The New Frontier of Filmmaking?
POSTED IN: Blog Posts, Culture, Movies & TV
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard the hype about this new movie called Avatar. In the months leading up to the release of this multi-million dollar blockbuster we’ve been seeing trailers and images of these tall, blue people on an alien planet called Pandora. I’m a huge science fiction buff but I have to admit, I was skeptical about a movie filled with blue people. Could James Cameron have fallen off his high Titanic horse and sunk hundreds of millions of dollars into a epic failure? I had to see for myself to find out.
We have an IMAX theater near us so I thought I would give the movie a fair shot and see it on the big screen. You’re immediately dropped into a story-line that doesn’t waste time on lots of back-story. The movie progresses and you’re slowly reeled in but it doesn’t really take off until your first glimpse of the Pandoran luminescent landscape at night. I leaned over to the people I was seeing the movie with and whispered, “I want to visit that planet!” It was simply breathtaking.
My big hesitation was how well 10-foot blue people with tails would come off. The Na’vi, as they’re called in the movie, take on a life of their own. For a movie that is 2/3 completely digital (created using computer animation) it’s amazing natural and realistic. The tall Na’vi look as natural and realistic as their live-action counterparts.
By the time the movie was over I realized that I had just watched what many are calling a new milestone for filmmaking. Up until now we’ve seen movies try to edge closer and closer to that digital frontier of animated realism. Some fall horribly short and wind up with animated people and creatures that just look creepy (Polar Express, Beowulf) while others have come so close (Gollum in Lord of the Rings). This is, in my opinion, the first movie to blend large portions of computer-generated footage with live action and successfully pull it off.
I’ve seen this movie twice already (in amazing IMAX 3d) and was blown away both times. My only gripe as a designer is Cameron’s use of the world’s ugliest and most over-used font, Papyrus, for the movie title and subtitles throughout the film (I got a chuckle out of “An Open Letter from Papyrus to James Cameron“). Seriously? With a virtually unlimited budget you couldn’t pick a better font than Papyrus? Deep breaths…
Overall, this movie has far exceeded my expectations. James Cameron in all of his genius has created a new world that filmmakers will be struggling to match for years to come (click here to read WIRED’s article on the film for a more detailed look at the new technology Cameron helped pioneer).
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January 6, 2010
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Haven’t seen it yet. It is not my wife’s cup of tea. Maybe after it hits the 5 Buck Club I can go.
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January 6, 2010
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I wasn’t originally planning on seeing it, way back when I first saw the trailer….but after weeks of EVERYONE telling me I HAVE to see it, with all the amazing visual effects and such, I plan to see it in 3-D this weekend. Its been sold out every weekend since it opened up over here, and thats saying A LOT, especially in IZ!!
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January 6, 2010
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Bill – My wife saw it and really liked it. Honestly, if you’re going to pay the money to see it go see it on a decent screen. If you can, pay the extra few bucks to see it in IMAX. It’s totally worth it!
Mo – Can’t wait to hear what you think when you see it! Be sure to come back here and leave a comment with your thoughts. And yes, it’s been sold out every weekend here too. I had to buy my tickets the day before and get in line about an hour before showtime. It’s worth the wait though!
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January 6, 2010
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I have NOT seen this movie yet, but my gripe is that McDonald’s Happy Meal is currently all about this movie. A Happy Meal that kids ages 3 to 12 or older will happily enjoying…. BUT the movie is rated PG-13 and from what I have heard has plenty of violence and partial to full nudity (blue skin of course, but still).
WHY market and tease these kids with these cool toys, graphics and such when they shouldn’t be seeing the movie.
Maybe I am too “old school”.
Maybe everybody else is just numb to this and still take their 6 years, 8 years and 10 year old kids to PG-13 movies and don’t care.
Sure eventually they will all get exposed to this PG-13 and R rated stuff… but why rush it.
Personally, I look forward to seeing the movie and marvel at the effects and such.
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January 6, 2010
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Jim – I LOVE the move but totally share your frustration. I have no idea why McDonalds puts toys in Happy Meals for little kids from movies that is really appropriate for at least 10-12 year olds. It’s not the first time that Ronald McDonald has done this though.
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January 6, 2010
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We don’t have an IMAX with 2 hours of us, so we just saw it 3D in a plain ole, small-town theater. I had to clean my 3D glasses. They were all smudged from a previous user or handed to me by the kid who puts the butter on the popcorn!
I enjoyed it. I loved Medicine Man & saw a lot of the wonder that movie shows. With the same message. Here come Earthlings to ravage another planet. I really felt like I was on the flying creatures. The luminescence at night was beautiful. I’d see it again, but not sure my husband would. Especially at $19 a pop (and that was the matinee).
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January 6, 2010
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Eww, fortunately our IMAX theater steam cleans and disinfects the glasses in between each showing.
When you say $19 a pop, do you mean $19 for both of you or per ticket? I can’t imagine it would cost $19 for a matinee. Heck, I paid $12.50 to see it in IMAX 3d without matinee.
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January 6, 2010
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Brad:
I hear ya… I loved it!! I have seen it twice as well and both times I realized that the movie was long but I never felt compelled to look at my watch. I have heard a couple “professional” reviews that have really been bad, but overall people are raving about it. Over $1B to date has to say something:)
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January 6, 2010
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No, I haven’t seen it & really don’t have the desire too.
We don’t get to watch any movie in 3D as our movie theatre lacks the equipment necessary.
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January 6, 2010
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I saw it in the IMAX and really don’t want to see it any other way. I’ve seen 3D stuff before, but this leaves you feeling as if you were right there in the movie.
When I saw the font I was disappointed as well. I loved the open letter, that was great! Maybe, us small people don’t know what Cameron knows, and Papyrus is the only font that looks good in 3D?
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January 6, 2010
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Visual effects- yes, stunning. Very epic. A glow in the dark planet would be cool.
However, as I look back on the movie, I can’t help but feel that the storyline wasn’t “big” enough for the scale of the special effects. It seems more like a sci-fi channel mini-series or something… just with suped-up graphics. I still have trouble with the blue people, and their faces didn’t look real enough for me to believe they were real.
Plus, it was SUPER long… my eyes were very tired of 3D by the time it was over.
There. I get to be the negative one in your survey
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January 6, 2010
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Brad,
The movie was very impressive visually. I agree that it seem like Cameron really did achieve a whole new level by creating this new world.
Downside for me was the story. Was it just me or did it seem like “Dances With Wolves” meets “Pocahontas?” That’s all for now. I have to get back to painting with all the colors of the wind.
Dave
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January 6, 2010
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also hated the use of papyrus. first saw it used in the title and thought to myself, “no…it can’t be!”
but that aside, yes, great movie due to top notch technology.
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January 7, 2010
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I loved it too, Brad! I had heard mixed things about the story, but I thought it held up quite well. After a few minutes I was completely draw into the movie and forgot about the effects. When I have had enough time to forget some of it, maybe I’ll see it again in 3-D.
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January 8, 2010
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I will agree with the rest of you, wow– visually stunning! The story… not as much. Interesting Op-Ed in the NYTimes yesterday kinda resonated with me. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/08/opinion/08brooks.html
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January 11, 2010
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so, I’m back to tell you that I saw it last night and WOW! I was completely blown away by the visual effects and creativity and vibrancy of colors!!! The storyline…..ehhh, not so original, really…but as far as the experience goes: Loved it!
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June 4, 2011
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great post..thanks a lot