Directed by Kathryn Bigelow and screenplay by James Cameron and Jay Cocks from a story by James Cameron, Strange Days is the story of a former cop turned black marketer who finds himself in trouble due to a device that records memories where a user had witnessed a killing by two corrupt cops. Set in 1999 Los Angeles just two days before the millennium, the film is a cyberpunk thriller that explores the world of technologies and memories as a man deals with his past as well as his friendship with a female bodyguard. Starring Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Vincent D’Onofrio, William Fichtner, and Michael Wincott. Strange Days is a phenomenal yet gripping film from Kathryn Bigelow.
It’s 1999 just two days before the new millennium as the film is about these last two days where a black marketer discovers about a conspiracy involving two police officers in the death of a renowned rapper through a recorded memory from a hooker. With the help of a female bodyguard and a private investigator, Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes) tries to find out what these cops are doing as well as who has been killing not just the witness of these murders but also who has been stalking Lenny’s former girlfriend in rock singer Faith (Juliette Lewis). It’s a film that has a lot of elements of suspense and intrigue as it’s set in futuristic 1999 where Los Angeles is in chaos over tension between the people and the police. Even as it also features a man struggling with his past over his lost love while the only true friend he has is this no-nonsense bodyguard named Mace (Angela Bassett) who doesn’t like his work as she always bails him out.
The film’s screenplay by James Cameron and Jay Cocks is very intriguing not for its mystery but also in the drama where Lenny is still pining for Faith. Even as he watches old tapes in his head of the good times they had before she left him for the music impresario Philo Grant (Michael Wincott) who also manages the controversial rapper Jeriko One (Glenn Plummer) who has become a voice of the people. One’s murder by these two corrupt cops in Steckler (Vincent D’Onofrio) and Engelman (William Fichtner) that was witnessed by a friend of Lenny in the hooker Iris (Brigitte Bako) through her SQUID memory recorder that she wears on her head would trigger the events in the film. The film does become this suspense-thriller through its script yet there’s much more to it as it concerns the relationship between Lenny and Mace.
Mace is easily one of the film’s most interesting characters as she was this former waitress who met Lenny when he was just a cop comforting her son following an incident. Their friendship has Mace being not just a mother of sorts for Lenny but one where she tries to maintain some control as she has no interest in seeing other people’s memories through his device nor does she approve Lenny’s line of work. Once she realize what is going on and the trouble that Lenny is in, she reluctantly helps out as she is this commanding presence that is really unlike a lot of characters in film. There’s no bullshit about her which makes Mace so intriguing in comparison to Faith as she is this rock singer yearning to make her break but hangs out with the wrong people. The characterization of Lenny and Mace isn’t just the highlight of the script but also some of the dialogue where it’s very direct but also has some moments of humor.
Kathryn Bigelow’s direction is definitely intoxicating from the first moment of the film which explores a gang trying to rob a restaurant and evade the cops in a chase as it’s mostly shown in two takes all from the perspective of a robber. All of it is shot in a shaky steadicam as if someone is watching this moment as if they’re that person. It’s among these elements of style that Bigelow would incorporate as it does play into this idea of the future where people put on a headgear and be near a recorder in their hand so they can record these memories. It’s not just these steadicam shots that are among the finer moments of the film but also the presentation that Bigelow has in the way she explores Los Angeles in this period of turmoil and tension in the last days of the 20th Century.
The direction also has Bigelow use her slow-motion visual trademark to not just play into the action and suspense but also some of the drama in order to explore some of the tension and stakes in the film. Even as it plays into that world of reality and memories where it’s all about someone re-living an old memory or looking into someone else’s memory. The action scenes which involve a few fights and such are very engaging as it includes the film’s climax where Mace deals with the corrupt cops and Lenny dealing with the mysterious killer. Overall, Bigelow crafts a very fluid and enthralling film about a man uncovering a mysterious murder that could spell doom for the world.
Cinematographer Matthew F. Leonetti does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography where it mostly takes place at night with a few scenes set in the day as it has an air of style in its lighting as well as the way it presents Los Angeles in its most chaotic. Editor Howard E Smith, with additional work from James Cameron, does excellent work with the editing in not just creating a feel in the steadicam shots where it feels like it is presented in one take but also in its use of jump-cuts and rhythmic cuts to play with some of the film‘s action. Production designer Lily Kilvert, along with set decorator Kara Lindstrom and art director John Warnke, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of the New Year‘s Eve party in the middle of Los Angeles to the clubs and hotels that the characters go to. Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick does nice work with some of the film‘s costumes from the suits that Lenny wears as well as the clothes that Mace wears the slinky, revealing dresses that Faith wears.
Visual effects supervisor James Lima does terrific work with some of the film‘s visual effects such as the fuzzy visuals that a person wears when wearing the SQUID device. Sound editor Gloria S. Borders and sound designer Brian Williams do brilliant work with the film‘s sound from the atmospheres of the parties to the way some of the flashback memories and such sound like as they‘re recorded. The film’s music by Graeme Revell is superb for its ambient-based score with elements of rock and electronic music while music supervisor Randy Gerston brings in a sprawling soundtrack filled with all sorts of music ranging from metal/hard rock, alt-rock, electronic music, world music, and hip-hop from acts like Marilyn Manson, Skunk Anansie, Lords of Acid, Bob Marley, Deep Forest w/ Peter Gabriel, Me Phi Me w/ Glenn Plummer, Tricky, Prong and the Doors’ Ray Manzarek, and Juliette Lewis doing two covers of songs by PJ Harvey.
The casting by Sharon Baily, Debi Manwiller, Richard Pagano, and Melissa M. Thomas is incredible for the ensemble that is used which includes some notable small performances from Louise LeCavalier, Joe Urla, and Nicky Katt as a trio of Philo’s bodyguards, Michael Jace as a former pro footballer who becomes a bodyguard of Philo, Richard Edson as Lenny’s supplier Tick, and Josef Sommer as LAPD deputy commissioner Palmer Strickland who Lenny knows is the most incorruptible person on the force despite his issues with him. Brigitte Bako is wonderful as Lenny’s hooker friend Iris who witnesses Jeriko’s murder while Glenn Plummer is terrific as the outspoken rapper Jeriko. William Fichtner and Vincent D’Onofrio are excellent in their respective roles as the corrupt cops Engelman and Steckler as two loose cannons who take the laws into their own hands.
Michael Wincott is superb as Faith’s manager Philo who is a slimy individual that likes to take control of everything while being addicted to watching people’s memories. Tom Sizemore is amazing as Lenny’s private investigator friend Max who is this very eccentric guy who doesn’t do things conventionally while helping Lenny and Mace figure out the murders and such. Juliette Lewis is fantastic as Faith as Lenny’s former lover who is trying to make it as a rock singer who cares about Lenny but doesn’t love him anymore as she is trying to hide something that Lenny doesn’t want to know.
Ralph Fiennes is brilliant as Lenny Nero as this former cop turned black marketer who finds himself in trouble when one of his machines has uncovered a major conspiracy as he also deals with his feelings for Faith and clinging to the past as it’s one of Fiennes’ more underrated performances. Finally, there’s Angela Bassett in an outstanding performance as Mace as she is this no-bullshit bodyguard/chauffer who just wants to get paid and do what is right for her son while dealing with Lenny’s troubles. Bassett also proves to be a formidable badass as she is one woman not to fuck with while she has some amazing chemistry with Fiennes as they become this very unlikely yet engaging pair that is fun to watch.
Strange Days is a remarkable film from Kathryn Bigelow that is highlighted by the spectacular performances of Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett. The film is definitely not just a fascinating cyberpunk, dystopian film but also a thriller that is very captivating and adventurous. Even as it’s armed with a cool soundtrack and some pretty funny dialogue. In the end, Strange Days is a kick-ass yet tremendous film from Kathryn Bigelow.
Kathryn Bigelow Films: The Loveless - Near Dark - Blue Steel - Point Break - The Weight of Water - K-19: The Widowmaker - The Hurt Locker - Zero Dark Thirty - The Auteurs #29: Kathryn Bigelow
© thevoid99 2014
Written and directed by James Cameron from a story by Cameron, David Giler, and Walter Hill, Aliens is the sequel to 1979’s Alien in which Ellen Ripley returns to the planet fifty-seven years after the event where she encountered the alien as she’s joined by Marines and a corporate officer to go after the alien creatures. With Sigourney Weaver reprising her role as Ripley, the film also stars Michael Biehn, Lance Henrikson, Bill Paxton, Carrie Henn, William Hope, Jenette Goldstein, Al Matthews, and Paul Reiser. Aliens is a remarkable yet chilling action-suspense film from James Cameron.
Fifty-seven years after encounter with an alien that left her crew dead, Ellen Ripley wakes up from a cryogenic sleep as she’s been rescued by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation who interrogate her about what happened. After learning that the planet she visited has now become a terraforming colony, Ripley loses her space license as she meets a corporate representative in Carter Burke (Paul Reiser) who offers to get her job back by taking part of a mission to return the planet over the loss contact in that planet. Ripley reluctantly takes part as she and Burke are joined by a group of Marines led by Lieutenant Gorman (William Hope) to see if Ripley’s claims about aliens are true. On board the Sulaco, Ripley meets the team that consists Sergeant Apone (Al Matthews), Corporal Hicks (Michael Biehn), Private Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein), Private Hudson (Bill Paxton), and an android named Bishop (Lance Henrikson).
Arriving at the planet where Ripley serves as a consultant, the Marines enter the building where all they could find were two living facehuggers in containment tanks in a lab. Also there is a survivor in a young girl named Newt (Carrie Henn) who has been traumatized by the aliens as the Marines continue to search throughout the locations that included a nuclear-powered processing plant. There, the Marines make a drastic discovery about what they found as they’re suddenly attacked by the aliens leaving many of them dead until Ripley drives the Marine vehicle to save Hicks, Vasquez, and Hudson while Gorman becomes unconscious during the rescue. When their drop ship has been destroyed and unable to have access to the other one, Bishop volunteers to get to the building’s transmitter to get the other drop ship.
After an encounter with the facehuggers where Ripley and Newt are saved by Hicks, the group starts to realize what Burke is up to. With the aliens ready to attack, Ripley and the group struggle to survive as it leads to an all-out battle between the humans and aliens led by their queen.
The film is essentially the story of where Ellen Ripley returns to the planet where her crew discovered an alien life form that would eventually destroy her crew and leaving her as its sole survivor. Upon her return as she accompanies a group of Marines, an android she’s wary about, and a corporate representative. All hell breaks loose when they all had to encounter a group of aliens forcing Ripley to fight back. It’s a very simple premise that has all of the makings of a compelling sci-fi film with elements of suspense, horror, and action. Yet, there’s a lot more to the story in what James Cameron brings that makes the film far much better than it needed to be.
The first is in the way Ripley is portrayed as she returns home after being asleep for fifty-seven years while having nightmares about everything she had encountered in the past. Here’s this woman who had just lost a lot as she’s forced to report to a bunch of corporate honchos who could care less about what happened while caring more about the cargo that was lost. When she’s offered to get her job back by returning the planet, she immediately says no but changes her mind as she just wants to see these aliens dead. Once arriving to the planet where she would find a survivor in a young girl, her maternal instincts come in as she becomes this great protector for this young girl by fighting off the aliens any way she can.
It’s not just Cameron’s approach to the Ripley character that makes the script succeed, he also creates a small group of supporting characters that provide enough substance for the audience to care about. While Hudson may be a loudmouth moron, he is a comic relief who is able to do his job and kick ass while Corporal Hicks becomes the unexpected leader knows about what he should do as a soldier but prefers to ensure the safety of his team and the people he’s protecting. Then there’s the android Bishop who seems like a liability based on Ripley’s own issues with them as he ends up becoming the most helpful person on the team where he would gain the trust of everyone. Finally, there’s the Burke character who is this corporate representative who is just there to oversee things as he becomes the one person everyone else distrust because of his own agenda.
Cameron’s script not only works in creating characters that are interesting but also manages to do a lot with a premise that could’ve failed in terms of the schematics that is expected in a horror film. What Cameron does is create a unique structure to the story where the first half is about Ripley returning to the world and getting ready to take part on this mission. It’s in the second half where the element of suspense and horror comes in where it becomes a film where a group of people struggle to survive and get out of a planet that no one should’ve encountered in the first place.
Cameron’s direction is truly a marvel to watch in terms of the ambition he sets out to make as well as the intimacy that he brings to the film. From the visual-effects driven exterior space shots he creates to the tense meetings that occur between Ripley and the Marines as they all try to figure out how to survive. There’s also a sense of claustrophobia in the direction as the camera is always moving to see these places as a lot of is enclosed and very small. Even in a scene where Bishop goes inside a pipe to get the transmitter, Cameron does manage to find a way to keep things engaging without needing to over-explain things.
Cameron also knows when to give the action a break in order for the characters to figure out what to do or to reveal the motives of a few like Burke. Even as he creates moments such as Ripley’s time with Newt that shows that allows the audience to be intrigued by this relationship that has the audience rooting for Ripley to be this protector. Even in the film’s climatic battle against the Alien Queen where Ripley delivers one of the great lines in film. When it comes time for Ripley and the Marines to kick some ass, Cameron creates some striking compositions to capture the element of suspense and then goes for the kill where invests a lot of time to establish what is going on and what are they trying to kill. Overall, Cameron creates a truly mesmerizing and thrilling film that bends all sorts of genre while giving audiences a film that entertains its audience.
Cinematographer Adrian Biddle does superb work with the photography from the bright look of some scenes in the spaceships to the more brooding look of the scenes in the colony buildings filled with startling lighting schemes and other moments to maintain that sense terror. Editor Ray Lovejoy does brilliant work with the editing to play up the suspense with slow, methodical cuts along with more fast-pace rhythms for the film‘s action scenes. Production designer Peter Lamont, with set decorator Crispian Sallis and supervising art director Terry Ackland-Snow, does great work with the set pieces from the look of the spaceships to the building halls filled with lots of alien material including the queen’s nest.
Costume designer Emma Porteus does nice work with the costumes from the uniforms the Marines wear to the more casual clothing the other characters wear. Visual effects supervisors Robert and Dennis Skotak and Alan G. Markowitz do amazing work with the visual effects for many of the film‘s exterior space ship scenes along with some of design of the scenes involving the aliens. Sound editor Don Sharpe does terrific work with the sound by playing up the suspense in some scenes that leads to the Marines fighting off the aliens as it enhances the atmosphere. The film’s music by James Horner is wonderful for its low-key yet suspenseful-driven score to play up the sense of terror as well as a cadence drum theme for the Marines to arrive and get ready.
The film’s incredible ensemble cast features some notable small performances from Paul Maxwell as corporate head Van Leuwen, Mark Rolston as smart gunner Private Drake, Al Matthews as Sgt. Apone, and Cynthia Dale as Corporal Dietrich. William Hope is very good as the Marines’ commanding officer Lt. Gorman while Jenette Goldstein is excellent as the tough Private Vasquez. Bill Paxton is very funny as the cocky Private Hudson who ends up being scared about what is happening as he has some of the film’s best lines. Lance Henrikson is superb as the android Bishop who helps everyone out while revealing the flaws of being human and being an android.
Paul Reiser is terrific as the slimy Burke who pretends to be all cool only to have ulterior motives about his own agenda as Reiser makes Burke a guy everyone loves to hate. Michael Biehn is amazing as Corporal Hicks who leads the Marines into battle while being the guy who is willing to help out everyone when things get troubling. Carrie Henn is wonderful as the young girl Newt as she displays an innocence of a girl traumatized by what she saw as she also helps out the Marines into surviving the aliens. Finally, there’s Sigourney Weaver in an outstanding performance as Ellen Ripley by making her a far more complex and determined character. Weaver brings a sense of weariness as a woman reluctant to take part in a mission while becoming maternal in protecting Newt as she later becomes this full-blown badass who is not afraid to go toe-to-toe with the aliens as it is truly one of Weaver’s best performances.
Aliens is a magnificent film from James Cameron that features a towering performance from Sigourney Weaver. The film is definitely not just one of the great sci-fi horror films of that genre but also one of the key films that makes the Alien franchise so interesting. Filled with great technical work and memorable supporting performances from Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Lance Henrikson, Paul Reiser, and Bill Paxton. It’s a film that has a lot of substance in terms of its story and presentation as well as a lot of action and suspense to be entertained by. In the end, Aliens is a triumphant film from James Cameron.
James Cameron Films: (Xenogenesis) - (Piranha II: The Spawning) - (The Terminator) - (The Abyss) - (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) - (True Lies) - (Titanic) - (Expedition: Bismarck) - (Ghosts of the Abyss) - (Aliens of the Deep) - Avatar
Alien Films: Alien - Alien 3 - Alien: Resurrection
© thevoid99 2012
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/31/09 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Written and directed by James Cameron, Avatar tells the story in a surrounding planet known as Pandora in the year 2154. A paralyzed soldier joins a group of scientists to explore the planet in which he will take on the body of a planetary-like creature known as the Na'vi. Lost during his mission, he befriends a Na'vi warrior while learning the truth about what a corporate boss wants to do with the planet with help from a gung-ho mercenary as he fights to save the planet. Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Joel David Moore, C.C.H. Pounder, and Sigourney Weaver. Avatar is visually-marvelous and thrilling film from James Cameron and company.
Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is a paraplegic ex-Marine who is asked to replace his twin brother in a science experiment to explore and study the planet Pandora. At the planet, a corporate administrator in Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) has discovered a valuable mineral in unobtanium as he's more interested in the planet's resources. Sully arrives at Pandora with biologist Norm Spellman (Joel David Moore) as they become part of the science team headed by its researcher Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) who isn't happy about Sully replacing his brother. Notably as Sully is debriefed by Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) to infiltrate the land and see what the Na'vi wants as Quaritch makes a tempting offer to Sully. With the pilot Trudy (Michelle Rodriguez) accompanying the science team, Jakes inhabits the avatar Na'vi body as he, Spellman, and Dr. Augustine explore the planet as avatar Na'vis.
During the exploration, Sully is attacked by a creature as he's later saved by a female warrior named Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) who reluctantly takes Jake to the Omaticaya tribe where their home is the large tree known as the Hometree. Neytiri's father in the chief Eytukan (Wes Studi) and his second-in-command Tsu'Tey (Laz Alonso) see Sully as an outsider while Neytiri's mother in the shaman Mo'at (C.C.H. Pounder) sees Sully as something else. With Neytiri teaching Sully the way of the Na'vi with additional help from Dr. Augustine and Spellman as the former would make visits. Sully is amazed by the world of Na'vi and Neytiri as it raises the suspicions of Selfridge and Quaritch following an incident in which Sully attacked a bulldozer following a moment he has with Neytiri.
Upon the discovery, Quaritch realizes that Jake has betrayed the company where both Sully and Dr. Augustine try to plea with the Na'vi to evacuate the Hometree. Yet, Quaritch chooses to attack the Hometree and its natives leaving both Sully and Dr. Augustine helpless in their avatar bodies as they're suddenly pulled into their real bodies as the two along with Spellman are sent to prison for charges of treason. After the attack on the Hometree, Trudy breaks the team out as Sully returns to his avatar body in hopes to regain the trust of the Na'vi by capturing a powerful flying beast as he decides that it's time to fight Quaritch and company to protect the Tree of Souls, the center of Pandora where Sully and the Na'vi would get some unlikely help.
While the story of a soldier discovering a world that is foreign to him where he's surrounded by natives and learns their ways which changes his own life seems like a story that's been told. Notably with Kevin Costner's 1990 film Dances with Wolves. Yet, James Cameron is a man who knows how to tell a story that might seem familiar but stripping away some of the heavy-handed ideology of learning about different cultures and places by balancing it with some sci-fi action that is both entertaining and insightful.
While Cameron as a screenwriter may not be on the level as someone like Charlie Kaufman, Woody Allen, or even European auteurs. Cameron does know how to structure a story as well as create some memorable, stylish dialogue. Unlike George Lucas whose fault is often creating cheesy dialogue and storylines that seems silly. Cameron is someone who is willing to create something imaginative while the dialogue is mostly told in a straight way. Even with some profanity in the mix to give the English dialogue some rhythm. The Na'vi language that was co-created with Dr. Paul Frommer, is something that is truly original that is inspired by various language. There's a different rhythm and feel to it without being comical or silly in its pronunciation.
The structure of the story is told simply with the first act in Jake given a mission along with his discovery of Pandora in the avatar body. The second act is him discovering the ways of the Na'vi while the film does become a bit of a love story while becoming confused about whether he should remain human or be with the natives. The third act is the climatic battle where the Na'vi fights Quaritch and his band of mercenaries with their machines. All of this is told from the perspective of Jake Sully with some voice-over dialogue. Though it might not have the poetic rhythm and tone of Terrence Malick's voice-over narration style. Cameron does keep it simple as he is aware of his limits as a writer as the script itself, despite some flaws in its storytelling formula, succeeds in maintaining what is needed to tell the story.
Cameron's direction is a whole other story and if his ambitions in Titanic were massive. His ambitions for Avatar is far more gargantuan and in creating a whole new world where it's a jungle with ariel mountains, neon-light plants, and all of these weird creatures is something that is truly imaginative. Yet, to have it with the right technology in visual effects and digital 3D filmmaking shows Cameron utilizing in what is needed and such. Even in the use of performance capture where he can get the actors to act out various emotions without having to look silly in whatever visual character they're playing.
The sense of movement and emotive quality in performance capture is really astounding in what Cameron has done. Instead of the more cartoonish look that was seen in some of the recent experimental projects that Robert Zemeckis has done. Cameron uses the performance capture to bring new life to alien-like creatures in the Na'vi by making them seem real but also have a unique look with personalities where the audience can tell the central characters apart. The visual look of the film itself is done with great scope and a wide canvas that is truly a marvel to watch. Even in the usage of 3D digital filmmaking.
3D has been used as a gimmick. Where things may look more rounded and there's objects coming at the screen. It's a tool that really becomes a distraction. Cameron however, finds a way to use that technology and get it right. While the brightness of the film fades a bit in wearing the glasses. The look of Pandora is more rough and almost realistic with objects coming at the audience sometimes but only to create a moment of action as if they're in the battle. Yet, in the look of Pandora through 3D seems like the audience is in that world where there is something quite beautiful about this world. The look of the jungle and planets in that 3D visual format is stunning. In a way, if Cameron seems to be taking on a theory about his views on nature. It seems like he is taking some of his visual inspiration from Terrence Malick as opposed to the more cynical Werner Herzog.
Overall, James Cameron truly succeeds in how to tell the story visually while a lot of the sequences at the base camp are intimate and also claustrophobic at times while giving the audience an idea of how things look and feel. Even in creating an action sequence with sci-fi elements where the audience knows what is happening and he creates moments that can be horrific to something that can be very exciting where the audiences gets to root for the hero. The result is an astounding film that truly breaks the ground in visual effects and how to create a bombastic story into something more as James Cameron delivers 100%.
Cinematographer Mauro Fiore does excellent work with the film's photography from the bluish-light interior looks of Jake looking at the avatars and the green light when he's inside the avatar chamber. The exterior look of the film is very colorful while the camera is a mixture of tracking shots, hand-held, and other stylistic camera work. While a lot of the photography is done mostly by visual effects, Fiore's work is superb in its lighting schemes and creating an atmosphere for both the world of the base camp and the planet of Pandora.
James Cameron along with editors John Refoua and Stephen E. Rivkin do phenomenal work with the film's editing. Even with rhythmic cuts that captures the intensity of the battle and action scenes along with some straight transitions from sequence to sequence and fade-outs for Jake falling asleep. While it's mostly straightforward, the editing is crafted well-enough to tell the story and to keep it moving at a 160-minute running time without being too slow. Production designers Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg with set decorator/supervising art director Kim Sinclair and a massive team of art directors do an amazing job in the look of the film its creation of the bases and lab that Sully lives and surrounds himself with along the visual art of the world of Pandora which is truly awe-inspiring in its creation and look.
Costume Mayes C. Rubeo and Deborah Lynn Scott do nice work on the clothing of the soldiers and scientists that are at the base camp as it's mostly standardize clothing for the most part. The visual effects look of the film led by supervisors John Bruno, John Knoll, Daniel Leduc, Joe Letteri, Steven Quale, Stephen Rosenbaum, Eric Saindon, Mathilde Tollec, R. Christopher White, Edson Williams, and Guy Williams is really the film's technical highlight. From the look of the neon plants and creatures to the look of Pandora itself in its 3D format and such is really something unique. The visual effects of the film in the look of the avatar creatures is great without looking very silly as the entire visual effects team deserves a round of applause.
Sound designer/editor Christopher Boyes along with sound editors Addison Teague and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle is superb in the creation of robotic machines that Col. Quaritch and his team ride on along with the sounds of explosions and such to help create the action. Even the recreation of sounds in the jungle and creatures are amazing as Boyes and company do amazing work. Music composer James Horner does excellent work with the film's score from bombastic, orchestral flourishes for some of the film's action sequences to tribal-like music for scenes involving the Na'vi. The song at the end of the film called I See You sung by Leona Lewis is a decent song that works as a triumphant ballad to end the film.
The casting by Margery Simkin is great with some small but memorable roles Matt Gerald as one of Col. Quaritch's crazed soldiers and Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel, an associate of Dr. Augustine. Joel David Moore is really good as Norm Spellman, a biologist who is amazed by the Na'vi culture while believing in Dr. Augustine's idealism. Michelle Rodriguez is good as Trudy Chacon, Dr. Augustine's helicopter pilot who is a bit of wildcat but also shares Augustine's ideology while disgusted by Col. Quaritch's gung-ho take on war. Laz Alonso is fine as Tsu'Tey, a Na'vi warrior who is skeptical of Jake's intentions only to fight alongside with him as he is amazed by Jake's drive. C.C.H. Pounder is very good as Neytiri's shaman mother Mo'at who sees good in Jake while Wes Studio is also good as Eytukan, the tribe chief who is also impressed by Jake later on unaware of the horror of Quaritch.
Giovanni Ribisi is really good in an understated role as Parker Selfridge, a villainous corporate administrator that is more interested in money as he serves as a very good antagonist. Yet, it's Stephen Lang that is phenomenal as Col. Quaritch, a no-holds-barred military commander who has some great one-liners while spewing out orders as he is a great bad guy that is all about destruction and being a soldier. The film's best performance easily goes to Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Grace Augustine. An idealist scientist who likes to smoke cigarettes, have no-nonsense dialogue, and being a lover of a nature and the Na'vi culture. Weaver's performance in both as an avatar and human is definitely a marvel to watch as she brings a lot of heart and wisdom to her character as it is truly a brilliant performance from the veteran actress.
Zoe Saldana is excellent as Neytiri, the Na'vi warrior who is reluctant to Jake into her world only to fall for him while being an awesome warrior with great skill and heart. It is definitely a great performance where Saldana can move with such physicality and even show the humanity in an alien character like Neytiri. Sam Worthington is pretty good as Jake Sully, a paraplegic Marine who is caught in the middle only to be amazed by the Na'vi culture while becoming an unlikely leader for the group. Though he lapses through both American and Australian dialogue at times, Worthington does make up for it with his bravado and thrilling performance as he is a star on the rise.
Avatar is a brilliant, entertaining, and visually-stunning film from James Cameron. Fans of Cameron's work will no doubt see this as one of his best while it's something that moviegoers will enjoy not just in its 3D experience but also for how he uses the technology in such a great way. While it may not be perfect in terms of its plot ideas, Cameron's broad direction and visual ideas more than make up for it as it is definitely a film that people must see. In the end, Avatar is a phenomenal film from James Cameron.
James Cameron Films: (Xenogenesis) - (Piranha II: The Spawning) - (The Terminator) - Aliens - (The Abyss) - (Terminator 2: Judgement Day) - (True Lies) - (Titanic) - (Expedition: Bismarck) - (Ghosts of the Abyss) - (Aliens of the Deep)
(C) thevoid99 2012
