Avatar Movie Poster

Avatar was a good movie. I want to get that out of the way right off the bat. I did enjoy it and I recommend it for others. However, there are holes in the plot that are big enough to fly a Toruk through. If you go to see this movie, go see it in Imax 3-d. First off it was made with 3-d and Imax in mind from the very start. If you see this in regular 3-d or 2-d you are missing not only the whole point of the exercise but also pretty much the only reason this movie is worth your time. This is going to really hurt DVD sales I think because this movie has nothing to offer on a home screen.

The good stuff:
Because this movie was made to push the 3-d Imax to it’s limits, it looks downright amazing! It’s not just the whole 3-d gimmick of things flying at you. Sure there were times when I almost sneezed because there where Atokirina flying too close to my nose. Yes, the 3-d imagery is beyond anything I have ever seen in my life. But the colors were another layer that has to be mentioned in this review. We are so used to CGI being as lame as a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers monster that we just assume that is always the case. It is not the case here. Despite all the buzz about this movie being about how shockingly good these graphics are, most will not believe it until they see it. So don’t believe me. Just go see it. Just see it in full Imax 3-d or you are wasting your time. My one gripe of the cgi? The Na’vi themselves could have used some better texture on their flesh. They reminded me too much of the Smurfs.

What about the storyline?
What storyline? There really was none. Ok, there is a storyline but not much of one. In fact it is the most overused storyline in the history of Hollywood. Big bad army out to destroy a forest and all the life within. One member of that army sent in as a spy falls in love with one of the indigenous people and helps saves them from the bad people. The age old story that beats you over the head with the whole eco-friendly “save the planet” message for three hours. As a liberal I am kind of offended that they go for such a tired cliche.

Speaking of a tired old cliche, Unobtainium? Really? That might work as a working title, but to use it as the final name shows a painful lack of imagination. I also would have loved to have known why the hell it is so damn important! What is it used for? One of the most important elements of the movie (no pun intended) was just brushed over like it was just a taco truck they grabbed lunch at on the way to Pandora.

Speaking of Pandora, this is another thing that could have used a bit more imagination. Sure it was a character in Greek mythology and an even more well known box, but I could deal with those references. One of the natural satellites of Saturn? Cool. 55 Pandora is an asteroid. There are several songs that use that title too. I have no problem with any of that. But with it being a novel by Anne Rice (about a vampire of the same name), a fictional planet in the Noon Universe by Soviet authors Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, a fictional planet created by Frank Herbert (first introduced in The Jesus Incident), the name of a comic strip (and its lead character) in the UK music magazine Kerrang, a comic book character from Avatar Press, Pandora Braithwaite is a character in the Adrian Mole books, Pandora Moon is a character in the British drama Skins, Pandora Pann, a comic book character owned by DC Comics, Pandora Spocks is the heroine of the children’s comic Forty Winks, the pseudonym of Samantha’s cousin Serena on the TV Show Bewitched, a character in the Guitar Hero series of video games, the main character in the anime “Because I’m the Goddess”, the sister of the god Hades in the Saint Seiya anime and manga series, an Internet music site and radio station, as well as a good list of actual physical places on planet earth! There are tons more too, but this list was overly long as it is. My point however is that they could have thought up a more original name.

Now the reason why these small bits of laziness bug me so much is that they used so much originality in so many other places. Hell, there is an entire new language that was created for the Na’vi! It would not have increased the budget to get a better storyline, a better name for the rock, and a better name for the planet. It is because of these reasons that I insist on a total boycott of the DVD, cable viewings, 2-d theater viewings, and even non Imax 3-d viewings. However, I strongly encourage 3-d Imax viewings. Go Imax or stay home.