OKS Rant and Review: Avatar is BLOODY AWESOME!!

2009 December 20
tags: , , , , , , ,
by Sujoy

All of the estimated $ 300 million spent, all the hype and publicity and the anticipation -It all boils down to the 2hours 40 minutes spent in the dark IMAX auditorium with my 3D spectacles on. And James Cameron shows why (as he quite rightly shouted out loud in his Oscar winning speech) he is indeed the King of the World. I cannot think of any other movie which created so much buzz and excitement around it. And does it live up to all of it. It so well does. Avatar is a revolutionary piece of cinema. But apart from the technological breakthrough in its imagery, the story telling by Master Cameron and its smart comparison with contemporary geo-political situations is what makes Avatar one of the best Blockbusting, Mind-Blowing, Heart-Wrenching and Eye-Popping spectaculars.

I watched Avatar on Saturday morning with a packed audience in BFI IMAX in true 3D glory. And it was exactly how the filmmaker intended it to be savoured as. And as Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) narrates his story, we get sucked in by the heights and depths of Pandora. The space-floating scene is exceptionally well shot, and it made me feel weightless. Now I can talk and keep on talking about how awesome this movie was. But to begin with, let me tell you that there are some bloody cynical and miserable people in this world, who were wowed by the visuals of the movie [I am talking about that reviewer Larushka Ivan-Zandeh in Friday's Metro paper: ]. But the story failed to impress her and she simply sums it to be an age-old “Save The Rainforest” tale. So to reply to her, Larushka darling, it might be age-old tale for you, but there is no bigger contemporary problem facing we the citizens of earth than the global condition. Just look around and see how the global leaders at Copenhagen have finally reached at a “conclusion” by merely postponing events for next year. Avatar beautifully depicts the relation between the natural life cycle and how its disruption could be fatal for the entire population. And when you say that it is a “Save A Rainforest” tale, you actually make yourself sound like the corporate asshole Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) who thinks it is just a mere tree out of the 12th power of 10 species in Pandora. Of course, everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. But yours, just plain sucks.

Moving on, I must say that Mr JC has indeed done the best job by waiting for the technology to catch up to suit his vision.The wait has been worth it, and the flora and fauna surrounding Pandora; each leaf of a new species and each growl of a new creature is awe-inspring. We travel across Pandora with the same fascination in our eyes as Jake Sully’s and Neytiri’s command and strong character makes us forget the fact that it is all motion-capture. And if the Na’vi do not fail to impress us, the humans are not far behind. Sigourney Weaver as Dr.Grace is spot on, and as mentioned previously, Parker Selfridge exudes corporate hunger for profit. As for heavily scarred Colonel Miles( Stephen Lang), he is a caricature model built around GW Bush (IMO) who believes in “dealing terror with terror”. To envelope all of this awesomeness in one big awesome package and deal with the geo-political issues in a sci-fi drama with a cinematic vision never seen before deserves everything -ABSO-EFFIN-LUTELY EVERYTHING.All the Oscars, the Golden Globes and even the Filmfare :P

James Horner’s score for the movie was spell binding and it captures the ambience, the beauty and also the dangerous wild side of Pandora. As for Maestro James Cameron, the man’s still got it. The action sequence is a complete How-To document on shooting a huge-ass action choreography, on celluloid. The man shows off his experience and why he remains not only the master of Action – True Lies, Aliens and Terminator, but also the Master in the art of story telling. *Bows to JC*

And yes, unlike some people who believe it is not a classic, I definitely believe otherwise. It is a game changer. Just like the first time we saw the T-Rex on the big screen, or Darth Vader use the Force, or Gimli and Legolas fight Orks, Avatar will be counted as one of the most revolutionary movies of our times. Few years on from now, we’ll remember Christmas 2009 to be the time when Avatar changed the face of cinema.
If you haven’t seen it yet, go and watch it, and make sure you watch it in 3D. You can thank me later.And now I can proudly declare myself as the member of the Avatar Fan Clan. I’ll leave you with some Bloody Awesome image captures from the Trailer. Hail Avatar! Hail Cameron!!

**SCREENSHOTS -VISUAL Nom Noms**

The Big Ass Weapon on Pandora

Big Ass War Machine

Na'vi All Force United

Na'vi Rebellion

Kaboom Marines on Pandora

Marines in Pandora

Na'vi Rebels

Na'vi Strikes

Corporate Dumbo - Avatar

Corporate Dumbos

Neytiri - Avatar

Neytiri Shoots

Marine dickheads on Pandora

Marines assemble

Love blooms and glows - Jake and Neytiri

Glowing Love in Pandora

Neytiri

Neytiri

Na'vi Rise

Na'vi Rise

Jake Sully- Avatar

Jake Sully becomes the Avatar

Me at BFI Imax :)

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Author: Sujoy

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  • DCX29B
    After watching this movie, I feel the earth needs a swift cleansing off of the scum of the majority of the greedy human population which has deviated from nature. I see humans as morons hell bent on processing all that is natural until it becomes a dead and stylish item to show off or make money out of. While technology is very good, if used wisely, it should also preserve the balance of nature. The opposite is happening.
  • I think this decade we should see the emerging prominence of greener alternatives and if Sci Fi predictions are right, it is high time for us to find greener fuels. Else, we would have to travel to distant planets to find unobtainium :P
  • and oh, forgot to post. watch it in 3D 3D 3D 3D 3D 3D 3D
  • That is the future of cinema, and exactly how movies and cinemas will counter piracy, and illegal cam rips. Yayy...
  • thnx Sujoy. I am not trying to be modest, but its 'your' blog- which provided me info abt Avatar since beginning. As I am not much into Hollywood, I wasn't reading much abt the movie besides ur posts or tweets.

    Thanks God I read them, otherwise I would have missed such a Fantabulous journey. Everything is 'oh my god - so huge' and spell binding. Right said about the music score too. Abhi bhi kaano mein goonj raha hai. Truly Masterpiece [like u've mentioned, LOTR]
  • Aww, thanks Joshi jee. I try what I can to spread the awesomeness :P
    So, if you do keep following me, you'll get to know of more such awesome movies.

    So glad you enjoyed it. And yes, I am buying the soundtrack very soon. It's so pure and ambient. It has oriental influences as well.

    BTW, have u seen Anurag Kashyap's Paanch. Planning on watching it tonight or 2moro may be.
  • Also, regarding reviewers who didn't like the movie because of supposed story defects, I was surprised to read Konkona Sen's tweet about the lack if story in Avatar. So I replied to her telling her it had as much story (if not way more) than 'Wake Up Sid' did :p
  • Hai Raam... hehehe.. ekdum eent ka jawaab concrete mortar se diya aapne :P

    Lack of story..my foot. If these so called cinema connoisseurs cannot any longer be charmed by the utter beauty and simple story of man's fatal deviation from Mother nature's life cycle, and would rather compare it with Dances With Wolves meets Predator etc etc, I say... Pathhar ke Sanam.. Tujhe Humne..etc etc :P

    Kasam se, bahut dukh hota hai in pathhar dil insaano ke beech is movieko share karna
  • rofl at 'concrete mortar' HAHHAA!
  • I agree with everything you said :D Simply unbelievable. Apart from the story, direction and SFX (all of which were awesome), what got me the most was the fact that Cameron has guts! This movie is so clearly anti-war. He's made no bones about how he feels about US foreign policy and the way the human race is destroying its planet! I thought it was ironic that before the film began, we were shown extensive ads for the National Guard :) I loooooved the dialog "They destroyed their mother" :)
  • Absolutely.. Fighting Terror with Terror... How Bush is tht! :P Yes, it is anti-war and it is pro-green.
    Yes, it is great to see even a huge blockbuster making filmmaker like him make a statement about US foreign policy - even though Michael Moore has been doing tht for ages. But it certainly gets the message across.
  • I wasn't that keen. definitely visually pleasing but the script let it down .. big time. Yeah to some the script might not be as important as the visual experience, but i think both go hand in hand, that is what makes good cinema a true masterpiece.
  • I'd disagree with your point. Unlike other movies, here the script is not just a hardbound paper document, but is immersive as a medium itself.
    Avatar is never supposed to be translated in terms of a comic strip story, but has to be experienced like visiting a new city, and getting to 'feel' and interact with a new civilization. The visuals are very much integral to the script. So, while there might be no lines depicting the wild and scary dark nights in Na'vi, you feel that raging through ur own nerves while you watch it.

    And even as a script,wht let you down? That it was about saving the planet, and the corporate dumbos go all brute force about making an extra penny. Hollywood cliche' I know. But no one has so beautifully depicted why it is integral to the life of a planet to keep the life-cycle and food-chain just the same way as Mother nature did. It is a beautiful metaphor, and absolutely bang on timed with the failed Copenhagen summit.

    Considering all that, Avatar is Bloody awesome I say. C'mon Sangeeta. You know you liked it. :)
  • Haha, im not saying it wasn't watchable. I recommend it to all who are in awe of visual effects. And no it's not about the message, although even that was a bit mixed up but that could be forgiven in thinking its just entertainment .. but the dialogues were poor, ending failed to impress and the film could really have done with being trimmed down by 30 minutes or so. Seriously - no loo break! that was just a killer!!!!

    You see the visually pleasing effects as an experience, whereas i see it as just visual effects.
  • ..so I shud say, well, To each his/her own

    And u r complaining about loo breaks. C'mon most Bolly flicks are longer.

    For geeks like me, who hv been waiting for the event, going to loo 5 minutes before entering the audi was on my checklist :P
    No one, absolutely no one comes in between me n the movie.

    Phone silent check!
    Coke on the arm rest.. check!
    3D Glasses check!
    I guess u get the point :P
  • yup most hindi movies are long, but we get an interval and in most cases (generalising here) you can walk out for 5 minutes and not really miss much :)

    Gosh - you and I could never be cinema cuddies, i am the opposite. I fidget and get all anxious when i'm bored or forced to sit still for such a long period of time .. home cinema is the way fwd me thinks.
  • but yeah, its fun to hv a cinema bud with a completely opposite opinion. wud b fun :)
  • hehe... thts wht songs r for..innit. :P

    yep.. i guess we r on absolute opposite poles as far as cinema is concerned. i am very impatient myself in general, but when it comes to cinema, i find myself to be quite patient. yeah, but i cnt stand rubbish cinema :P
  • Rave
    mujhe bhi dekhna hai :(
  • Dekho jaldi..

    And mk sure u watch it in 3D. It's awesome!
  • You've done a BLOODY AWESOME job with this review!! I've gotta say, one of the most refreshingly honest and noteworthy blogs I've read - It makes me want to go see Avatar again! ..Without a doubt, one of the GREATEST movies I've seen in a very VERY long time - All thanks to the beautiful mind to that of James Cameron's; whom had a vision and brought it to life, ever so beautifully - James Cameron, you're a fricken genius! :") ..Bring on Avatar "2", I say!!
  • Glad you found the movie to be as Awesome as I did. And thanks for your appreciative comments :)
    Of course, there are lots of other matters which have been left sketchy in this one. As in..how the whole Pandora marine setup was brought into practice. Sigourney Weaver's earlier photos show that she has been an entrusted member among the Na'vi. Also, what condition is earth in circa 2154. I am so excited to think of all of it. I'll soon rant on it very soon. Will let you know on it. Avatar 2 and 3 might be known as THE TRILOGY of our generation. Fingers crossed :)

    Thanks for visiting my blog, and feel free to shout out any comments on any other posts you find interesting :)

    Cheers!
    Sujoy
  • Yay for Trilogy. I remember those photos u r talking abt. must be interesting.
  • Absolutely Yayyyy for trilogy. Abhi please Delhi 6 waale post pe bhi nazar daaliye. Dekhiye to sahi kya nazaare hai Bittu ke :P
  • IronMan77
    LOL, i never knew you spoke wonderful Hindi
  • LOL. what do u mean by wonderful Hindi... I am an Indian hello :)
  • Lee
    "And when you say that it is a “Save A Rainforest” tale, you actually make yourself sound like the corporate asshole Parker Selfridge..."

    You've completely hit upon my problems with reviewers who are so desperate to say something bad about this film!! I was going to write a post about it but now I'll probably just quote you ;)
  • Seriously. I don't need to exaggerate, but seriously, is there any movie in recent years which stands near to the sheer impact of Avatar. I mean, it was like visiting a new city, a whole new civilization for real. It wasn't just mere cinema. And so, the script wasn't a 2D depiction, but more of an "experience".

    And so I get absolutely surprised by the cynical mean-ness of such so-called critics who go for ripping off movies [especially Sci Fi ones] for having lame or age-old storylines. Avatar's story was all about experiencing it like a person in Na'vi itself and feel bad when the tree gets uprooted, and feel jubilant when Na'vi wins. And if some stone-hearted people can't just get it, bad for them. Innit!
  • wow this looks fabulous mate. just as u pictured, thanks for bringing us an insight into it...
  • U got to watch this mate, only in 3D. It is exactly how it should be. Get immersed in the visuals. And be wowed by Avatar
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