A Whole New World

I haven't posted a movie review in awhile, but I went and saw James Cameron's "Avatar" yesterday and it is definitely worthy of a review. Let's start with the story. I'll be honest. It's predictable. The story is nothing new... That being said, this movie is not about telling the same old "boy meets girl" story. This movie is about telling that same old story in a brand new way.And that's what Cameron does. He immerses the audience in the story. He drags us into the world of Pandora. By making you feel like we are a part of what is happening on this planet, you come to "know" these characters in a way that is revolutionary. You love them (and hate them) on a whole different level than you would in a "normal" movie. I saw the film in 3D so I think that had something to do with the whole "experience," but that wasn't it entirely. It was more about how "real" these characters felt and how Cameron dragged me into identifying with them. The performances were great. Sam Worthington is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors and Zoe Saldana was outstanding. Stephen Lang gave a performance so strong that I felt an actual physical hatred for him every time he came on screen. I even liked Michelle Rodriguez who normally annoys the hell out of me... Then there was Sigourney Weaver. I love Sigourney Weaver. I always have. And I'm so thrilled to see her working again in a movie of this size and caliber :) But of course the real "star" of this film is the visual effects. And they live up to the hype. Pandora feels like a real place, an alien place, but a real place nonetheless. If somewhere down the road we find out that James Cameron actually went out into space and found a real planet populated by Na'vi, it wouldn't surprise me. Who knew you could take "Aliens" combine it with "Dances With Wolves," throw in a dash of "Princess Mononoke" and get a film that works? And it works really, really well. So go see it. This is a movie that MUST be seen on the big screen.