Avatar Review!
Today I had the greatest movie theater experience of my life, hands down.
Avatar shouldn't really need an introduction. It is the latest film by James Cameron, the legendary filmmaker of movies like The Terminator and Titanic, and has been in development since 1994! The reason the movie took so long to make is that Cameron was waiting for technology to catch up to his vision. Well, it was worth the wait.
I don't want to say that the story isn't good because that's not true. I loved the story. I loved the imagery more. By now everybody has heard that this movie revolutionizes the movie industry and that really is the case. I had the opportunity to see the movie in IMAX 3D and it was incredible. Never before have I seen CGI look so convincing on screen. I was never for a second in doubt that the Na'vi were real, they easily could be. Typically in movies with computer generated characters, you see awkward pieces of movement that take you out of the moment and make you remember that you are still watching a movie. That will not happen to you here. Not once will you go "oh that looked bad." In fact, you will want to live in the world of Pandora by the time the credits begin.
It is awesome watching the characters explore this world because the level of detail put into the worlds is fantastic. There are tiny creatures, huge creatures and all sorts of creatures in between that live in the forests of Pandora and every single one of them looks real. You will see incredible foliage that you wish you could reach out and touch, and in IMAX 3D you will think that you can! These environments are so packed with detail that I don't believe you can digest in just a single viewing. It is no wonder that the budget is rumored at around $500 million.
James Horner's magnificent score also helped lure me into the world of Pandora. The music is perfectly fitting to the world around it, epic and beautiful. I was especially a fan of the scene where the Na'vi are taming banshees, it was the perfect backdrop to the action on screen.
If you have the means, go see this in IMAX 3D. It is also out in 3D without IMAX but I cannot speak to the difference in quality between them, I am sure it is still jaw-dropping. I know that I will be seeing this at least one more time before it leaves theaters, that is for sure.
-Carsten
Comments (0) 19.12.2009. 20:33
The Hurt Locker Review!
Elsa and I went to see "The Hurt Locker" yesterday after I had been hearing amazing things about it. I now know why I was hearing such amazing things.
The Hurt Locker tells the story of Bravo Company, which has the responsibility of defusing bombs in Iraq. They go on mission after mission and are never sure if they will be coming back to the base afterward. This results in an incredibly intense movie that will put you on the edge of your seat in the opening sequence and will have you hooked for the next two hours.
What many of you may appreciate is that there is no political approach to this movie. There is no talk about whether the war is a mistake or not. It simply gives you an idea of what it is like for soldiers over there.
When Elsa and I left the theater, we talked about various aspects of this movie on the drive home. Hours later, we were still talking about it and I think that is the greatest thing about it. It gives you a great respect for what our troops are doing for this country, regardless of your feelings about the war in general.
The Hurt Locker is currently in limited release and it wouldn't surprise me if that ended soon. Check your local theaters to see if its playing and get your ass out there while you still can, you will not regret it!
-Carsten
Comments (0) 16.08.2009. 08:33
Moon Review!
Most of you are probably thinking, "What? Moon!? What the hell is that?" The answer to that is, "the best science fiction film I have seen in a long time!"
Moon tells the story of Sam Bell, who has a 3-year contract to work in a harvesting facility on Mars that produces 70% of Earth's energy. Sam is alone up there except for his AI computer assistant Gerty.
Sam's wife and daughter are back on Earth and he is forced to share delayed video messages back and forth with them to keep in contact. His contract is two weeks from being complete when things happen. That is all that I will say, the rest you need to see for yourself.
This movie really makes you think. You can't help but feel for Sam and think about yourself being put in that same situation. Many questions are raised involving science and ethics and you will be thinking about this movie for a while after the credits roll.
This is easily my favorite movie of the year so far, but I am planning on seeing The Hurt Locker soon so that may change. If a theater around you is playing Moon (it only has a limited release), I strongly encourage you to check it out!
-Carsten
Comments (3) 06.08.2009. 09:16