2009-12-04 03:46:45

AVATAR DELIVERS (an early Christmas gift)

Filed under: Film
Posted by: Craig

Last night, I saw thirty minutes of the most anticipated movie in years. It is reportedly the most expensive feature film ever. James Cameron has wanted to make it for a decade, but had to wait for the technology to catch up to his vision. I thought it had so much potential to revolutionize entertainment that I entitled my next book, Halos and Avatars. I am fascinated by the cultural implications of avatars and virtual worlds, especially in the word’s derivation from the Hindu notion of divine descent.

Fox C.E.O. Jim Gianopulos delivered an early Christmas gift to Pepperdine alumni at the Dean’s Executive Leadership Series. I was invited because of my role as director of Pepperdine’s new Center for Entertainment, Media, and Culture. We’re ramping up Pepperdine’s relationship to Hollywood and their film-friendly neighbors in Malibu. A new major in film studies, digital media production and an MFA in Screenwriting have been added to our curriculum. We’re connecting with hundreds of alums working in Hollywood through our new Pepperdine Entertainment Network. So, a discussion with a distinguished entertainment executive makes sense for our students and alums.

Linda Livingstone, Dean of the Graziadio School of Business and Management introduced Jim Gianopulos who then announced that James Cameron had just delivered his new film to Fox. Gianopulos casually suggested, it might offer a good starting point for our discussion. He outlined the basic premise of Avatar. No frills, no superlatives. His understatement spoke volumes. The crowd sat up. Anticipation grew. Maybe we would see a scene or two of the finished film. The lights went down, the 3-D glasses went on, and two hundred people were suddenly thirteen again.

Not since the first time I saw Star Wars have I felt so giddy, so transported by sheer visual splendor and delight. Viewers will call friends and family, describing scenes with boundless enthusiasm. Teenagers will be recreating scenes in their backyards. Few will be satisfied seeing it just once. James Cameron and his team have created an eye-popping spectacle that will enthrall filmgoers. Avatar is the real (digital) deal.

Like many, I was not impressed by the teaser trailer. The big blue characters were off-putting. The action sequences resembled video games we’ve all played. But the 3D, big screen experience is another story. I quickly forget I was watching digital characters. The performance capture technology blows away any lingering doubts created by the creepy humans in The Polar Express or Beowulf. Avatar delivers on all the hopes and promises of a technological breakthrough. But it never calls attention to the trickery. It is rooted in a compelling story, sweeping us up in an epic journey. Thirty minutes inside Avatar prompted me to buy two tickets to the first available 3D IMAX midnight screening I could find. I cannot wait for December 18th to arrive. I did not want the experience (or even individual scenes) to end. Movie magic abounds.

For those who want to experience the film with as much ignorance as possible, do not proceed. But for fanboys and girls who cannot resist the urge to know more, slight spoilers (but mostly ravenous raves) follow:

To Cameron’s considerable credit, Avatar doesn’t depend upon 3-D tricks to wow the audience. Things rarely pop off the screen into the viewers’ space. Jim Gianopulos described Avatar as “not poking things out, but bringing the audience into the world.” A space shuttle approaches a distant moon, Pandora. But not with the original ‘wow’ factor of Star Wars’ famous opening shot. Why duplicate or imitate that which has gone before. Cameron seems confident that Avatar has plenty of thrills to come. So sit back, relax, and get to know the characters.

We are introduced to a wheel chair bound Marine, Jake Sully. Aussie actor Sam Worthington brings considerable presence to the role. He seems weary, wise, and eager to experience a virtual escape. His commanding officer, Colonel Miles Quaritch, briefs his soldiers on all of the volatile threats on Pandora. While we’ve seen the crusty army veteran berate the troops before, we haven’t seen the land they’re about to sneak into. In the lab, Sam comes face to face with his avatar, a blend of his DNA with the native Na’vi. It is an enchanting first encounter with timely connections to the recent announcement of thirteen new stem cell lines. Scientists like Dr. Grace Augustine introduce Jake to the procedure. (So great to see Sigourey Weaver on screen in another James Cameron movie!). The researchers computer monitors float across the screen in glorious 3-D. It makes the future seem quite attractive.

Avatar really starts to take off when Jake wakes up in his new Na’vi body. Finally freed from his paralysis, Jake relishes the bright blue, ten-foot version of himself. He is swept up in this new creation. He cannot wait for instructions or tests. Jake breaks out of the lab. We are equally eager to join him on his adventure.

The jungle of Pandora is remarkably vivid. The attention to detail poured into each frame is thrilling. The insects, the leaves, and the creatures all shimmer and glow. Grace serves as Jake’s spirit guide, talking him through the environment. (How cool to think about Ripley, passing on her wisdom to James Cameron’s next warrior, Jake Sully!). The monsters they encounter resemble nothing we’ve seen before. While Jason and the Argonauts offered a single stop-motion creature to battle, Avatar teems with entire families and abundant species that must be outfoxed.

The most enchanting scene we previewed took place at night. Jake creates trouble for himself by lighting a torch. It is an announcement to all the animals, “Come, eat me.” Only the fierce intervention of Neytiri saves Jake’s avatar. Fanboys will find themselves strangely attracted to the giant blue sex symbol performed by Zoe Saldana. The digital costumes are skimpy, echoing the native nudity usually found only in National Geographic. When Neytiri extinguishes Jack’s flame, the forest begins to glow in the dark. What a gorgeous and magical scene for their first meeting. Translucent seeds of a sacred tree float down upon Jake like dancing dandelions. Pure digital delight! They scramble across tree branches in a world that seems upside down. I did not want their transfixing night to end. Cameron and company have packed so many details into each gorgeous frame.

The final sequence we previewed involved breaking a banshee. It echoes the old westerns, where a cowboy tames a wild stallion. On Pandora, the transportation is of the ferocious winged variety. So Jake must capture and bond with a wailing bird of post-historic fury. When Neytiri teaches Jake to fly, the action soars across an upside down world where rocks float and mountain are suspending in the sky. It is exhilarating. You must see it to believe it.

The dark vision of The Matrix was fascinating. The abundant splendor of The Lord of the Rings was enchanting. Avatar combines the best of both those worlds. It is scary and beautiful, wild and wonderful all at the same time. Jake is discovering how to move, how to fight, how to survive in a foreign land. We are equally disoriented, not knowing whether to laugh or scream at any given moment. Pandora feels deliriously alive, a throwback to the garden of Eden, or at least the rain forests as we’d like to re-imagine them—unspoiled, untamed, limitless in their secrets and species.

There is some irony that Avatar employs the most rigorous technology in a story about saving native cultures and habitats. Cameron’s digitized world makes us value God’s glorious creation anew. Some critics may carp at James Horner’s score that echoes world music we’ve heard before. Plenty will complain about Cameron’s clunky dialogue that is easily translated for filmgoers around the world. Native peoples may not appreciate the comparisons that will be drawn between themselves and the alien Na’vi. Yet, Avatar clearly wants to offer a warning and wake up call. Our allegiance (and Jake’s) will side with the Na’vi rather than the humans.

I will not speculate on how much emotion audiences will invest in the characters. I saw only thirty minutes of a ripping two and half hour yarn. But I would never bet against James Cameron. Titanic combined romance and wreckage, soul and spectacle. It started modestly and built tension and attention (at the box office). There appear to be plenty of bullets flying in Avatar‘s final battle sequence. We saw flashes of tanks, spaceships and soldiers facing off against spears. As a parent, I will respect the PG-13 rating. There are far too many beasts to haunt the dreams of younger viewers. (My seven and ten year old are psyched to see “the squeakquel” to Alvin and the Chipmunks one week later). But for anyone wanting to experience visceral thrills, Avatar is your movie. For those who want their imaginations re-ignited, Pandora is your place. For people who want to remember why they first fell in love with the movies, James Cameron serves up a roaring mnemonic aid.

My doctoral dissertation, Into the Dark, explored the top ranked films of 21st century on the Internet Movie Database. Plenty of critics are starting to compile their lists of the best of the past decade. My advice? Leave a little room for this massive movie. Avatar is an old-fashioned adventure fueled by tomorrow’s technology. It looks back and leaps forward in invigorating ways. Avatar is the game changer we’ve all been waiting for. Thanks to the generous Jim Gianopulos for giving us a glimpse of what we’re all eager to unwrap this holiday season.

Comments (11)

11 Comments »

1. [...] original here: AVATAR DELIVERS (an early Christmas gift) Posted in Hollywood Movies | Tags: alums-working, connecting-with, even-individual, [...]

   Pingback by AVATAR DELIVERS (an early Christmas gift) | HOLLYWOOD — December 4, 2009 @ 4:13 am

2. Thanks for this fantastic post, Craig. Can’t wait to see it. I’m definitely leaving a spot open on my top 100.

   Comment by John — December 4, 2009 @ 7:06 am

3. Hey, Craig. great work. I was excited to see the film before reading this. Now I am infinitely more so.

   Comment by Jerry Derloshon — December 4, 2009 @ 9:40 am

4. Craig, I loved this post so much I had to respond with my own thoughts about what the rest of us can expect from this movie. They’re over here at http://john.purplestateofmind.com/?p=836.

   Comment by John — December 4, 2009 @ 9:54 am

5. You’ve dispelled some of my reservations and doubts about this film, Craig. I eagerly look forward to seeing it, either alone when it premiers, or as a family outing on Christmas day, or both!

   Comment by John W. Morehead — December 4, 2009 @ 1:29 pm

6. Great post Craig! Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm about the film. The trailer stole my excitement and you’ve brought it back! See you at the theaters! :et me know when you come visit NYC! Go Waves!!

   Comment by Jorge Fusaro — December 4, 2009 @ 6:01 pm

7. [...] Craig’s further thoughts on Avatar on his blog Purple State of Mind at this post, and return here for TheoFantastique’s perspective on the film after its premiere on December [...]

   Pingback by | — December 4, 2009 @ 10:27 pm

8. [...] Click here to read Craig’s full review. [...]

   Pingback by Avatar Delivers @ viaRenovo — December 10, 2009 @ 10:33 pm

9. Well written, Çraig! Based upon your words here, I went ahead and got my tickets for opening weekend!

   Jordan

   Comment by Jordan Rockwell — December 11, 2009 @ 11:29 pm

10. [...] From Craig Detweiler of Purple State of Craig: [...]

    Pingback by “Avatar” Delivers - Science and Religion Today — December 16, 2009 @ 10:39 am

11. Craig,
    I couldn’t agree more. I bought tickets for the first midnight screening in the Bay Area (tomorrow night) based on a 20 minute screening I saw a couple of months ago. I think this film justifies the claims of folks who say we will all own 3D glasses like we own sunglasses.

    Comment by Ryan — December 17, 2009 @ 2:01 am

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