More than just direct Avatar, Cameron wrote the entire story himself--a project 14 years in the making. So what took him so long to film it? Get this: He wanted to wait until the technology would allow him to create photorealism. THANK YOU! FINALLY, someone in Hollywood with half a brain, who actually considers the audience and sacrifices short-term profits for long-term quality. Hallelujah!
Cameron has used CGI in his films before, but he used it sparingly, and when he did, he did it very well. How can anyone forget the scene where the T-1000 comes out of the checkered floor and stabs the security guard right through the eye? Classic! Or how 'bout during Titanic, when Jack and Rose are at the top of the ship while everyone's plunging to their death, bouncing off of propellers and hand rails like it's going out of style? That's right, no one. Those iconic scenes are forever etched into our psyches. And unlike today's superhero shitfests, he didn't rely only on computer-generated special effects. He actually sank ships and blew up buildings. The set for Titanic included a 17-million-gallon tank of water.
People just don't know how to feel about Avatar. We knew Aliens, Terminator and Titanic would be mega hits. But an original story about blue aliens? Immediately red flags go off in my head. Dreadful visions of Battlefield Earth, Jar Jar Binks and blue penis spring to mind. Does Cameron hold enough sway with the public as he does with Hollywood? Can we keep the faith, or are we all too weary of boys who cry Beowolf?
So like Hitler, I was very skeptical about the CG characters. That was until I saw this next behind-the-scenes preview....
Motion capture is a relatively new technology for filmmaking. Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists (possibly the most expensive direct-to-video movie ever made) was the first feature length film created exclusively using motion capture. Robert Zemeckis brought it into the mainstream in 2004 with The Polar Express, and has continued using it ever since--his latest effort being Disney's A Christmas Carol featuring Jim Carrey. Many have complained though, (myself included) that his films look too cartoonish and unrealistic. While some like to immerse themselves in the computer-generated fantasy world, others would rather play a video game than watch it.
If Zemeckis pioneered motion capture, Peter Jackson mastered it in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Return of the King. He and Andy Serkis received all kinds of accolades and recognition for their portrayal of Gollum. I think it was a great concept considering the character's huge role in the books, and therefore his involvement throughout the film, but I still didn't like it. I'm just not a fan. I've had some pretty awful experiences with CG sidekicks and blue aliens alike.
But hey, all-blue is not all bad...
It should be no surprise that people aren't taking to Avatar immediately. It won't have the record-breaking first weekend that New Moon had (we sold out 2,000 seats for the midnight shows a week in advance; Avatar opens at midnight having sold less than 100 presale tickets at our location). If you remember though, Titanic spent an unprecedented 16 weeks at #1--absolutely unheard of in modern cinema. Cameron is hoping Avatar will perform in a similar fashion, accumulating buzz and box office numbers as the weeks go on. I think it will do fairly well, but not to the extent it's being hyped. It has some real stiff competition this holiday with The Princess and the Frog still fresh atop the pile and Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes coming out on Christmas Day. Also being released that day are two Oscar worthy heavyweights: Nine and Up In the Air. And don't count out the rest of the pack--A Christmas Carol has been surprisingly consistent, as has Michael Oher's biopic, The Blind Side. The film may pick up steam if he wins the NFL's 2009 Rookie of the Year (keep an eye out for him in the Bears game this Sunday).
If you get a chance to see Avatar, comment back and let me know what you thought. I'm interested to hear your reaction to the blue aliens.
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