Avatar
A very predictable film with themes we have seen in countless movies before, but… It does what what it does so well, it really doesn’t matter. James Cameron certainly seems to know how to make a fun movie, though for as log as he claims he has had it in his head it certainly should be. There are however, moments that are unnecessarily cheesy such as naming the coveted mineral, “Unobtainium.” as well as dialogue that is just as bad. I also thought that Michelle Rodriguez’s character development was not setup well for her character arch which I can not tell you about without spoiling it.
The 3d character technology is noticeably better in this movie than most. This does not mean that the Navi are free from stiff expressions, but they are much less of them. The expressions seem to work the best when they are showing extream emotions, and falter the most when smaller moments need to be conveyed.
The Music was good, but I thought could have been better. One instant improvement would be to tell James Horner to not use the now obnoxious and self aware trumpet flair, that he puts into all the movies that he does. (It was in Troy, and in The Mask of Zorro, to name a few.) It pulls me right out of the film, though I think this is something that wont bother most people or those who are less faniliar with his work.
All in all, this is a solid movie that while not flawless, is fun, effective and environmentally poignant.
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes was a fairly amusing romp. Robert Downey Jr, brings his usual dry wit and uniquely paced banter, and Jude law plays his role as the strait man fair enough. Guy Ritchie also has his finger prints all over this as his style, and love of the all connecting reveal ending make their appearances in spades. The Music fits well to this type of film but is unmistakably Hans Zimmer and could – at times – be interchanged with A Pirates of the Caribbean movie with out skipping a beat. While the movie works for the most part it feels a bit too much like it’s experimenting with ideas, and that too many chefs might have been in the kitchen. Also the sequences of Sherlock Holmes explaining what he is going to do, then showing him doing it could have been shortened in some places and removed from others. This was an entertaining film but feels like it’s more of a setup for a much better, and more refined squeal, all-la Xmen.
The Road
A, depressing and meticulously paced look at and an end of civilization scenario that has some truly disturbing moments but keeps everything within a framework of a believable reality. It can be a little slow at times, and the back and forth jumps through time are nice but are occasionally distracting and slow a very even movie down even more. I liked the subtle and toned down score of the film, and especially appreciated the moments were there was none, and all you could hear was wind over uncomfortable silence. The Road was not a great film but was a good experience made from superior source material.
