the avatar debate

So I took my ‘little bro’ to see Avatar yesterday. I really didn’t know much about the movie except that it was in 3D, which I didn’t really care about. I was actually worried it would get old, or that wearing those glasses for 2 ½ hours would give me a headache.

I ended up really enjoying the movie. We both did. The 3D was really cool, and though the glasses were annoying, they weren’t that bad. It was really beautiful, actually. The colors were amazing, and I thought a lot of creativity was used in the creating of the native people and how they interact with nature. They way they ‘plugged’ into the animals for instance was really cool.

The story wasn’t great, but it wasn’t so horrible as to throw me out of the experience. Then again, I didn’t expect much either. Big budget, 3D movie – no surprise there that the story was somewhat secondary and not really the focus. It was predictable and cheesy, and the characters were very stereotypical with dull dialogue. So what. It was more than watchable, and again, I didn’t expect much, so whatever.

I think it’s funny how up-in-arms people are getting about how cheated they felt by the story. Seriously? I just can’t imagine going into this thinking it would be Oscar-quality acting and writing (not that I think the Oscars are the be-all/end-all when it comes to movies anymore). It was made to be visually beautiful, which it was. And the main character (Sam Worthington? Never heard of him) was not too hard on the eyes either. Yum.

When I go to the movies I want to be entertained. Sometimes that means witty dialogue and great acting, sometimes it means rip-roaringly funny, and sometimes it’s a beautiful setting. It doesn’t have to be all three, or perfect in any way. If a movie can entertain me for 2+hours without needing to look at the clock, then I consider that a success. I really enjoyed the movie, and couldn’t believe it when it ended 2 ½ hours later. It seemed like maybe a ½ hour. So I say it’s a success.

Go and see it, you’ll enjoy it. Just don’t go into it thinking it’s going to be some masterpiece, and just ignore the meathead characters and cliché dialogue. It’s not hard when you’re distracted by the 3D and scenery anyway. Enjoy it for what it is and no more.