Avatar~ 9 thumbs up.

So Sean has been begging asking to see Avatar since it came out. And I'll admit it...I was pretty intrigued too. We go to the movies alot on Tuesday nights because the theatre runs a special~ everyone gets in for matinee prices and you get these little bags for free popcorn. Sometimes we buy a soda, sometimes we sneak ones in (yeah, I'm like that). So we headed off to the movies last Tuesday night. (Yeah, the night before I left on my trip because I'm insane.)

When we got there we got a surprise. They were only showing Avatar in 3D. Not a biggie, except that it was an extra $3 per person, which kind of defeated the whole purpose of going on the cheap night. So we paid our money, got our free popcorn and a soda and found seats. Let me just say...the new 3D is amazing! I mean, I remember the old red/blue paper glasses. And if you took them off the whole screen was wavy and red and blue and made you want to hurl. They always gave me a huge headache and the effect was usually somewhat cheesy. Not so with the new technology. The glasses resembled those worn by Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black. No red and blue anywhere. And if you took them off, still no red and blue! But wavy. So we got a preview of the upcoming Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland and I freakin swear the Cheshire Cat's head was right in front of me. Like scary close. I may have jumped. And Sean may have laughed at me. And Avatar? No cheesy effects for them. It was so subtle, more like you were actually in the movie than things popping out at you.

The movie itself? Personally, I thought it was fabulous. Visually stunning. Of course I had no doubt that it would be. James Cameron is known for his special effects and epic movies. The plot was well developed, if predictable. The characters were interesting and engaging. I felt the plight of the indigenous population and joined them in their loathing for the greedy, planet destroying, corporation. And the combat happy military force. Wait a minute...is Mr. Cameron trying to make a social statement here? How dare he slip that into my mindless entertainment!! The hell?!

I know there's been a lot of controversy surrounding the film. The Vatican is incensed because it promotes the worship of nature. Um. Dude. Didn't your God create all nature? So shouldn't we revere something he busted his ass on? And if he made nature and he made us...aren't we spiritually connected to the Earth?? I mean, I'm not dissing any religion here, but it makes sense to me. I don't think Mr. Cameron was trying to convert anyone to an older, nature based pagan religion here. I think he was just trying to point out that if we don't start respecting the Earth and clean our acts up, we're screwed. And you pretty much have to be an idiot not to have figured that out already, so settle down Pope. I don't see people leaving your religion in vast droves. See discussions of this here.

I also heard that the film was causing mass depression and even a few suicides. For real??! Wow. People truly are more stupid than I think. Should you be depressed? Um. Maybe. I guess that depends on how huge your carbon footprint is. But suicide? Because of a movie? That's probably the biggest bunch of ridiculousness I've heard lately. I guess that's one way to wipe out your carbon footprint, drastic though it may be. But I left the movie in a good mood. I mean the little guys( figuratively, not literally because they were like 9 feet tall) won! They kicked our polluting butts off their planet. They kept their spirit trees and Unobtainium (seriously, who came up with that name for the power source??). They joined forces with the other living creatures on their planet. And the hott marine got to stay in his alien blue body and have working legs and alien sex and ride dragons. Doesn't that just scream "Happy" to you? Because it did to me!

So overall? I give it 9 out of 10 thumbs up. It was a tad long but I was never bored. (My hip just started aching sitting there so long!) And the glasses did give me a slight headache, but I thought it was worth it. Very entertaining. And really, isn't that the point?

happy viewing,
♥Spot