Avatar
An object lesson in how total creative freedom can leave a great director susceptible to his worst instincts, Avatar finds Cameron lost in his own obsessions. Twelve years after its release, Titanic still stands as the ultimate in contemporary Hollywood craftsmanship – the work of a perfectionist whose attention to detail extends to the trinkets and the matchbooks. None of that has changed: Avatar’s action is refreshingly clear, and the ballyhooed Na’vi world is a masterwork of eye-popping design and sweeping camera moves, with a degree of texture and dimensionality one wouldn’t have presumed possible.
As a demo reel, Avatar is phenomenal. But while Cameron has fussed over the glow of every tentacle and wing tip, the big-picture elements have gotten lost. The story, involving a phlegmatic Marine (Sam Worthington) who intervenes in colonizing forces’ attempts to mine “unobtainium” on the distant moon Pandora, quickly devolves into a rehash of Dances with Wolves. Making Titanic’s corny but absorbing romance look Pulitzer-worthy, the script consists almost exclusively of dire boilerplate, while the cast members seem to be vying with each other in an ongoing blandness contest.
The human footage – which resembles nothing so much as the full-motion video games of the early 90s – is distracting for its relative drabness. And the various levels of allegory – in which the peace-loving, preservationist Na’vi are eventually equated with Iraqi insurgents – compete to the point of incoherence. Cameron once again proves he’s a visionary, but the mythmaker who gave us The Terminator remains MIA.
Ben Kenigsberg
From Time Out Chicago
Dir James Cameron, Category IIB, 161 mins, Opens Thursday 17
14 Comments Add your comment
This is a pathetic review from someone who was presumably given a free ticket by UA. To give this movie 33/100 seems to indicate a writer, presumably not a journalist, making some sort of condescending comments based on what? A degree in film making? I think not. Avatar is wildy entertaining and beautifully told. It's s tory with huge relevance for today's world and no-one reading Time Out should take any notice of Mr Kenigsberg's little diatribe.
What were you expecting Ben? I am looking forward this movie in 3D IMAX. It's going to be an 'experience' worth the $160 ticket I'm going to pay. Definitely different from anything out there today. Good luck to you who probably couldn't even piece a 15-sec movie clip together. Timeout - pls get a better reviewer! I'm not coming here for any more reviews.
I agree. Not a very professional review at all. And its at odds with the majority of others. Took my teenage son to see on Wed night and we were totally awestruck by the sheer spectacle this movie conjures up - so much so that we were cheering for the native tribe when they got the upper hand on the human exploiters. This is a very impressive film that takes everything to a much higher level - in many areas. The world of movies has just moved on. In short we utterly loved Avatar and will be going to see it again in all its glorious 3D beauty.
I watched "Avatar" and thought it was one of the best movies ever made. I don't know why Ben Kenigsberg from TimeOut gave it only 2 out of 6 stars. Your rating system would make me feel I am not inline with the TimeOut opinions and if it continues, I will start not reading Timeout.
James Cameron should win a Nobel Peace Prize for this!
An amazing journey shown via a metaphoric film based on the reality of today's situations - be it the Amazon rainforest or the Middle East wars. The cinematography was stunning. The characters adorable and endearing. Ignore Ben - he was obviously being "too smart" for his own good.
The most sensory experience of all our lives. Straight.
Great movies out this year but Avatar is the clear winner. I just saw it in 3D IMAX and will be watching it again next week - the special effects incredible. The imagery mind boggling. A must see. Ben, suggest you stop reviewing movies.
This is a shit review. Equated to Iraqi insurgents? He's attributing that to James Cameron? A critic can't just insist his own goofy ideas are an auteur's intentions. This review is crap on so many levels.
Great review Ben! The simple storyline and stereotype caricatures are a stark contrast to the overblown 3-D and Fantasia type graphics and CGI. I wonder why a great story has to be sacrificed for effects? Oh well, been there done that...And now for a new year.
Not as good as I expected. But 2 stars is a little harsh. Sure the characters are a bit cardboard. But the story is captivating enough and whatever Cameron set out to do I think he's succeeded. This is a director that makes films for the "people" and that he's done. I was captivated and entertained and was surprised to realize that the film was 3 hours long. While I don't quite understand why people go gaga over it, I think it's a perfectly good film. The theme song is a horrible cliché though.
Whew! Good to see I am not the only person who found Avatar a poor excuse for a film. All that money, time and talent and no coherency! What a shame! The plot of titanic (wet toast instead of pastrami on Rye), characters from Aliens and Star wars and a 'love everything message of peace and understanding" - unless of course they are on the wrong side. The main character took a peace loving ecofriendly people and with a poorly executed speech turned them into savage warriors, apparently as bent on destruction as their countrparts. Well done! Maybe we could get him to speak in Hong Konc! Think of the fun we would have then!
No matter what, the sheep will continue to bleat!
oie tudo bom filmes
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