In the last several months (or has it been years), I’ve heard so many descriptions of what to expect from James Cameron’s first film in over a decade: “Avatar.” My friends with inside knowledge on the project have tried to describe the story to me, but nothing has stuck in my memory. When James Cameron spoke about the film for twenty minutes at this year’s E3, I found myself even more confused at the end of his presentation than I was before he started. However, after seeing last night’s 3D IMAX presentation of 16 minutes of the film, I finally feel like I know what the movie is about. “Oh. I get it. The humans want to blend in with the alien tribe so they take on their form through avatar bodies and they slowly integrate into their culture, learning that they’re not so different after all! Right? Right?” Still not quite sure.
I don’t think that “Avatar” looks unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, at least in terms of technical wizardry and story. I don’t even know if it will be the best science fiction film we’ve seen in years, especially since I just bestowed that honor on “District 9” but a week ago. I will, however, give it credit for having a style and visuals that look unique and different from most science fiction films I’ve seen. I love the setting of the jungle planet, filled with vegetation and creatures that look familiar to ones found on earth, but with subtle twists to make them seem fantastical, yet almost believable. In the several scenes featured in the presentation yesterday, most involved confrontations with rhino-like charging beasts, vicious reptilian snarling dogs, and spectacular flying creatures that require taming before they can be mounted. If nothing else, “Avatar” should be a fun creature-feature, not unlike “Jurassic Park” or “King Kong.”
But speaking of those creatures, I’ve heard a lot of complaints that the film looks like it has too much CGI. I think it’s a fair complaint, though I must admit that the footage and animation looked very sharp and impressive in 3D IMAX. I would actually take the complaint a little farther, though I’m not sure yet if it really bothers me. It occurred to me after watching the footage yesterday, that once the humans adopt their avatar forms, they too become CGI creatures, and then are dropped down into the mostly animated jungles and surrounded by animated beasts. At that point, does the film then become simply an animated film? I’m sure the actors were motion captured for their roles, but I certainly hope the film doesn’t end up looking like just another “The Polar Express” or “Beowulf.”
I’m still quite excited by most of what I saw. The live action footage of Stephen Lang talking to his cadets had a B movie quality to it, not unlike the training scenes of “Starship Troopers.” The jungles and creatures used a color palate not often found in film, such as pinks, purples, blues, and greens, all with a kind of shiny, metallic tint. The 3D was very impressive, though one scene was so fast paced I could barely tell what was going on, what with all the trees and branches in the foreground. The story might be a bit too “Dances With Wolves,” but Cameron might also be aware of that and could be keeping it in check. There is, after all, a reference to that film in the footage I saw, when someone suggests that the lead avatar try to dance with one of the giant creatures that looks poised to kill him. It does still concern me a bit that the story might be more familiar and less original than we have prepared ourselves to expect. Even the central conceit of humans using avatar bodies has been borrowed by at least two other films coming out this fall, “Gamer” and “Surrogate.” I’m sure “Avatar” will be far better than both those films, but I hope we don’t have to look too hard to find what is still original and groundbreaking about this film.
What was the fan reaction? I suppose there was some moderately enthusiastic applause from about half the audience. I even raised my fist in the air and shouted “YEAH!” though I don’t think that was entirely sincere. The couple I was with was so split over it that they started fighting, with one of them getting so upset over his girlfriend being unimpressed that he threatened not to see the film with her come December. It was all very George and Martha in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” I’m still keeping my expectations and skepticism in check, though the fact that James Cameron is so excited for this film gets me excited too and I can’t wait to see what he’s been cooking in his brain for the last twelve years. I watched “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” last week for the first time in a long time and I was astonished at how great it still was and how many details I remembered after all these years. “Avatar” may not be the classic that film was, but when I stuck my ticket to the December 18th midnight show on to my refrigerator, I got a very anxious feeling. Something is coming. Just a few months away. Could be big. Don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’ve still got some time to get ready for it.
-Johnny Pomatto
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