Avatar

Since this is such a huge film, I'll throw in my two cents, as well.

I saw Avatar twice on the big screen, once regular and once in 3-D, and there wasn't much difference between the experiences. (I've seen two or three movies in 3-D and think it's overrated.) I went in with low expectations. I didn't care that everybody loved it and that it made lots of money. So did the second Transformers movie, and I almost walked out of that. The only real interest I had in Avatar was that it was made by James Cameron, who has made several movies that make it into my Top 10.

After seeing it a couple more times since then and mulling over it a lot, I have to say I'm not real impressed with it. Sure, it's pretty and expands the boundaries of filmmaking capabilities, but that's just not enough for me. The story and characters are as bland and unoriginal as you can get. I spent a lot of the movie with my cheek resting against my hand, thinking, "Been there, done that." The only character I really cared about was Neytiri, and about half of that is because I have a crush on Zoe Saldana.

Now, I'm not saying Avatar is a bad movie. It is certainly worth watching, especially if you're a science fiction fan. And, to give credit where credit is due, this is the Star Wars of the new millennium. It sets the bar pretty high for every science fiction film that follows it. I just don't understand why it's the highest grossing film of all time. All in all, though, it's fun and has some substance.

Avatar

Wow...

I missed this in the theatres, but I certainly didn't miss all the acclaim I heard and read about it. Given all the hype, I figured I would be disappointed with the actual film... Heh, silly me!

I gotta give it to James Cameron -- he is nothing if not ambitious, and that's why he gives us such excellent entertainment. He thinks big, and far, and deep, and then follows through very nicely on the details.

Parts of Avatar borrow from various ideas (the Matrix) and stories (American Indians), but in the end it is a wonderfully unique vision, an entire beautiful, fascinating world, with rich life and personalities. Around halfway through it I was afraid it would succumb to evil corporate and military stereotypes, but somehow it pushed right past that into an epic battle that is amazing...

Great acting all around, and very nice to see Sigourney Weaver (one of my all time favorite actresses) on the big screen again...

Moon

Good movie. Very refreshing and original. Excellent performance by Sam Rockwell, who is essentially the only actor in the movie. As always, Clint Mansell delivers a brilliant score; it's a perfect balance between beautiful and unsettling. I have no complaints with this one. Definitely a must see for those looking for something different.

District 9

I just watched this on Netflix Instant, and I was pleasantly surprised. I was very skeptical of the concept (aliens are stranded on Earth, treated badly in slums; a government official goes from naive, bigoted wimp to desperate-but-wiser hero), but read enough good reviews to make me give it a shot...

For most of the first two-thirds of it, I thought it was decent sci-fi, mildly cheesy in spots, but watchable. I was thinking of it being like a better-than-average B-movie, striving towards B+. But the last third really came together pretty well, and in my mind it sort of made the jump to an A- movie...

As I think about it, a lot of movies run out of gas at the end, at least for me -- they build up an intriguing premise and set up, only to have the end sort of fall short or disappoint me in some way. A few are able to follow through strongly. But District 9 is one of the rarer movies that comes from behind to end better than it started...

Mad Max trilogy

Mad Max
A decent saga starter. While it certainly has its share of problems, it ultimately kept me interested. There were plenty of times this movie could have derailed itself and gotten silly, but it managed to avoid doing so for the most part. My only real complaint with it is that the whole movie builds up to the last fifteen minutes, then ends rather abruptly.

The Road Warrior
A very different film from its predecessor. It's a lot darker and edgier. Max is almost 180 degrees from what he was in Mad Max. While this film continues Max's tale, it exists almost completely on its own. Definitely my favorite of the trilogy.

Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome
Max's adventures take a weirder turn in this one. Even though a lot of fans didn't particularly care for it, I found it pretty entertaining. It's less gritty than the previous movies and the plot is a little meandering, but it's also fun.

Bronson

I liked this. Brian's review is spot on. Weird and beautiful, funny and sad, silly and sick, and unique... I sort of came to feel for Bronson, not in a heroic or admiring way, but sort of admitting he's got gumption and balls...

Starship Troopers

The more I watch this movie, the less I like it. It's basically Aliens for idiots. There is some interesting political commentary and some cool special effects amidst the hackneyed plot and cliched characters, which makes it worth a watch or two, but it's not the kind of movie someone looking for originality will get much out of.