It has a character called “Sully” and some aircraft is brought down by birds.
Will kids want to see the new 3-D sci-fi action fantasy from director James Cameron called AVATAR? Yes. The special effects in the sequences with the blue jungle natives are dazzling and make 3-D more respectable than any film, so far, has. It’s no longer a 1950s novelty. However, parents need to know that AVATAR is over 2 1/2 hours long. Cameron definitely ignored bladders and butts when he made this movie — and you know how kids are. You figure that a movie at the cineplex is now preceded by, at least, ten minutes of trailers and commercials before the feature starts. Children under 12 are going to get fidgetty. The movie is not non-stop action. Plus they have to wear special glasses to get the 3-D effects otherwise you’re squinting like you’ve got glaucoma.
The AVATAR storyline is very “Protect the Rainforest.” Cameron basically pulls from his previous hits and visually repeats himself. It’s like a spoonful of TERMINATOR, a cup of TITANIC and two quarts of ALIENS. To that, he’s added essence of DANCES WITH WOLVES and sprinkled the whole thing with cosmetics from Blue Man Group. As one friend of mine said, “It looks like it should be called AVA-TARZAN.” He’s right. AVATAR is entertaining and one battle sequence near the end will literally make you gasp. Do I want to run out and pay to see it again when it opens? Not right away. Not like I want to see UP IN THE AIR again. (Scroll down to read my review of that film.) AVATAR was just too darn long. Plus, the script is really more for youngsters in an ABC “After School Special” sort of way. Aside from the length, that’s the main glitch. You’d think that — after years of time and millions of dollars spent on this truly beautiful production — someone could’ve come up with a snappier script. Cameron is boasting that AVATAR is revolutionary and takes film-making to a new place. In some ways, it does. But not in the script. George Lucas’ STAR WARS opened with humility in 1977. We went expecting to see a new sc-fi movie with special effects that upgraded the Saturday afternoon kind of movie we babyboomers were used to seeing as kids. We got that. And we got more. Lucas gave us a legend with spirituality as strong as that in some ancient literature. Even Joseph Campbell discussed and analyzed it at length in the must-see 1988 PBS presentation, The Power of Myth. If you’ve never seen the Bill Moyers interview of Campbell as he discusses, among other things, the mythological importance of the original STAR WARS films, you must rent it. Brilliant and enlightening! AVATAR is positioning itself as being just as deep but the storyline is more like comic book fun. When some of the most memorable lines are “Shut your pie-hole!” or “Marine, I wish I had ten more like you,” come on. Comic book. Not high art. The plot has futuristic military officers and scientists dealing with blue jungle beings who, apparently, live in a land rich with oil. Corporate greed strikes some of the Donald Rumsfeld types and they’re at war philosophically with good scientists like the character played with style, wit and verve by Sigourney Weaver. She makes her entrance in an ALIENS-like pod. One macho Marine falls for a blue jungle lady and embraces her people’s respect for the land. That’s the love story that validates the TITANIC-like song over the closing credits.
There’s a chase scene that made me chuckle. One group is fleeing from another. The group running away has a middle-aged woman with auburn hair, a husky black guy with facial hair, a slim dorky white dude and a muscular man in a wheelchair. I said to myself, “This is absolutely perfect for a parody on The Family Guy.” Let’s see if that happens.
Have fun if you take the kids to see AVATAR this weekend. But remember: It’s over 2 1/2 hours long — and you have to wear special glasses.