Sunday, January 24, 2010

Dances With Avatars

Avatar
- Victory of style over substance


I just sat through Avatar in 3D on the big screen.

WOW - it looks beautiful. I mean it, really impressive and, once you get used to the stupid glasses, you can easily loose yourself in the visual splendour of Cameron's vision. I have a definite appreciation for why this movie is pulling people in to see it - you HAVE to see it and you have to see it on the big screen. Okay? Are we all happy now? Good.

Because it's not a good movie.

I'm sorry - and I know almost no one is going to agree with me on this but GOOD movies have compelling (or, at least, interesting) stories with well-defined characters. Characters who go through some sort of development and allow us, vicariously, to grow in some way with them. If we're lucky, such movies also have interesting locales and are compelling to look at. But the settings are secondary - story and character are primary. GOOD movies have good stories and interesting characters. Avatar doesn't; Avatar isn't a good movie.

In the last hour of this nearly three hour long flight of fancy - as I was shifting in my seat trying to restore feeling to my buttocks - I kept asking myself: If they were willing to spend millions to make it look so nice why didn't they spend a couple thousand to buy a good story?

I don't know the answer to that question. I don't know why Cameron chose to tell a watered-down version of Dances With Wolves without the character-development. Did he think that a good story would somehow distract us from the visuals? Could he be right? I don't know.

I'm glad I saw it - and I encourage other people to see it, too. In 3D. On the big screen. Absolutely - once should do it though. Because ultimately, this is not a good movie.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Back From Dominican Republic

Hey - I'm back.

Interesting trip. The weather could have been better but considering the earthquake that happened and all - I guess I can't complain.

The earthquake was quite interesting. When it hit I was walking on Highway 5, making my way into the Town of Rio San Juan. Walking ahead of me was a guy on a donkey; I was just walking along in my sandals. The earthquake hit and, from that distance, it wasn't really bad but you definitely noticed it. I've been in three Earthquakes prior to this one and they all passed much more quickly; this one went on for at least a minute - at least...

Anyway, I got so distracted by the shaking of the earth that I didn't pay attention to where I was going and, before I knew it, I stepped into a big steaming pile of Pat Robertson...

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Two "sleeps" until Domincan Republic

I've gotta admit - I'm getting kind of excited!

My buddy, Wayne and I leave for the Bahia Principe Resort in Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic bright and early Thursday morning...

...and I mean early - flight leaves Toronto at 6:15 AM!

Back in September Wayne and I were talking and he was bitching about the winter coming and how he doesn't like the cold - blah blah blah - same thing he's bitched about before. So I said: "Book an all inclusive and get away." He said: "I don't wanna go by myself, will you go with me?" And I said: "Sure."

And now - here we are: two sleeps away!