So Avatar is still at the top of both the US and UK box office and I can't help but think I might be missing something.
It is by no means unpopular. As it edges ever closer to trumping Titanic's monumental $1.8 billion gross it's more than apparent that it's striking a chord with audiences worldwide. The critics loved it (for the most part) and, like Titanic, it deals in broad enough strokes to appeal to pretty much everyone. But this level of popularity baffles me. Sure it's beautiful but there must be some reason above its mere atheistic merits as to why people are seeing it again and again.
As an amateur film critic (in other words, an obsessive film fan) I try to go into every film with as open a mind as possible yet with Avatar it was next to impossible. My heights of excitement would all but lead me to crushing disappointment if the film turned out to be merely good as opposed to the second coming of cinema. Yes, I felt the film was lacking but there are many I know that have seen it (almost all of them loved it) who have told me I'm looking too much into it, much in the same way as Transformers 2 (which is most definitely a bad, bad movie, whichever way you cut it). But what's to look into? I'm not trying to pick faults with the movie, I just found that parts of it weren't very entertaining yet the amount of negative feedback this has garnered, both amongst my social circle and on online forums, is astonishing. Whilst I find it baffling that there are some that didn't enjoy The Dark Knight, I'm hardly going to lambast them for it but, apparently, my mere shrug of the shoulders with regards to the quality of Avatar is almost a criminal offence.
Will a second viewing quash my reservations that I'm somehow missing something? Maybe, maybe not, "maybe fuck yourself" as Mark Wahlberg would say, but like Blade Runner before it (a film I'm willing to give one last try despite my dislike for it) I can't help but think I'm missing the point. Maybe a second viewing will bring everything together and those 10ft blue cat things will somehow win me over.
Maybe. We'll see.
Luke Allen
It played better the second time, but I still agree that there are some problems with the film that no amount of flashy visuals can make up for. Cameron shot an interesting flick, but I think once the hard-on for the strength of the effects work wears off, there isn't a lot of depth to show for his years of effort. Thankfully, it seems, there is a strong backlash crowd growing online as a result of the films ridiculous levels of commercial success (in no small part the result of inflation + 3D surcharge).
ReplyDeleteWe'll see how its reputation holds up on DVD.
-DC
PS - I like Blade Runner now.
Blade Runner I'll give one last try. If I'm not sold this time I don't think I'll ever be.
ReplyDeleteLA