'Avatar'Review: 5/5
Over a decade ago, writer/director/FX mastermind James Cameron proposed a highly ambitious undertaking: a $400 million film about an ex-marine sent to a distant planet to help humans harvest 'Unobtanium,' a lucrative, jagged crystal. Studio execs scoffed, and with good reason: Cameron wanted to shoot the epic narrative in 3D, and with motion capture as opposed to animation. Fourteen years ago, 'Avatar' was an overly audacious visual composition. Today, Cameron's magnum opus stands complete as a monolithic visual achievement in the 21st century, infusing an extraordinary neon radiance into the stagnant collection of stale aestheticism that's been plaguing the film industry for some time. And that's not to say attention to story detail was abandoned. In fact, this high-concept ode to pantheism and environmental panic is founded in the classic 'hero-narrative' structure, pitting crippled ex-marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) against a warmongering human entity - a timely American allegory with virtuoso technical execution.
Understanding many 'blockbuster' filmmakers' propensity for roaring action sequences, it may be a bit of a surprise to some that, while Cameron has infused his melodrama with a thoroughly extensive, action-drenched third act, it's not without motivation. At it's heart, 'Avatar' is an examination of humans' propensity for infinite freedom, inspiring Worthington's 'Sully' to make profound moral modifications. It's a melodramatic opus worthy of each mesmerizing battle, all of which soar with an explosive visual and emotional intensity: it's everything we go to the movies for.
If there is one area that lacks an 'A+' mark, it's the individual performances, which are often times overly histrionic to the point of satire. But this is a minor criticism of a film that will be exalted as a defining cinematic landmark in this generation. It's an incomparable visual odyssey, a humbling, grand-scale work of cinema magic, and is this year's best picture.
No comments:
Post a Comment