have any issues with it as it was.
Did I think the effects were good? YES! A few blurred edges but the spectacle was awesome.
Did I like the characters? Yes, but they were very shallow...but they didn't need to be anything more.
Would I go and see it again? YES! I'd also buy it on DVD.
I think it will do well at the box office but $350,000,000 may be a tall order...
I just wish that the helicopters were available for 28mm warming purposes.
I'd recommend people see this film in all of its 3d glory...but that is just my opinion.
See you throuh the weird floaty, glowy luscious flora!
2 comments:
Couldn't agree more Inso.
I just can't wait for someone to invest the same time and effort and cash in the hands of a story teller who understands more complex plot and characterisation...
but for what it was AVATAR i think will be seen as one of the "leaps" in CGI, akin in its own way to Toy Story and the Matrix in pushing the boundaries that bit further.
Having seen AVATAR i am almost prepared to forgive Cameron for Titanic.
ALMOST.
I think that this film is a bit like Jurassic Park. It took the plunge to tell a really simple story but did it in such a way as to completely blow you away with the realism of impossible things.
When I saw Jurassic Park for the first time and saw the T-Rex, I could almost have believed that it was real and had been brought in as a trained animal!
I think Avatar did the same but with 'human' type animation. The Na'vi were flawless in their CGI glory...and that giant leap took place at the cost of a strong story.
I loved it though...almost a slightly grown up fairy story.
As for Titanic...some things are just unforgivable! ;).
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