Is it me, or is it a virtual expression of myself? Does it make it any difference? Is my virtual expression of myself anything like my residential self-image (The Matrix). These are some of the deeps thoughts I managed to avoid totally while watching Avatar on the big screen twice over the past several months - once in the visually stunning 2D and another time in the visual hangover of 3D.
Even though I wasn't inspired to any profound philosophical musings, I did enjoy viewing the crowd reactions during the screenings as well as the cultural ripples that emanated from Avatar as Avatar-Mania swept the country over a 2 to 3 month period.
Avatar Mania Part 1 - "Do you want to Date my Avatar"
Even though I had refused to watch the Superbowl in protest of the Bengals inability to make it there again (an annual ritual), I did however watch many of the Superbowl commercials this year and I thought the Avatar Coca Cola one was among the best (reminded of the good ole days when we taught the world and that polar bear to drink coke). Avatar mania was everywhere, for a while at least.
Avatar Mania Part 2 - Avatar didn't really need anymore caffeine but Coke provided it anyway...
And what of the movie itself? Was it as spectacular as the hype? Well, yes.
Avatar is pure entertainment, in the tradition of Lucas, Spielberg and of course James Cameron. Cameron out-cameroned himself with his biggest, most compelling tale yet. Avatar was fun to watch - it moved effortlessly across three hours without seeming to drag at any point. It even managed to hit us over the head with some contemporary politics and succeeding in doing so quite well without seeming preachy, boring or too depressing.
I was keenly disappointed that Mr. Cameron failed to win more than a handful of concession Oscars this year. It was shocking considering he won 11 Oscars for a far inferior film - Titantic - a decade ago. Avatar was Cameron's best film yet. Perhaps Hollywood was suffering from Hype Overdoes on Avatar given how many years its been talked about out there - whereas the rest of the country only had to endure about three months of that viral marketing. The films that did win at this year's Oscars were quite frankly, an embarassment. The Hurt Locker was a single punchline cliche of a war movie and the rest of the winners were so forgettable that I can't recall them.
The world Cameron created in Avatar may be called Pandora, but it is of course our world and our story super-imposed (like avatars) in outerpace using the Science Fiction genre - and the best Science Fiction is usually a metaphor, isn't it. We're not 10 foot tall dragon flying blue tribal warrors with plug & play ponytails, but often times we don't perhaps feel that our current lives reflect who we really are. On Pandora, both me and my Avatar get to fight for what's right, what's sacred and a future that's consistent with our beliefs - which makes Avatar the ultimate vicarious experience. I also appreciated the references to Native American culture in the movie although it seems as Hollywood is the only place that values that part of our culture these days (partly in contrition for the many years in which they helped vilify it).
Avatar Mania Part 3 - Well this one is just silly as the Na'Vi invade Wisconsin
So don't be discouraged Mr. Cameron, the Oscars may have not rewarded you for your vision but the box office certainly has - keep doing what you're doing - we're looking forward to more.
Copyright 2010, Raving Reviews
Even though I wasn't inspired to any profound philosophical musings, I did enjoy viewing the crowd reactions during the screenings as well as the cultural ripples that emanated from Avatar as Avatar-Mania swept the country over a 2 to 3 month period.
Avatar Mania Part 1 - "Do you want to Date my Avatar"
Even though I had refused to watch the Superbowl in protest of the Bengals inability to make it there again (an annual ritual), I did however watch many of the Superbowl commercials this year and I thought the Avatar Coca Cola one was among the best (reminded of the good ole days when we taught the world and that polar bear to drink coke). Avatar mania was everywhere, for a while at least.
Avatar Mania Part 2 - Avatar didn't really need anymore caffeine but Coke provided it anyway...
And what of the movie itself? Was it as spectacular as the hype? Well, yes.
Avatar is pure entertainment, in the tradition of Lucas, Spielberg and of course James Cameron. Cameron out-cameroned himself with his biggest, most compelling tale yet. Avatar was fun to watch - it moved effortlessly across three hours without seeming to drag at any point. It even managed to hit us over the head with some contemporary politics and succeeding in doing so quite well without seeming preachy, boring or too depressing.
I was keenly disappointed that Mr. Cameron failed to win more than a handful of concession Oscars this year. It was shocking considering he won 11 Oscars for a far inferior film - Titantic - a decade ago. Avatar was Cameron's best film yet. Perhaps Hollywood was suffering from Hype Overdoes on Avatar given how many years its been talked about out there - whereas the rest of the country only had to endure about three months of that viral marketing. The films that did win at this year's Oscars were quite frankly, an embarassment. The Hurt Locker was a single punchline cliche of a war movie and the rest of the winners were so forgettable that I can't recall them.
The world Cameron created in Avatar may be called Pandora, but it is of course our world and our story super-imposed (like avatars) in outerpace using the Science Fiction genre - and the best Science Fiction is usually a metaphor, isn't it. We're not 10 foot tall dragon flying blue tribal warrors with plug & play ponytails, but often times we don't perhaps feel that our current lives reflect who we really are. On Pandora, both me and my Avatar get to fight for what's right, what's sacred and a future that's consistent with our beliefs - which makes Avatar the ultimate vicarious experience. I also appreciated the references to Native American culture in the movie although it seems as Hollywood is the only place that values that part of our culture these days (partly in contrition for the many years in which they helped vilify it).
Avatar Mania Part 3 - Well this one is just silly as the Na'Vi invade Wisconsin
So don't be discouraged Mr. Cameron, the Oscars may have not rewarded you for your vision but the box office certainly has - keep doing what you're doing - we're looking forward to more.
Copyright 2010, Raving Reviews
