Grant and Woodward's Daily Film Musings: August 20th

Daily Film Musings: August 20th: Avatar

Grant: Over ten years in the making and we finally get to have a real taste of James Cameron's next movie Avatar. A teaser trailer was released online today and it gives us our first good look at the world that Cameron has been tinkering with. He has made all these new toys to film in 3D and the movie has promised to be the next step in special effects. From everything I have seen in this preview he seems to have delivered. The movie's special effects are amazing. The world looks just stunning, unlike anything we have seen on the big screen before.

Woodward: It looks like a video game Grant. Like a really pretty, well made video game but I think it's a stretch to say that we have not seen this before. Play any high end video game in the last few years and there you go. Have we forgotten that Cameron is suppose to make a film here. For all this talk of special effects and sweeping visuals, this preview did not invoke any emotion in me.

Grant: I am pretty sure excitement is an emotion buddy. I was jumping in my seat watching this trailer. I mean sure some video games have moments like this movie but they don't last for two hours and they are not filmed by an Oscar winning director.

Woodward: Yes, a director who has never been very subtle when he comes to his movies. This is going to be a pretty movie but I am going to guess there is not a lot of depth. So we have a guy in wheelchair who is given the chance to walk by becoming some human alien hybrid. Then there is a huge conflict between the aliens and the humans who most likely want to drill their planet for oil or something. I know where this movie is going already. Its also quite possible with the overkill marketing on this movie that we will see all the best parts of the movie before it even comes out.

Grant: Ok, sure the story is not going to be complex and deep. Its aliens and humans fighting it out with amazing special effects. The scope of this movie is very cool. You might moan and grown about this story, but tell me you are not going to want to see this thing on the big screen.

Woodward: I am going to see it in the big screen. You do have a point there. I am going to give my 8 dollars to fill Cameron's bulging pockets. In the end though I bet this whole movie is going to be a big fireworks display, you have a little bit of awe while your watching it but the next day you kind of forget the whole thing. This movie will be a benchmark in special effects but I will be impressed when these special effects get used to tell a compelling story.

Grant: The kind of boring stories you want told don't need crazy cool special effects. As for me I will be counting down the days until I can sit down and watch this movie in all of its glory.