Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Avatar just OK

See Avatar for the best in film technology. Forget about the story. It's exactly as I predicted:

    It sounds as if it's the war between the U.S. and the Indians in the Black Hills, done up in a futuristic way. A strong army attacks a native population to have access to a valuable mineral. Chief Redcloud is now Chief Bluecloud.

It's an old, over-told story right out of American history. Better versions of the same story can be found here:

1. Into the West, from TNT and Steven Spielberg

2. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, book and movie

3. Dances With Wolves, by Kevin Costner

It's sad that Avatar soaked up so much money, and still the story was unoriginal and well known to anyone who knows history. Library shelves are full of books with original, and terrific, stories. Couldn't they have picked one of them, or maybe written something new?

5 comments:

david drakeouvmzk said...

A reluctant, tepid, thumbs-up for no other reason than technology, from someone who likes "Battlestar Galactica?"

Don...the constant adulation ends now.

Was "Avatar" gritty and edgy, too, Don?

How much did Cameron pay you to write this review?

The Shaved Ape said...

(sigh)

BSG had a good story, unlike Avatar. Were you under the impression that SciFi is just space ships, and nothing else?

Why would Cameron pay me to write a bad review?

I paid $14.50 to see Avatar. After the movie was finished, I realized I'd paid that large amount for a technology demonstration. I think they spent $399,999,960 on the technology and $40 on the story. The tech was worth it, but I won't do it again unless I'm convinced the story is more than a futuristic version of an old, tired story I've known since I was 12.

David Drake said...

Why would Cameron pay me to write a bad review?

Because it's all part of a more controversial plot masterminded by Cheney.

So flash, shock and awe (i.e. tech) wins out over story, plot, characters, etc? That's okay, not everyone has the same standards, Don.

drake said...

And I don't know how my name go so misspelled: drakeouvmzk....?

I didn't knowingly do that. Yet, I was too inebriated to recall 100% accurately.

drake said...

I hear SPFX and CGI for The Tooth Fairy, starring Duane "The Rock" Johnson and Julie "The Hills Are Alive with The Sound of Music" Andrews, are supposed to be cutting edge and mind-blowing. I guess the story and plot development is pretty mundane and typical Disney fare. Thought you might want a heads-up since you're such a fan of cutting edge CGI where story, character development and plot take a back seat.

Enjoy The Tooth Fairy, Don.