Avatar's still packing them in. Full house morning session on Saturday a month after opening. It's high-end entertainment so maybe it's not so amazing that even the "attention-deficit" generation is able to get through three hours. The first time I saw it was in a tiny regional cinema - even without surround sound and 3-D it blew me away.
But it's a completely different experience with the full treatment - you'd need a much bigger screen for it to be a submersive experience. Official Avatar Website
Avatar is the ultimate bush walk - James Cameron lets you breath Pandora in as the army grunt turns into a bleeding heart "greenie" because he falls in love with a native girl and her world.
Sully is the first warrior the "Sky People" have sent to the Na'vi world - he's a ring-in for his murdered identical twin brother.
He can fly the Avatar because twins have identical DNA.
The Na'vi are a warrior civilization - so Sully picks the right job description when they ask what he does.
They have only met scientists until now - scientists run the Avatar program to study the planet and its people.
They use human and Na'vi DNA to create living-breathing Avatars which have nervous systems matched to their human pair.
When the Avatar sleeps the human returns to the real world and awakens lying in the green gel of a coffin-like contraption.
Little questionable conceits are easily swallowed because there's no lag in the story that allows for questions.
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Sully is put to the test by both sides - Sam Worthington is great but he does make an ugly Na'vi.
Is there a cowboy movie where the leading man joined the Indians?
This cowboy - who starts off with an American twang - doesn't end up talking in an "Indian" accent.
He makes the big "me warrior"/ "This is our land" speech in an Australian accent. I quite like that.
Touched my heart to see an Australian on Pandora ;)
I just wonder whether Worthington meant to do that and whether James Cameron (master of detail) noticed.
Cameron not only wrote and directed - he co-edited as well.
The personal hell Sully goes through shows in the expressions on the Avatar's face - his face changes as he becomes one of "The People".
Cameron is God of this world - nothing is less than it should be.
The only problem I had was thinking of Sigourney Weaver as Ripley instead of as Dr Grace Augustine - the big robot suits from Aliens didn't help.
He used an old idea and sold it off as a novelty reference. Post-Modernism lives.
It's as exhilarating as a wild fun park ride all done to a traditional American blockbuster script - it's "only" the special effects that make it different, that make it extraordinary.
Cruelty juxtaposed with beauty, awareness butted against ignorance makes it a "potent mix".
But James Cameron draws a black and white moral universe - despite all the beautiful fluorescent colours of Pandora.
It's a magnificent environmental statement.
Proof of absolute mastery - outstanding Mr Cameron.
Steven Lang does have the "best" fun playing that over-the-top evil military macho man who is a derivative of every menacing megalomanic you've loved to hate - Colonel Miles Quaritch.
There are great lines - like when Sully has to pick his banshee ("outstanding") or when Dr Augustine finally sees the sacred tree.
And the last moment is perfect - so just when is the sequel out?