Review: 'Avatar' 3-D wows but distracts from storyline

"Avatar"

Directed by: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoë Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, Wes Studi, Laz Alonso

Rated: PG-13

I'm not going to go into any detail about the plot of "Avatar," director James Cameron's latest epical opus. Readers who have even a passing interest in movies will have already heard more than they need about this, the most expensive film ever made with its nearly $500 million estimated price tag, including the money spent on promotion.

Much has been said about "Avatar" ushering in a new era of filmmaking.

The technological aspects of the film are amazing. I respect them more than I enjoy them, however. I've always found the 3-D gimmick to induce headaches and cause distractions. I'd rather see a beautifully filmed black and white movie, something like "Manhattan" or "Nights of Cabiria."

That said, it has to be pointed out that Cameron's 3-D effects - and the computer-generated imagery, or CGI - in this film are better than any that have ever been committed to the screen.

But they still induce headaches and cause distractions.

The first two acts of the overlong movie (163 minutes) seemed to be mostly a commercial for Cameron's technical savvy. I have only walked out on two films in a long history of going to the movies. I was ready to do so watching "Avatar." The dialog and acting are wooden. I didn't identify with or care about any of the characters and was focusing more on the things floating around in 3-D and the CGI than the plot.

But when "Avatar" got to the third act and introduced the "mother tree," I started to pay attention. Finally, a compelling character was on the screen.

Cameron - obviously schooled in the hippie ethos - brings his environmental, antiwar concerns to the fore. I started to care about what was going on and stopped thinking so much about the distracting technological aspects. By the time the climactic battle scene came around, I was enjoying every second.

I'm glad I didn't follow my instincts and walk out in the middle of film. Even though it really is too long - Cameron always takes his time to develop a story - I'm planning to see it again. My advice: Concentrate of the first two acts and be ready for the third.

But I'll watch it next time in glorious "2-D." The story is more important than the jazzy technology.

My guess is "Avatar" will end up being the highest-grossing film to date.

"The Road"

Directed by: John Hillcoat

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce

Rated: R

"The Road" is on the flip side of the coin from "Avatar."

There are very few special effects. The cinematography from director of photography Javier Aguirresarobe is traditional and sumptuous. The characters are well-defined from the first minute, and the dialog, while sparse, is nearly poetic.

Director John Hillcoat - whose first film was Australian Western "The Proposition" - and screenwriter Joe Penhall took on a serious task when selecting their source material. Cormac McCarthy's 2007 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel was deemed impossible to film by most moviemakers. Only the Coen brothers had ever dared to bring a McCarthy novel to the screen. Their adaptation of "No Country for Old Men" proved it could be done and has been lauded by many critics as one of the best films of the decade.

Hillcoat and company are in the same league in "The Road."

The milieu is a familiar one. It's a post-apocalyptic world gone mad. There's no real explanation as to what happened, but we get hints of the recent past when Viggo Mortensen's character, known simply as The Man, dreams of the days when he and The Boy, played by the young newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee, were still living with The Woman. Charlize Theron, playing a small but important role as The Wife, proves again that she cares more about being an actress than a movie star. Her role is not glamorous, but she puts her heart and soul in it.

In the present time of the film, The Man and The Boy are walking across the country trying to make it to the ocean. There's no real reason given for the quest, it just seems better than sitting still. The ocean is a symbol of hope and faith.

As they travel, there are two major concerns. The first is to find something to eat. The second is to avoid being eaten. Cannibalism has become common practice in a this world that The Man divides into two groups: The Good Guys and The Bad Guys.

They run into plenty of bad guys on the road and, in a lengthy touching scene, they meet one of the remaining good guys. Robert Duvall as The Old Man is almost unrecognizable, but he provides his usual top-notch touch to an emotional role.

"The Road" will never be described as "the feel good movie of the season," but there are moments that provide relief from the overall bleakness. The Man and The Boy discover a storm (or bomb) shelter stocked with supplies. Cheetos, Spam and canned pears never looked so good. And the ending gives some small glint of hope.

As bleak as the tale seems one the surface, there is a sense of good in every scene, even if it is born of desperation. The Man is devoting his very existence to protecting The Boy. It's the altruistic act of a parent's survival instinct to protect an offspring.

"The Road" may be too intense for some viewers, but it's a great film. After much thought, I realized it was actually an absolutely uplifting story. Not a Hollywood "rainbows and flowers" sort of uplifting but more of a totally human experience one.

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield freelance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.

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