Post by Fayde on Dec 21, 2009 1:30:38 GMT -8
If it wasn't the best movie I've ever seen, it was very close.
The story is solid, moving and thoughtful. The setting, visuals (not graphics) and detail put into the movie is unrivaled. It's funny when it needs to be, it's dramatic when it needs to be, there is action when it calls for action, and slow when it needs to be slow.
It seemed that all elements that make a good movie good come together in a rare bundle of balance.
The story is (in case you have yet to hear about it) is about humans trying to mine a rare resource from a planet called Pandora. The planet inhabits a tribal alien race (reminded me of a blue Protoss mixed with African tribes) which are very spiritual and one with the forests of the planet. A particular human is an ex-marine and is somewhat forced into a scientific/diplomatic program called Avatar, in which humans remotely control an alien that has been genetically engineered and born in a tube to fit their controller. This is to place a "mole" in their midst and convince them to leave their homes so humans can exploit resources.
A twist is the character is a cripple and cannot walk, so controlling his Avatar body is an interesting and emotional experience.
Needless to say, he becomes emotionally attached to the alien race, and to a female alien in particular, and comes to turn against his human "masters", and he and a few scientists rebel. It goes against the marine in him, and spawns inner conflict, as well as greatly effects those around him (in good and bad ways).
The visuals/graphics are seemless. Transformers looks like a bad 50's sci-fi movie in comparison. Graphically, it's the top of the pile. Working so well in fact, that you hardly notice them! Visually, the movie was amazing and filled with "AWE! COOL!" every 15 or so minutes. Great landscapes, beautiful planets, awesome animals and really interesting designs for ships/aliens made the movie a visual masterpiece in it's self. Glowing, floresant plants, floating mountains that are entangled by roots to the ground, trees that surpass any of the tallest buildings on earth, the sky-scape is extremely convincing and the aliens are beautifully designed and act very natural. Againt, I want to stress I am not talking about the actual graphics and CG animation, I am talking the actual detail and visual awe that the movie gets across.
Over all, the feel and detail that was placed in every corner of this movie was extremely impressive and while it's a 170 minute movie, every second of it is crammed full of detail, beauty and story. Unlike epics like LotR, the movie actually needs to be as long as it was. The story, the alien society and culture, Pandora's culture as far as weather, air, plant life and animals were extremely detailed, and you could easily tell they did their research before undertaking this movie. They actually had a guy with a PhD create an actual language that the aliens spoke. Every line had relevancy and kept you knowing what was going on through the somewhat multi-layered story arches. Aside from the story being rock solid and good, or the visuals being enough to make me want to see it alone, the detail that was put into the movie was great and very satisfying.
Note:
We did go see this in 3D, and I couldn't stress seeing it in 3D more. Unlike most movies which are a big let down in that aspect, the movie was actually filmed with the idea of being viewed in 3D in mind, and was filmed with a sort of binocular camera, which simulates how the human eye views the world. This is very apparent through out the movie. On top of swatting the bugs, ashes and leaves out of our way when they appeared, everything was extremely life-like and we often had to remind ourselves that it was just a movie.
All in all, I seriously doubt there will be a better movie in a long time. If it isn't the best movie Melissa and I have ever seen, it is very, VERY close.
The story is solid, moving and thoughtful. The setting, visuals (not graphics) and detail put into the movie is unrivaled. It's funny when it needs to be, it's dramatic when it needs to be, there is action when it calls for action, and slow when it needs to be slow.
It seemed that all elements that make a good movie good come together in a rare bundle of balance.
The story is (in case you have yet to hear about it) is about humans trying to mine a rare resource from a planet called Pandora. The planet inhabits a tribal alien race (reminded me of a blue Protoss mixed with African tribes) which are very spiritual and one with the forests of the planet. A particular human is an ex-marine and is somewhat forced into a scientific/diplomatic program called Avatar, in which humans remotely control an alien that has been genetically engineered and born in a tube to fit their controller. This is to place a "mole" in their midst and convince them to leave their homes so humans can exploit resources.
A twist is the character is a cripple and cannot walk, so controlling his Avatar body is an interesting and emotional experience.
Needless to say, he becomes emotionally attached to the alien race, and to a female alien in particular, and comes to turn against his human "masters", and he and a few scientists rebel. It goes against the marine in him, and spawns inner conflict, as well as greatly effects those around him (in good and bad ways).
The visuals/graphics are seemless. Transformers looks like a bad 50's sci-fi movie in comparison. Graphically, it's the top of the pile. Working so well in fact, that you hardly notice them! Visually, the movie was amazing and filled with "AWE! COOL!" every 15 or so minutes. Great landscapes, beautiful planets, awesome animals and really interesting designs for ships/aliens made the movie a visual masterpiece in it's self. Glowing, floresant plants, floating mountains that are entangled by roots to the ground, trees that surpass any of the tallest buildings on earth, the sky-scape is extremely convincing and the aliens are beautifully designed and act very natural. Againt, I want to stress I am not talking about the actual graphics and CG animation, I am talking the actual detail and visual awe that the movie gets across.
Over all, the feel and detail that was placed in every corner of this movie was extremely impressive and while it's a 170 minute movie, every second of it is crammed full of detail, beauty and story. Unlike epics like LotR, the movie actually needs to be as long as it was. The story, the alien society and culture, Pandora's culture as far as weather, air, plant life and animals were extremely detailed, and you could easily tell they did their research before undertaking this movie. They actually had a guy with a PhD create an actual language that the aliens spoke. Every line had relevancy and kept you knowing what was going on through the somewhat multi-layered story arches. Aside from the story being rock solid and good, or the visuals being enough to make me want to see it alone, the detail that was put into the movie was great and very satisfying.
Note:
We did go see this in 3D, and I couldn't stress seeing it in 3D more. Unlike most movies which are a big let down in that aspect, the movie was actually filmed with the idea of being viewed in 3D in mind, and was filmed with a sort of binocular camera, which simulates how the human eye views the world. This is very apparent through out the movie. On top of swatting the bugs, ashes and leaves out of our way when they appeared, everything was extremely life-like and we often had to remind ourselves that it was just a movie.
All in all, I seriously doubt there will be a better movie in a long time. If it isn't the best movie Melissa and I have ever seen, it is very, VERY close.
