The media sniffed at the box office haul of James Cameron's Avatar- a "mere" $73 million. In true media fashion, they talked about how the number was short of industry expectations and well short of the last Cameron megahit, Titanic. Still others expressed disappointment that the story was predictable and too heavy on the politics.
To all these voices, I would answer simply: You are missing the point!
I saw Avatar on Friday night in IMAX 3D and was completely blown away by a totally new and awesome (in the purest sense of the word) cinematic experience. That was what Cameron promised and worked for, and that is exactly what he delivered. He delivered on 3D that was stunningly immersive without being gimmicky. He delivered on motion-capture characters that held their own next to live action counterparts and touched viewers' hearts. Most importantly, he gave himself entirely to a new world and made us believe it was real. My breath was literally taken and that doesn't happen too often to me at the movies anymore.
In fact, I would say Avatar is the kind of movie that comes along once a decade.
And to all the naysayers who blab about predictability, I would say this was meant to be an epic. If you want plot twists that keep you guessing, go see a murder mystery. Like many epics before it, this story is built on a classic skeleton, a skeleton that we all know well. So don't act surprised if the villain actually turns out to be the good guy and vice versa. Nope, this is straight up good-versus-evil.
All I can say is go see it and tell me if it doesn't leave your jaw hanging open. I'm not saying it is flawless. But I am saying what Cameron has achieved far exceeds any deficiencies and gives us a sense of awe and wonder that we haven't seen in a awhile.
