Avatar: Review By Brian

Dec 14th, 2009 by Brian
Completely mind-blowing! Completely seductive! Avatar is the reason we become movie fans in the first place!
  • OVERALL
    5.0
    SUPERB
  • Story
  • Acting
  • Directing
  • Visuals
Pretend for a second that James Cameron isn't the James Cameron we all know. Pretend for a second that the filmmaker that created Avatar from a vision in his head is a newcomer to the movie-making scene and has no previous work to make a basis for prejudgement or comparison against. Now, maybe, without all the chatter, you're ready to experience Avatar in it's purest form... not knowing what to expect, and opening your eyes for the first time on a completely new and exciting world.

In a society filled with entertainment media competing for your attention at every turn, marketing strategies and the people behind the campaigns desperately try to create a sense of hype with each new product they sell. I mean, every single Hollywood studio paraded their 2009 film stars around at Comic-con last summer, just to get a little juice. And while every film gets a little hype going for it during the beginning stages of production, we as movie-goers are still left with a year that produced such over-exposed, over-hyped, over-bloated crapfests like Transformers 2, Terminator Salvation and Wolverine. Ugh.

What does this do to us movie fans? It leaves us jaded and it leaves us skeptical, and more importantly, it leaves us bored with what Hollywood calls good filmmaking.

Enter James Cameron's Avatar. The one and only single movie in my eyes that has met, and far exceeded the hype in the last 5 years.

Avatar not only transports you to another world, it involves you. The movie creates a world where everything is connected, and by the end of the film, so are your emotions connected to everything in it. I think it's important to note that the stunning visuals don't drive this film as you'd expect. Rather, they illustrate a beautiful alien world, and highlight the intense emotions of the characters as they face each new challenge in the film. Of course the brilliance behind the technology is mind-boggling, and the bar has undeniably been raised for any film that touts itself as being 3D or CGI-enhanced, but those facts aside...this movie is absolutely gorgeous to look at. The seductive nature of the deep contrasts in colors, and the use of the camera in general, in 3D, make you feel like you're absolutely part of the world of Pandora as it unfolds onscreen.

As far as the story goes, it's the timeless tale of love and the fight for survival against a tyrannical force set to destroy a particular way of life. This time set on a faraway planet, 150 years in the future. Of course this plotline is nothing new in any form, and fighting for the right to live will always make for good storytelling, but the difference in Avatar is the way Cameron has masterfully invoked the feeling of being there, and harnessing a strong enough emotional investment in the planet and it's creatures, you won't want to leave. And at 2 hours and 42 minutes, I'd say that's quite a feat. Only wanting more when it was over, only lends more credence to the fact that Cameron is still one of the most creative, fresh and innovative minds working in Hollywood today.

As I walked out of Avatar, I was reminded why I fell in loves with movies in the first place. To be excited about something new. And Avatar, you have me. I think that's the biggest testament any film can get in my book.

Don't take my word for it. Go see it for yourself. Experience it in IMAX 3D the way the filmmaker's intended for you to see it!

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Comments (45)

  1. IlikePie202

    excellent review

    1 year agoby @Ilikepie202Flag

  2. Dan

    Great, thanks a lot, @moviegeek....:(..... lol

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  3. moviegeek

    @Supes And your thumbs down will further his review as most rated lol.

    1 year agoby @moviegeekFlag

  4. Dan

    Nooooooo... his damn Avatar review will push mine off as #1 with these thumbs..

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  5. CBF

    Good review Brian.

    2 years agoby @comicbookfanFlag

  6. Brian

    Agreed!

    2 years agoby @brianFlag

  7. Eli

    so im just reading this now because I just found this site like a week ago. great review. i never saw it in imax or anything but just on bluray. it was a great film. if Cameron can be trusted for anything, it's for a well made and well crafted film. excellent attention to... everything. that's why i admire him and recently started to admire speilberg. although i have to say that speilberg's characters seem a little less shallow than Cameron's. I just saw jaws today so im comparing the two. and i have to say that the love theme was invetiable with something like this and it did hinder my experience a little. Still Cameron's work behind the camera kept me completely engrossed. i can say now what you couldnt say 6 months ago: im glad he didnt win for best picture, rather just glad he was nominated. if i ever had the chance to meet one of today's TALENTED directors, it would be him. im waiting for the perfect second time to watch it.

    2 years agoby @eliFlag

  8. Brian

    Thanks dude.

    2 years agoby @brianFlag

  9. WARRock

    luv ur review!!! totally agree

    2 years agoby @jcFlag

  10. Timmy

    Can't wait to see it a 3rd time!

    2 years agoby @timmyFlag

  11. Brian

    Avatar. I saw it for the 3rd time tonight in IMAX 3D. Still got chills. Still giving it an A++.

    Don't trust any naysayers. People are sheep. They hear 1 thing about the storyline being bad and everyone starts claiming it because people don't like seeing one guy having so much success, but you know, this is a whole team of people enjoying success from this movie. 100s of people contributing to the way you'll watch any special effects movie from here on out. And all the naysayers are alll the same dorks that hold The Dark Knight in such high regard and when you think about that movie... the storyline is just as simple as Avatar, and just as thematic as anything else we see day in and day out on TV or elsewhere: bad guy comes in, becomes king of the bad guys, takes over the town. Good guy comes in to rescue everyone. But you dont think about that.... becuase TDK is a good movie. Same goes for Avatar. The movie is simply amazing.

    So, seeing it today was amazing. All old people... in like their 60s, 70s and 80s....it was awesome, and you know what.... every single old person coming out of the theater talking were blown away. Comments like ..."that's some next level movie watching", "I have never seen a movie like that. It was amazing." It was so awesome hearing stuff again after being on MovieWeb and hearing so much negativity lately because of all of Avatar's Oscar nominations.

    And speaking of nominations, I really personally hope Cameron gets Best Director. I know he won for Titanic... but so much of that guy is in Avatar. From the story to what you see on screen and getting sooooo tech to make it all a reality. Cameron has just put in so much time and passion into this project from beginning to end...and it obviously shows. Such a small percentage of the planet is that dedicated to anything, just his dedication alone to this project is astounding and ultimately respectable no matter which way you slice or dice it.

    So Pandora is a moon that revolves around a gas giant. Now knowing that going into the movie, I totally saw it in a few shots. It's so great! I read in EW that Cameron's idea was to always explore the other moons surrounding that same planet. You can totally see them in some of the opening shots.... I really hope he sticks to the plan. He could do so much crazy stuff if the Navi ended up on one of the other moons... Genius sh*t!

    Anyway... just wanted to share my thoughts!

    2 years agoby @brianFlag

  12. Brian

    Ha. Yeah, I was one of the first with a review this movie... so yeah, lots of people were excited at first. :)

    2 years agoby @brianFlag

  13. Johnnyblaze09

    Funny reviewing your comments below guys... For this review, I felt the same after watching Avatar. For so long a real entertainment smugs me.

    2 years agoby @johnnyblaze09Flag

  14. Elm Street

    Great frakking review. I agree on every level.

    2 years agoby @elmstreetFlag

  15. Forrestgump1

    GREATTT REVIEW!!! MAN...Nice Job i love your intake on this movie...

    2 years agoby @forrestgump1Flag

  16. Jcberry526

    newkill200 it was a SMALL mistake... am not a idiot, your the idiot that points everything out so you can start mouthing off. GET A LIFE

    2 years agoby @jcberry526Flag

  17. Bawnian©-Dexeus

    good review
    i saw the movie today and wrote my review
    check it out and comment if you'd like

    2 years agoby @bawnian-dexeusFlag

  18. Newkill3000

    I think you mean 'no' feelings, idiot. Not 'on'.

    2 years agoby @newkill200Flag

  19. Jcberry526

    Just seen this movie today, and i have to say it was sh*t.... only kidding it was AWESOME the BEST Movie in YEARS... so NewKill200 i think you will love it unless you are a machine with on feelings HAHAHA

    10/10

    going to be getting this on BLURAY....

    2 years agoby @jcberry526Flag

  20. Newkill3000

    I can't wait to give my review. One more day.

    2 years agoby @newkill200Flag

  21. Brian

    Ha! Exactly Newkill....can't wait for your review of Avatar.

    2 years agoby @brianFlag

  22. Narzion

    this world would be boring without Newkill200

    2 years agoby @narzionFlag

  23. Newkill3000

    Thank you Brian, that's all i needed to hear from you. Lol, wow, it's like that moment in Frost/Nixon, when Sheen's character gets Nixon to say 'If the President does it, then it's not illegal'.

    2 years agoby @newkill200Flag

  24. Brian

    Yeah!!!!

    2 years agoby @brianFlag

  25. Narzion

    avatar -opens today in my country ......... i am going to see it.......twice....at the end maybe 5 times

    2 years agoby @narzionFlag

  26. Timmy

    I can't wait for this flick to come out so i can stop defending it. It is amazing in ways no Trailer can show you. Stop bitching and have some faith in Cameron.

    2 years agoby @timmyFlag

  27. T.Clark

    Newkill likes to have a different opinion than the majority. At least, that's how he strikes me.

    2 years agoby @insertusernamehereFlag

  28. XSSIV

    You guys are KILLIN' me!

    I haven't seen it yet... Can't WAIT, now!

    2 years agoby @xssivFlag

  29. Brian

    Newkill, what the hell do you mean avoiding the point. YES! If you sit in a theater and watch this movie and don't like it..... YES, YOU DIDN'T "SEE" IT...and should give up watching movies altogether, because your opinion doesn't count anymore.

    Am I clear?!

    2 years agoby @brianFlag

  30. Newkill3000

    Just because someone is listed as being a critic doesn't mean he's an actual critic. And what type of critic uses the phrase 'you haven't seen the movie if you don't like it'.

    2 years agoby @newkill200Flag