Not every movie that is made is destined be an award winning piece of high art. Some are meant to be down and dirty, using the lowest common denominators of excessive violence, gore, sex and nudity in order to bring in an audience. While many times the result is sad and exploitative, occasionally a movie has so much of these elements in it that it becomes an enjoyable outing. Your mind will not grow from seeing the movie, but you will have a fun time.
Piranha 3D might redefine the definition of a mindless summer movie. It has nothing intelligent to say to its audience. And it’s so full of plot holes one wonders if the script was written over a drunken weekend. The plot itself is as flimsy as they come: an earthquake releases thousands of prehistoric piranhas into a lake during spring break, where hundreds of horny college students have invaded a small lakeside town. Elisabeth Shue plays the town sheriff who’s trying to get everyone out of the lake, Jerry O’Connell plays the obnoxious host of a girls gone wild type series who hires the sheriff’s son (Steven R. McQueen) to find good filming locations, and Christopher Lloyd pops up as a crazed fish expert.
But none of that seems to matter. What matters is that there are many sights in this movie that have to be seen to be believed. Richard Dreyfuss singing “Show Me the Way to Go Home”. Two women performing an underwater nude ballet that lasts for three uninterrupted minutes. A man riding a jet ski and shooting at the piranha with a shotgun. A guy plowing into dozens of people as he tries to escape the carnage in a speedboat. A girl having her face ripped off by a propeller. A man’s severed penis eaten by a piranha and then spit back out (yes, this actually happens). If you think you’re being spoiled from these tidbits, don’t worry. There’s at least 50 other sights one will experience within this movie.
The movie is of course released in 3D, and the result is for the most part worth the extra admission. While no where near as strong as the 3D effects in Avatar, they aren’t fuzzy and unnecessary. Audiences will squirm all the more when flying body parts come flying out at you and the killer fish jump right in your face.
While I enjoy smart movies that make you think, I also see the value in turning your brain off and going for the ride at the cinema. And Piranha 3D is the most mindless enjoy the ride movie that’s been made in years. Go out and see it. You might hate to admit it, but you’ll have a good time.
Showing posts with label Avatar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Avatar. Show all posts
Monday, August 23, 2010
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Avatar: A Movie That Lives Up to the Hype
After months of speculation, James Cameron’s Avatar opened in theaters last Friday. To call this movie an event is an understatement, as there is talk that this movie will change filmmaking forever. While I am not sure that is the case, I have no problem in proclaiming that it is a epic adventure that raises the standards for CGI effects several notches.
With such advantages in effects, the plot has a surprisingly simplistic feeling to it. It seemed a bit like watching a futuristic cowboys and Indians adventure, but with a hefty dose of cultural acceptance and spirituality woven in. The movie takes place on a futuristic moon called Polyphemus in 2154 AD. The moon is rich in natural minerals that humans want to mine to save their own dying planet, but are unable to persuade a group indigenous Na'vi to leave their home tree, where a vast supply of the material resides. To prevent an all out war from occurring a program has been set up to create a diplomatic solution, overseen by the idealistic Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver). They have created a Human-Na'vi hybrid, referred to as an Avatar, which a person can remotely link up with and use to naturally interact with the Na’vi and possibly gain their trust. New to the program is Jake (Sam Worthington), a paralyzed formed marine who was brought on because his deceased twin brother had an Avatar created and Jake’s genetics make him compatible to inhabit it. On their first trip out into the planet Jake is separated from the group and has to fend for himself for the night. While driving off attacking animals he is rescued by Neytiri (Zoë Saldaña), a princess to the Na'vi tribe that inhabits the desired mineral site. Though wary of Jake’s recklessness she brings him to her tribe and persuades the Na’vi to have Jake learn their ways. As Jake spends more time with the deeply harmonistic Na’vi and inside his Avatar body he begins to have his doubts of the plan to strip and ravage their home world.
While the storyline is intriguing it is the visual effects that dominate this movie and make it so worthwhile to see on the big screen. Viewers are taken into a completely alien world and feel as if they are actually there. The camera swoops and soars over a lush landscape that engrosses the viewing experience. While it should be seen regardless, it’s best to see it in 3D. Rather then seeing the images simply come at you the viewer feels like they are surrounded and actually in the world they are seeing.
Even more impressive are the Na’vi and the Avatars. While we have seen computerized creatures in past film like Lord of the Rings and the new Star Wars trilogy, here they are detailed to a previously unheard of way. When we see Grace and Jake’s Avatar we can actually see a bit of the actor’s face in the computerized alien creature. This level of detail is both fascinating and even a little eerie at first.
While more hype is just that, this is one film that deserves all the praise it is getting. Treat yourself to a fine movie experience and see Avatar. It is a move you will not regret.
With such advantages in effects, the plot has a surprisingly simplistic feeling to it. It seemed a bit like watching a futuristic cowboys and Indians adventure, but with a hefty dose of cultural acceptance and spirituality woven in. The movie takes place on a futuristic moon called Polyphemus in 2154 AD. The moon is rich in natural minerals that humans want to mine to save their own dying planet, but are unable to persuade a group indigenous Na'vi to leave their home tree, where a vast supply of the material resides. To prevent an all out war from occurring a program has been set up to create a diplomatic solution, overseen by the idealistic Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver). They have created a Human-Na'vi hybrid, referred to as an Avatar, which a person can remotely link up with and use to naturally interact with the Na’vi and possibly gain their trust. New to the program is Jake (Sam Worthington), a paralyzed formed marine who was brought on because his deceased twin brother had an Avatar created and Jake’s genetics make him compatible to inhabit it. On their first trip out into the planet Jake is separated from the group and has to fend for himself for the night. While driving off attacking animals he is rescued by Neytiri (Zoë Saldaña), a princess to the Na'vi tribe that inhabits the desired mineral site. Though wary of Jake’s recklessness she brings him to her tribe and persuades the Na’vi to have Jake learn their ways. As Jake spends more time with the deeply harmonistic Na’vi and inside his Avatar body he begins to have his doubts of the plan to strip and ravage their home world.
While the storyline is intriguing it is the visual effects that dominate this movie and make it so worthwhile to see on the big screen. Viewers are taken into a completely alien world and feel as if they are actually there. The camera swoops and soars over a lush landscape that engrosses the viewing experience. While it should be seen regardless, it’s best to see it in 3D. Rather then seeing the images simply come at you the viewer feels like they are surrounded and actually in the world they are seeing.
Even more impressive are the Na’vi and the Avatars. While we have seen computerized creatures in past film like Lord of the Rings and the new Star Wars trilogy, here they are detailed to a previously unheard of way. When we see Grace and Jake’s Avatar we can actually see a bit of the actor’s face in the computerized alien creature. This level of detail is both fascinating and even a little eerie at first.
While more hype is just that, this is one film that deserves all the praise it is getting. Treat yourself to a fine movie experience and see Avatar. It is a move you will not regret.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)