Avatar IMAX Preview Day
This is more than a month late but I HAVE to air out my feelings about Avatar. Last month, Adam, Chelsey and I were “lucky” enough to score tickets for the special Avatar Day that they had any IMAXes all over the country. We were looking forward to see clips from Avatar in the glorious 3D that they were meant to be seen on. I unlike most people still had hope for the film after the lackluster trailer that was released. We headed over to Universal Studios where we waited in line for 2 hours to make sure we made it into the screening and weren’t turned away. Luckily, we were munching on delicious takeout from the Cheesecake Factory because we were celebrating the completion of our film ‘Vanessa’s Summer Blog.’ Finally, we got our seats in the theater and we waited impatiently. We debated whether or not we should get popcorn and soda but came to the conclusion that doing so would be a pretty obese thing to do on account of the film preview only being 15 minutes.
Finally after all our waiting, the manager of the Citywalk Cinemas came and made an announcement introducing the preview. The lights dimmed, we were told to put our 3D glasses on and soon James Cameron was talking directly to ME. I became overly kiddy with excitment and for some unknown reason because squealing and screaming out loud. The first scene played and I was amazed by how real the actors looked. I later found out that they ARE real. The 3D wasn’t really doing anything from me but I still held hope. It went into the 2nd scene and the main Avatar began looking a LOT like Michael Phelps which I thought was distracting. I didn’t hold it against the film. It then went into the 3rd clip and all of a sudden I began to get bored. It didn’t really feel like a 3D film to me, I didn’t feel like I was in an immensive theater experience and somehow apart of the world I was watching. I felt further away. The graphics looked like a really nice game for PS3 but nothing more. I didn’t believe that the avatars were real, I constantly was aware that they were special effects, that the entire planet was computer generated. All of the hype, all of the promises, all of the guarantees were forefeited. My hopes for the film began sinking faster than the Titanic…..get it? By the 5th clip, I was so over the film. I had the audacity to get bored of a film that I had only seen less than 10 minutes of.
After the disastorous preview, I have NO hope for Avatar. I don’t care for Avatar. I don’t think James Cameron has saved cinema. I don’t think he has reinvented anything. I think that Avatar comes off as just another random 3D film. For the average viewer, it will be no different then seeing Ice Age 3 on the IMAX. Call me an idiot or one that has bad taste but I enjoyed Final Destination 4’s and My Bloody Valentine’s 3D much more than Avatars. Sure the latter two are gimmicky as hell but unless I feel like I’m 100% in a 3D universe then the only way you’re going to be able to remind me that I’m watching something different that the usual flat screen is if you throw something at me. Chelsey and Adam left just as bored and unimpressed as I was. Moral of the story: No me gusta James Cameron y Avatar.
-N