Doctor Strange
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 5,253
- Location
- Hudson Valley, NY
Here is the thing though for all the posters praising Avatar. If you strip off all the 3-D and bells and whistles is the movie still enjoyable? Is the plot any good? What about character development? If the story is derivative (which it is) does it do it in a way that adds something?
As I said in my review above, stripping away the stunning visuals/action, there is basically no character development, and an extremely familiar recycled plot.
It's the same "soldier goes native and leads the fight against the invaders" story as Dances With Wolves or The Last Samurai. Also a chunk of plot detail from Pocahontas, a touch of Ewoks vs. Stormtroopers, and a big helping of an Ursula Le Guin SF novel called "The Word for World Is Forest" where tree-dwelling, living-in-harmony-with-nature humanoids must face technologically superior invading humans who are devastating their habitat. (Surprisingly, very few reviewers have noted this, even though it's a quite well-known story that won a Hugo Award in 1973).
And aside from the main character's developing respect for the natives, there is no real character development. The characters are all two-dimensional stock characters: the rapacious businessman, the hardass military leader, noble tribal leaders, dedicated scientists, tough marines, etc.
Having said all of this, it's still an extremely enjoyable film experience. But apart from its visual splendor and great biological/technological art direction, it doesn't really add up to much. (To paraphrase one reviewer, "A magnificent filmgoing experience that virtually evaporates once you leave the theater and start thinking about it.")
As I said in my review above, stripping away the stunning visuals/action, there is basically no character development, and an extremely familiar recycled plot.
It's the same "soldier goes native and leads the fight against the invaders" story as Dances With Wolves or The Last Samurai. Also a chunk of plot detail from Pocahontas, a touch of Ewoks vs. Stormtroopers, and a big helping of an Ursula Le Guin SF novel called "The Word for World Is Forest" where tree-dwelling, living-in-harmony-with-nature humanoids must face technologically superior invading humans who are devastating their habitat. (Surprisingly, very few reviewers have noted this, even though it's a quite well-known story that won a Hugo Award in 1973).
And aside from the main character's developing respect for the natives, there is no real character development. The characters are all two-dimensional stock characters: the rapacious businessman, the hardass military leader, noble tribal leaders, dedicated scientists, tough marines, etc.
Having said all of this, it's still an extremely enjoyable film experience. But apart from its visual splendor and great biological/technological art direction, it doesn't really add up to much. (To paraphrase one reviewer, "A magnificent filmgoing experience that virtually evaporates once you leave the theater and start thinking about it.")