Thursday, January 28, 2010

Avatar - maybe it's me

Hubby and I finally went to see Avatar last weekend. I will admit, I wasn't really too excited to see it when I first saw the trailers. I am really not a huge sci fi/fantasy person. I didn't think the movie looked like something I would enjoy, so I made no plans to see it as soon as it came out.

Since its release, I kept hearing good things about it. Several friends said they were not huge fans of this genre either, but really liked the movie. I heard that the visual effects were truly amazing, and worth the price of admission. The movie also won the Golden Globe Award for best drama motion picture, so I figured it must be good. So, I pre-purchased tickets at the IMAX for a Saturday night showing.

I figured that if I was going to see the movie, I needed to see it on the best screen possible. I was glad to have purchased the ticket in advance. Our showing was sold out, as were the next three shows (about 4 weeks after the opening). We sat down near the front (we were a bit later than I expected) with our lovely 3D glasses and prepared to be wowed.

Well, I was underwhelmed to say the least. Sure, the effects were fine. The screen seemed to have a bit of depth to it. The big blue Navi people were kind of cool. It just was not what I expected. I expected to have the jungle popping out of the screen all around me. I expected to see objects floating in the air and to feel like those things were close enough to reach up and touch. I remembered effects like these when I was a kid watching Captain EO at Disneyland. I didn't get any of that.

The plot of the movie was lacking, too. Sure, the natives of Pandora were unique, but the overall plotline of the movie was the same story that had been told a million times over. Within 5 minutes, I could tell you exactly how the story was going to play out. Unfortunately, we had to sit there for just under 3 hours to confirm we were right. The movie was way, way too long.

Hubby and I seem to be the only two people who did not like this movie. Maybe we saw it too late in the day. Maybe we expected more than was possible. I don't know. All I do know is that I will probably pass on Avatar 2.

3 comments:

Tinsie said...

I've decided to pass on Avatar 1, let alone Avatar 2. I've read too many reviews praising the CGI over anything else, and I wasn't too impressed by it when I saw the trailers so I figured without a strong storyline I'll probably hate it. Better save my money for something more worthwhile :-)

Susan Mo said...

Good call, Tinsie! I guess I am glad I saw it. I like to see all of the films that are nominated for big awards like the Oscars so I can make my own judgements. Still, I will be very disappointed if Avatar wins Best Picture. It is not deserved.

Tinsie said...

Yes, I try to do that too. If I thought there was a chance that I might enjoy it, I would see it, but it doesn't sound too promising from what I've heard. Maybe I'll watch it when it comes out on DVD (and I'm able to pause it or stop it if need be).