Me: "What's up, Blawg?"
My blog: "Nada mooch. Just cruising through Cyberspace looking for some Jpegs with nice legs, D-Beezy. Looking fo' some Gigs to get giggity with, yadda-dada-dig?"
Me: "Oh...you bad, Blawg. You badder than the illegitimate lovechild of Richard Roundtree and Jim Brown that was produced during their threesome with Fred Williamson...impossibly bad that is."
My blog: "Yeah boy, I get down like that, Scribbles. Now give me some typeface, you crazy cracka!"
Dig on this then. I got two big reviews for all y'all in my head...or other people that happen upon this page by nature of a freak accident. By the way, just because one rating/score is higher than another does not necessarily mean I believe the higher rated film is technically superior to the one with a lesser rating. I have a strange rating system that even I have yet to fully grasp, but anything above an 8 means I really liked the film or at least loved aspects of it. I highly recommend viewing anything I rate 8 or above and typically anything above a 7 is worth checking out, but reading the review itself will further clarify my feelings and subjective opinion and give you a far better understanding of why I liked it or why I think you should (or shouldn't see it). For example, I love horror movies and rate them higher than most would but am aware that many people find them stupid or revolting, so don't think less of me and shy away from movies belonging to other genres I recommend due to my strange eclectic taste. Just thought I'd put that out there.
AVATAR (09) (a.k.a. Dances With Smurfs):
It’s really more of a mishmash of Dances with Wolves and Fern Gully with a dash of Braveheart thrown in for good measure. So, it’s not the most original movie ever, but I can forgive James Cameron for borrowing elements of good films and serving up a slightly novel but ultimately predictable storyline.
Why? Because a familiar story does not a bad movie make! Especially when it is handled skillfully, as it is here. And more especially, because the film is every bit as mind-blowing and groundbreaking as I expected it be in terms of visual effects.
If anything, Cameron and his crew deserve praise for world-building. Pandora itself, and particularly its dazzling flora and fauna were the highlight for me. The planet is a kaleidoscope of colors, some of which may not have existed before this film, but all of which had my eyes glued to the screen for the lengthy duration. Cameron’s incorporation of the Gaia theory (a.k.a. Gaia hypothesis), which views a planet as a living organism and interacting system was a great touch.
I must also give credit where it’s due for some great casting (particularly Stephen Lang as the delightfully evil colonel) and a good musical score that is complemented best in an IMAX theater with its thunderous, myriad speakers. In addition to being a special effects spectacle, Avatar is a message movie, and the message is not subtle. With terms like “shock and awe” being tossed around left and right it’s clear that Cameron’s agenda involved criticizing our nation’s politics and “get ‘er done” attitude.
Historically, America (or at least many of its companies and corporations) has exploited the resources and people of other nations with little regard for the indigenous population and Cameron makes no effort to hide that his film serves as an indictment of the Iraq war and American diplomacy. Nor should he; while his approach is a bit heavy-handed, I enjoyed this aspect of the film.
Avatar is epic in scope, and while it is by no means a perfect or profound film, it’s quality entertainment and quite a unique and satisfying experience. Inevitably, some of you will leave the theater less impressed than me and you are entitled to your opinion, but I like eye candy and my pupils ate this movie up like a fat kid would free chocolate cake. Highly recommended. Go see it in IMAX 3D for maximum effect. 8.8/10
THE ROAD (09):
Warning! Stay away if you cannot handle children in peril or disturbingly bleak, horrific stories. This is an extremely grim, harrowing tale about a man and his son struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic future. John Hillcoat was a good choice to direct this dark and dismal pic.
In many ways it was very reminiscent of his previous film The Proposition, which you should seek out if you dig this dreary journey. The Road is an adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy (author of No Country for Old Men) novel of the same name, which I am currently reading, and so far the movie stays true to the book to the hilt. It’s a bleak road full of cannibalistic tribes and scared out of their wits, weapon-wielding survivors, resorting to awful things in their attempts to protect themselves and their loved ones.
Through it all though, there is a glimmer of hope that the man and boy desperately cling to as they make their journey south, pretending there is still reason to live. The only real reason left is each other, and they keep their humanity afloat in the face of terrible burdens and afflictions. It is a heartbreaking movie with an emotional impact that is given weight due to exceptional performances from all involved.
Though it’s a minimalist drama/thriller I found myself deeply invested in the characters and their plight and while at times I expected it to be even more grim and mired in realism, I must admit it is one of the ten best films I’ve seen this year. 8.6/10
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