So I Saw Avatar...
February 23rd 2010 04:03
... It's been a mere 2 years or so since my last post. I figured I'd see if anyone was actually out there still actually reading or getting this emailed to them and surprise the FUCK out of them - so... SURPRISE. Here's an article I wrote about Avatar when I saw it a month or so ago.
So yeah - Avatar. It was ok. with something that has had as much money spent on it as this film has, of course there is going to be a shitload of hyperbole out there about it. So I'll save the ranting about the hackneyed plot, the hamfisted attmepts to introduce 'deep' themes (for example one of the lines runs something along the lines of 'you find some people sitting on something you want, so you just declare war on them' HOW INSIGHTFUL.) anyway, after seeing the film i was underwhelmed.
Ok, so it looks great. In fact, this is the first film EVER to cause me to feel something close to respect for CG. The reason for this is not because of the technological wizardry, but more because it seems the geeks that do this are FINALLY starting to learn that 'realistic' doesnt actually mean making the bird do a triple-summy with a 3/4gainer and having sunlight glinting flawlessly off every single individually-moving feather, instead of just doing a dive. 'Real' birds just fucking point their beaks at the ground and dive.
Get it???
The guys that did Avatar seem to be close to seeing that important point. Anyway, I was underwhelmed by the film for a few reasons. Some of which are (aside from being a rip-off of Fern Gully):
- It really is a missed opportunity to finally have a film that incorporates CG into a decent plot, and not just masturbate about technology. If James Cameron had've spent 1% of the CG budget on some decent writing talent, this likely would have been one of the best films ever.
- 'unobtanium' is not only a totally shithouse name for the plot device, but its a really dumbass device. the biotech the iraqis, sorry i mean space-elves, had that enabled them to link into everything on the planet seems to me to be a WAY more valuable resource than some mineral.
- The Iraqis - sorry, i mean mean nightelves, sorry i mean furry-porn, sorry i mean Na'Vi (or whatever) are just dull. There is no reason to like them. Theyre TOO noble, TOO good - they have no flaws. there is nothing to empathise with.
- the hamfisted way cameron jams white middle-class guilt about iraq and the topic-du-jour, the environment, down our throats. why cant we just have a fun movie, without your simplistic, poorly written agenda foisted upon us? With every passing year I long for the 80s more, when films could just be about some dude who gets embroiled in some 1000-year old chinese wizards attempt to take over the world and kicks his ancient ass, without stopping to ponder in cringeworthy moronic dialogue about the condition of man.
- while the CG was the first CG ive ever thought worthwhile and really well done, the actual concept art was lackluster. whats that - oh a flying lizard/dinosaur thing with FOUR wings! wow, way to push the envelope there. the ONLY creature that was an interesting concept were those little 'spinning top' flying lizards. pretty much every other piece of art as a concept was as hackneyed as the shithouse plot.
The movie was enjoyable. I was glad i saw it in 3D. I would not and never will see it on small screens. Though an interesting thing i felt was that James Cameron has put a bit of a message out there to actors, in general. What I got from this is the sense that the days of mega-star actors are coming to a close. When we can animate our actors so convincingly life-like, we just need voice talent. Sure, people love celebrity, but I really feel the direction taken here with regards to the genuinely life-like facial expressions and movements and speech mannerisms will be looked back upon in later years as an early point in the fading importance of 'superstar' actors.
Basically, Avatar is a $300 million high-quality computer-game cutscene. I look forward to the day when someone manages to use this fairly impressive tech to make an actually engaging, fun, and possibly even touching film.
--- update: someone has actually made this film, and it's called District 9. If you hide under rocks like me and haven't seen is - go see District 9 - its Avatar, but good.
So yeah - Avatar. It was ok. with something that has had as much money spent on it as this film has, of course there is going to be a shitload of hyperbole out there about it. So I'll save the ranting about the hackneyed plot, the hamfisted attmepts to introduce 'deep' themes (for example one of the lines runs something along the lines of 'you find some people sitting on something you want, so you just declare war on them' HOW INSIGHTFUL.) anyway, after seeing the film i was underwhelmed.
Ok, so it looks great. In fact, this is the first film EVER to cause me to feel something close to respect for CG. The reason for this is not because of the technological wizardry, but more because it seems the geeks that do this are FINALLY starting to learn that 'realistic' doesnt actually mean making the bird do a triple-summy with a 3/4gainer and having sunlight glinting flawlessly off every single individually-moving feather, instead of just doing a dive. 'Real' birds just fucking point their beaks at the ground and dive.
Get it???
The guys that did Avatar seem to be close to seeing that important point. Anyway, I was underwhelmed by the film for a few reasons. Some of which are (aside from being a rip-off of Fern Gully):
- It really is a missed opportunity to finally have a film that incorporates CG into a decent plot, and not just masturbate about technology. If James Cameron had've spent 1% of the CG budget on some decent writing talent, this likely would have been one of the best films ever.
- 'unobtanium' is not only a totally shithouse name for the plot device, but its a really dumbass device. the biotech the iraqis, sorry i mean space-elves, had that enabled them to link into everything on the planet seems to me to be a WAY more valuable resource than some mineral.
- The Iraqis - sorry, i mean mean nightelves, sorry i mean furry-porn, sorry i mean Na'Vi (or whatever) are just dull. There is no reason to like them. Theyre TOO noble, TOO good - they have no flaws. there is nothing to empathise with.
- the hamfisted way cameron jams white middle-class guilt about iraq and the topic-du-jour, the environment, down our throats. why cant we just have a fun movie, without your simplistic, poorly written agenda foisted upon us? With every passing year I long for the 80s more, when films could just be about some dude who gets embroiled in some 1000-year old chinese wizards attempt to take over the world and kicks his ancient ass, without stopping to ponder in cringeworthy moronic dialogue about the condition of man.
- while the CG was the first CG ive ever thought worthwhile and really well done, the actual concept art was lackluster. whats that - oh a flying lizard/dinosaur thing with FOUR wings! wow, way to push the envelope there. the ONLY creature that was an interesting concept were those little 'spinning top' flying lizards. pretty much every other piece of art as a concept was as hackneyed as the shithouse plot.
The movie was enjoyable. I was glad i saw it in 3D. I would not and never will see it on small screens. Though an interesting thing i felt was that James Cameron has put a bit of a message out there to actors, in general. What I got from this is the sense that the days of mega-star actors are coming to a close. When we can animate our actors so convincingly life-like, we just need voice talent. Sure, people love celebrity, but I really feel the direction taken here with regards to the genuinely life-like facial expressions and movements and speech mannerisms will be looked back upon in later years as an early point in the fading importance of 'superstar' actors.
Basically, Avatar is a $300 million high-quality computer-game cutscene. I look forward to the day when someone manages to use this fairly impressive tech to make an actually engaging, fun, and possibly even touching film.
--- update: someone has actually made this film, and it's called District 9. If you hide under rocks like me and haven't seen is - go see District 9 - its Avatar, but good.
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