My (intentionally short) Avatar review for writing class.
 

I will be reviewing a slightly older movie; James Cameron’s Avatar. This movie quite simply holds the record as the biggest movie, ever. Generally Avatar is noted as a revolutionary movie in terms of CGI (winning numerous awards). However, Avatar is usually slammed for having a very unoriginal plot and therefore is referred to as ‘overrated’ by many people. I however, see it in a different light.

The accusation that Avatar has an unoriginal plot is both accurate and drastically unfair. Yes, stranger goes to a new land and saves a loved one; it has been done many times and will be used as a plot for many many years, this part I will not argue. But, before you go hating on Avatar, realize that most movies you go see are just as unoriginal as Avatar. Just about all action, horror, thriller, and romance movies are generally all the same plot-wise. Basically what I’m trying to say is, don’t discredit Avatar for being unoriginal when most movies you go see are just as unoriginal.

As I sat in the theatre with my 3D glasses on (see this movie in 3D) I noticed something. The 3D was used to portray depth instead of things popping out at you; it was a very good use of the technology. As the movie progressed I was easily able to build strong character relationships and genuinely care about what happened to them. I lost myself to the movie in a sense, I was passed sitting in a seat eating over-priced, over-salty popcorn. I became completely involved in the movie (and judging by complete silence I wasn’t the only one). When something devastating would happen and I got chills down my back and when something dramatic would happen I would hold my breath. It has been the only movie that had this effect on me. The visual aspects greatly helped with this loss of reality. I learned that James Cameron used motion capture to film the entire movie. He literally put devises over every square inch of horses, people, and objects to capture movement the most accurate way possible. He even had separate cameras pointed at the actors’ faces to capture true facial expressions and even tongue movement in forming words. This made the movie seem very, very real when it came to CGI.

Just the fact that Avatar, a movie, had the power to make people depressed (post-Avatar depression) means that James Cameron did in fact make a masterpiece. He was able to capture the hearts and minds of the unsuspecting, hardened, movie crowd and take us to a new world and this is why Avatar made close to $3,000,000,000. He showed his audience places and things that never even crossed our minds and for this, I deem Avatar a great movie.

Feedback is welcome :P

"a slightly older movie"? Were your choices all from the last five years or something? :P

No I was allowed to choose literally anything. I just said slightly older because well... it was 5 years ago... maybe I'll edit that for final draft. Do you like it though??:shy:

Speak for yourself. :awesome:

It was four years ago, and yeah, I do like it :P

thank you, I was looking for a blessing from ToS before I turned in the Avatar review. That was my rough rough rough draft however and the refined review is better.

I didn't notice you mentioning anything about the environmental message of the movie. For me that was much more important than boy meets girl, falls in love, falls out, falls in again ... Also, as you say, every permutation of love story, deception, misunderstanding, betrayal, etc. etc, has been done a million times, so it's impossible to expect anything new from those dramatic elements. JC's Avatar was great simply because it was exceptional in so many different areas. He got the people right; he got their colour right; he got the language right (through Paul Frommer); he got the CGI spot on ... and he gave each of us, individually, something we yearn for. ( I hope your review goes/went well.)