Avatarded

Avatar will probably end up being the highest grossing movie of all-time before things are said and done. I didn't run out and see it right away because it didn't look all that interesting to me. However, through word of mouth I was encouraged to go see it. I was a little bit amazed by how much money it was making and how adamant people were that I go see it so I thought I'd give it a try. I saw it last weekend in 3D to get the full effect.

My overall impressions of the movie were that it was worth seeing in 3D. The effects and visuals were pretty amazing. Complimenting the visual effects is about the only positive thing I have to say about it. If I had seen the flick in 2D I would have been annoyed at best. First off, the movie was 2 hours and 40 minutes long. By my estimation it could have lost about 45 minutes and the movie and effects would have had the same impact on me. At several points in time there were extended shots that felt like they were included only to showcase the effects. Many of these shots did absolutely nothing to advance the story. Many of them could have been cut down substantially and the effects would still have been showcased in sequences that actually did advance the story.

My next gripe was that the story was neither interesting nor original. Many people have already stated the plot's similarity to Pocahontas and Dances with Wolves. Both of these comparisons are unfortunately fairly accurate. The writing and dialog felt forced and immature or childish. The motivation for the antagonist seemed to be nothing more than the fact that he was a complete psychopath. At one point the bad guys had basically accomplished their mission and they decided to press on and attempt to annihilate the good guys for no apparent reason. This might not seem like a big deal, but it really took me out of the movie.

Special and visual effects are great, and in the case of Avatar they are about the only reason to pay for a ticket, however in my opinion these things should simply add to a movie rather than be the reason for it's existence. Perhaps I am too fussy, but I do not think that good effects equal a good movie. I would prefer that Hollywood would start with a good movie/script/idea and polish it up with some effects. Avatar was worth watching in 3D for the effects, but there is no way that it deserves to win any awards other than those for effects or sound. It should not compete in any best picture category because simply put, it had a nice picture, but it wasn't a best picture.