Review: Avatar (10/10) - 2009: A 3D Experience Like None Other, That Will Leave You Wanting To Have Your Own Avatar!

For the first time since I began writing this blog, I actually do not know where to start. 2009 and the "Noughties" could not have gone out with a bigger bang than with this movie. I have to mention that due to the sheer vast nature of this film I have never needed to use so many quotes and links to a film. Please click on these links for further information on where I obtained the text that is italicised.

Let me take you back to where I first heard about the movie. I was on Facebook (shock horror) a while back, when I decided to start chatting to an old Portuguese friend from my first year at uni. Joao was studying his masters in 3D Animation then (in 2006) and I was a 19 year old Advertising student. For those of you who don't know, Bournemouth University's media school is one of the top in the UK and 3D animators almost land jobs as soon as they graduate. Graduates have worked on Shrek, Australia (my German friend Johannes was the compositor for the Rising Sun) and numerous other productions. Joao mentioned about a film called Avatar that was being made and I should definitely see it. I duly noted it and put it in the back of my mind.

Two years later, when Avatar trailers began gracing our cinema screens, alarm bells began ringing, especially when the name James Cameron popped into the teaser campaign, so I contacted Joao and he mentioned that he was working on it (and after some research discovered he worked as a pipeline technical director). I was so proud of him and how far he'd gone considering in 2006, we were all in Cranborne House (Bournemouth University Halls), having a great time as one big family, and then once they all graduated, I was one of the few left in town.

When his twin brother is killed in battle, paraplegic Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is drafted to take his place in a mission on the distant world of Pandora, an Earth-like moon in a distant planetary solar system in the year 2154. Through the teachings of Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) and Norm Spellman (Joel Moore), Sully is ordered to understand the culture of the native sapient and sentient race of humanoids indigenous to the planet. The humans, headed by Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi), are engaged in mining Pandora's reserves of a precious mineral, while the Na'vi resist the colonists' expansion, which threatens the continued existence of the Na'vi and the Pandoran ecosystem. The movie follows Sully's adaptation and integration into the Na'vi culture as an Avatar (a personalised remotely controlled, genetically engineered human-Na'vi hybrid bodies used by the film's human characters to interact with the natives), with the help of a native Na'vi, Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña).

Personally, I felt that the teaser trailers were just not effective in my opinion. Avatar basically screamed "AVERAGE" at me and I'm not sure if this was down to the editing, or the lack of impact it seemed to have in 2D. In a way though I'm glad that I went into the movie almost "blind" to the storyline as it had that much more of an impact on me. I have no idea why, but before I realised this was the film that Joao worked on, I thought the storyline was average, if not a bit boring. Some local Cypriots were contacting me saying that they didn't like it.


After viewing it, I don't think I've ever been so wrong in my entire life, and neither have the locals. I don't know what film the other locals were watching because the people I came out with were coming out stunned; literally stunned. I came out in the same perplexed state of mind, and bumped into a South African friend of mine who was going for the second or third time, bearing in mind that each ticket for this film is €12 in our local cinema and normal films at the inflated €7.50! This is possibly the only film that I would pay that kind of money for, let alone for a second time. As of December 2009, with an alleged budget of US $280,000,000 (estimated), Avatar is also one of the most expensive movies ever made.

What I find funny about this film is that everyone asks before and after people go to watch it if they are "going to watch it in 3D?"... Why did I find this funny? Well it was well known to those interested in the film industry that James Cameron was developing a brand new form of filming with this film, and probably the key reason why I "forced" myself to go watch it at all.

The following 2D trailer simply does not do this film justice, due to the fact that when you are in the cinema, you live and feel the world around you:

In December 2006, Cameron explained that the delay in producing the film since the 1990s had been to wait until the technology necessary to create his project was advanced enough. The director planned to create photo-realistic computer-generated characters by using motion-capture animation technology, on which he had been doing work for the past 14 months. Unlike previous motion-capture systems, where the digital environment is added after the actors' motions have been captured, Cameron's new virtual camera allows him to observe directly on a monitor how the actors' virtual counterparts interact with the movie's digital world in real time and adjust and direct the scenes just as if shooting live action; "It’s like a big, powerful game engine. If I want to fly through space, or change my perspective, I can. I can turn the whole scene into a living miniature and go through it on a 50 to 1 scale." (Link)

This movie combines the use of both live actors and digital technology to form a vast cast of virtual creatures who convey emotion as authentically as humans. The New York Times article goes on to state that this technology has been implemented on a smaller scale with, Golem in the Lord of the Rings (which, as a character, proved to Cameron that the technology had now progressed enough for him to develop this film) for example. However noone has

gone as far as “Avatar” to create an entirely photo-realistic world, complete with virtual characters, on the expected scale of the new film, Mr. Cameron said in a telephone interview. “This film is a true hybrid — a full live-action shoot, with CG characters in CG and live environments,” said Mr. Cameron, referring to computer-generated imagery (CGI for short). “Ideally, at the end of the of day, the audience has no idea which they’re looking at.” (link).

One of the key points made in this paragraph is about what is CGI and what is real as you sit there, watching the characters interact with the fauna, the backgrounds, the water, and so much more around this virtual world that you are constantly having to decide for yourself (often wrongly) what you think is real.


According to IMDB, the movie is 40% live action and 60% photo-realistic CGI (with motion capture technology being used for the CGI scenes). Such is the predicted demand for 3D, that Jim Gianopulos, a co-chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment, said that he expected theaters to update their facilities to accommodate the 3D demands of the film. “This will launch an entire new way of seeing and exhibiting movies,” he said. (link).

Sam Worthington's performance was brilliant, especially acting as a paraplegic, when alternating between Na'vi and human, movements of which were both brilliant. He was believable as both characters and I believe that there is much more to come from this budding Australian actor.

Stephen Lang was an extremely realistic army general and was very convincing in his transition throughout the film, thus indicating brilliant casting direction from Cameron's production crew. Joel Moore was an interesting choice as I recognised him from Grandma's Boy, where he played possibly the worst character known to man, however in this film I believe that he surpassed my already low expectations of him.

Giovanni Ribisi was another interesting choice as he will infinitely be typecast in my mind as Ralph Mariano from My Name is Earl. His performance however was average due to the fact thta he did not come across as the ideal candidate for a power-hungry corporate owner bent on screwing over an entire population. Perhaps Cameron could have cast someone more suitable.

I admit, that throughout the film I was absolutely convinced that Neytiri was played by Penelope Cruz. She sounded almost identical and considering Zoe Saldaña was portrayed entirely in 3D, I felt that her performance (albeit in a 3D suit) was phenomenal. She has also acted as Anamaria in Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and Uhara in the 2009 film Star Trek.

According to IMDB, Sigourney Weaver supposedly plays a James Cameron persona for her character in this film. Sigourney stated in an interview, "I teased him because to me I'm playing Jim Cameron in the movie as this kind of brilliant, approach-driven, idealistic perfectionist. But that same somebody has a great heart underneath. So I have to say I was always kind of channeling him." One criticism of her performance was that she seemed constantly irritated as a human towards Worthington, and happy and smiling as an Avatar way before she accepted him as a viable candidate for the Avatar program (without spoiling the movie).

IMDB state that in order to to help the actors prepare for their roles, director James Cameron took the cast and crew to Hawaii, where they spent their days trekking through the forests and jungles and living like tribes (building campfires, eating fish, etc), in order to get a better sense of what it would be like to live and move around in the jungle on Pandora, since there would not be any actual jungle sets to aid and guide the actors and crew. Zoe Saldaña even dressed up as a warrior during these journeys, complete with an alien tail symbolic of the one her character has in the movie. These hikes were only done during the daytime, though; The cast and crew spent their nights at a Four Seasons hotel. (At least they didn't "rough it" completely then).

Composer James Horner scored the film as his third collaboration with Cameron after Aliens and Titanic. Horner recorded parts of the score with a small chorus singing in the alien language Na'vi in March 2008. The Na'vi language itself was created entirely from scratch by linguist Paul Frommer, who was hired by James Cameron to construct a language that was easily pronounceable by the actors, but lacking any resemblance or influence from any single human language. Around 500 words were created.


It can be noted that all of the machinery such as helicopters and robot bodies used in the film were developed by specialised product designers who then had their designs passed off by industry experts for authenticity and realism. However there is one thing that I do not understand...surely copyright is a major issue in film making, but years ago in 2007, I discovered the following video (which consequently took me years to find again). Does this machine not look extremely similar to the machinery in the image above? For me, viewing the movie version was merely an improved form of this original design below.



I try to challenge my readers by bringing them information from numerous sources, which often takes much longer than it seems, however I do hope that you enjoy this extra mile of data. If not, just tell me and I'll stop!

Some people complain that this film has a simple and predictable plot, however if you simply sit down in the cinema, take in what you are watching, bat away the odd mosquito you think is coming at you, and just watch without trying to predict the outcome, this movie will be one of the most phenomenal pieces of movie making you will come across for some time to come. Avatar's Gross Revenue worldwide is surpassing the $726,612,776 it has already made, so how can so many people argue its success?

I have rated this film a phenomenal 10/10 for this 161 minute beauty. I didn't want it to end and the thought of a second or third leaves me simply desperate for more. Who knows what else Cameron has up his sleeve, and who knows just how much this technology will improve in time for the sequels. All I know is, that I will be following this very closely and pre-ordering IMAX-3D tickets as soon as possible. Do not miss this movie while it is still in the cinemas... This ladies and gentlemen, is history in the making.

Review: Invictus (8/10) - 2009: More Than A Rugby Game

When I discovered that there was going to be a movie about Nelson Mandela, I'm fairly sure there were probably only two candidates to play the role. Morgan Freeman, and Nelson Mandela himself (and after some research, even Mandela himself agrees with my statement). Without reading any reviews or what topics the movie would depict, I instantly thought of Apartheid and Mandela's time spent in jail.

Obviously these are the two things that almost synonymously depict South Africa during the era around his election, and something that would be hard-hitting in a way people may not have understood in the past.

Hard-hitting however, is taken to a completely different level when the concept of the game of rugby is introduced to the film that was shot entirely in Cape Town and Johannesburg in South Africa. The screenplay was written by Anthony Peckham (a native of South Africa, who gave Eastwood a special insight to the story's era), and is based on John Carlin's book "Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela And The Game That Made A Nation."

The film tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) joined forces with Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), the captain of South Africa's rugby team, to help unite their country on a completely different level. Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid, with the black South Africans usually routing against the Springboks and the white South Africans cherishing the team. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's rugby team as they make their historic run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship match. The story is told from the viewpoints of both Mandela and his backroom staff who helped him achieve a unified South Africa during his run as the first President elected in a fully representative democratic election.

Below is the trailer for the movie:



As the trailer depicts, the biggest shock for me can be said to be Matt Damon's performance. Matt has taken a lot of flack from people (myself included), not to mention every time I hear his name i think of the following clip from Team America.



I detested the Bourne movies and I don't care what people think or say, because I believe that it was a poorly acted, almost tedious James Bond rip-off, and time from my life that I cannot get back. I'll admit that the first film from the trilogy was decent, however the others were not. I think that criticism like this is actually unfair in hindsight after watching this film, as you cannot base whole perceptions of actors in one fell swoop.

We are all guilty of doing it and I guess that is what this business is all about: perceptions (See Ben Affleck's rise and fall, and eventual almost phoenix-like rebirth recently). We should also remember that Damon has won an Oscar for his role in co-writing Good Will Hunting (With Affleck), not to mention amassing a further 19 wins & 51 nominations throughout his career to date. The Talented Mr Ripley and The Departed are further examples of extremely, well-produced films.


Damon is simply phenomenal. Not only does he look like Francois Pienaar (above), but just like with Leonardo's Rhodesian accent in Blood Diamond, Damon is spot on with his South African accent. I literally could not believe that it was him due to his bulked up figure, bleached hair and acting talent.

Matt Damon made a visit to Francois Pienaar's home to ask Pienaar for assistance in preparing for his role. When Damon got to his house, Pienaar answered the door and for a few minutes they simply looked up at each other. Then Damon said "I look much bigger on camera." This broke the tension, and Pienaar prepared a gourmet dinner for Damon. Pienaar later claims he was impressed by Damon: "He's a great bloke. I was struck by his humility and his wicked sense of humor. He wanted to learn everything he could about me, my philosophy as a captain and what it was like for us in 1995. We also chatted about the game of rugby, what happens in training and about the technical aspects. We had a lot of fun" (IMDB).

Matt Damon informed Clint Eastwood about Francois Pienaar's distinct physique: "You know, this guy is huge!" Eastwood replied, "Hell, you worry about everything else. Let me worry about that." By structuring set-ups and camera angles, Eastwood was able to make the average-height Damon look about Pienaar's height (IMDB).

Furthering my rant on acting, Morgan Freeman, although the spitting image of Mandela, does not really manage to grasp the South African accent. Considering his voice is usually spoken in a way that could melt butter and send babies to sleep, and although his accent was slowed and accented to Mandela's, it just doesn't seem to work for me personally. His movements and mannerisms however, were almost spot on to Mandela's, thus restoring and saving his overall performance in my eyes.

Morgan Freeman, who has been a friend of Nelson Mandela for many years, prepared for his role as Mandela by watching some tapes of him to perfect his accent and rhythm of speaking. However, the most difficult part was Mandela's charisma, which could not be duplicated: "I wanted to avoid acting like him; I needed to BE him, and that was the biggest challenge. When you meet Mandela, you know you are in the presence of greatness, but it is something that just emanates from him. He moves people for the better; that is his calling in life. Some call it the Madiba magic. I'm not sure that magic can be explained" (IMDB).


Whilst Isaac (Zak) Feau'nati does not exactly like Jona Lomu in this particular photo, in the film his actions and aesthetics are extremely similar. He is a rugby union player for Bath Rugby in the Guinness Premiership and was born in Wellington, New Zealand, and has since retired in 2008.

Overall, the comparisons above proves that the Casting Director, Fiona Weir did a pretty good job in her selections overall whose other credits include several "Harry Potter" movies, as well as Brit-centric hits such as "Love Actually" and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age." I reckon I wouldn't give her any credit for Harry Potter... their casting is predominantly rubbish.

Personally I know of white South African's who have since had to flee their homes due to the increased violence shown towards them as a result of all the changes, so I think it would be very interesting to see their take on how this fantastic film unfolds.

Clint Eastwood is not only establishing himself as one of the top directors in the industry, but he is also challenging viewers perceptions. Arguably, he is increasingly concentrating on race and prejudice, not to mention challenging the norm through powerful visuals and intellectual dialogue on unusually emotional subjects. It can be argued that developing a story about an aging female boxer in the deep south would hardly bat an eyelid to anyone who has not watched. Changeling also challenged the parental nature in everyone's hearts and watching the dual-perspective films of Letters From Iwo Jima and Flags of Our Fathers, not to mention the race-fueled rush that was Gran Torino, justify my claims.

Eastwood has won 4 Oscars,(Million Dollar Baby x2, The Unforgiven x2), and amassed 104 other wins, including being nominated for a further 67 awards. I can only think that this will increase as the years go on and I am becoming a genuine fan of his work. However I still believe that there is improvement needed on his directing of some actors of who, in parts, are unrealistic in their dialogues. They seem as if they were simply chosen off the street (e.g. Bee Vang's performance as the boy in Gran Torino).

Phenomenal scenes such as "Good Luck Bokke" and the cinematography of the rugby matches (especially with New Zealand) will be ones that will leave you clinging to your seats as I did. Unless you are an avid rugby fan, you will, like me, most likely be unaware of the main events leading up to and during the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

I love rugby however Cyprus didn't establish any form of rugby team until 2003 with the Nicosia Barbarians, followed by my first rugby club in 2004, The Limassol Crusaders (the 2nd independent rugby club established on the island). The sport was not played on television and even to this day is extremely limited in its viewing. The sport has since picked up with the locals and finally progressed to a Cyprus national side in 2006, consisting of South Africans (both white and Greek origin), British Expatriates and Cypriots. I take great pride in scoring one of the first tries for my club as a 16 year old winger, and only wish I'd had the chance to play for the country (if I had not gone to University, who knows?).

Anyway, enough about my life and on with the film. A few criticisms however can be attributed to the crowds who seemed quite fake, not to mention a fair few geographical and factual errors according to IMDB (Click here for the link). For more trivia on the show, click here for more information.

I have rated this film 8/10 and I don't think that any minor errors ruin the quality of this production as I genuinely believe that it was an extremely enjoyable film that lasts 134 minutes. I recommend that you give it a watch if you are interested in learning about both Nelson Mandela and South Africa as the man himself gave his blessings on the film being developed. What more could you ask for? Let's just hope England can when the next Rugby World Cup!

Note: Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year 2010

Firstly I would like to apologise for my lack of posts the last two months. I guess this is what you get when you decide to study a Masters at university. November and December saw the class invent, develop and then sell a proposed television series/ documentary/film in the form of a three-part Dossier. This was extremely challenging and was effectively a Dissertation that took me at undergraduate level 6 months to complete, in a matter of weeks.

Once this was all handed in, after numerous stints living in the Base Room (our dedicated Producers and Directors Master's room) within Weymouth House, it was finally completed, bound, and submitted. I had decided to go with an international comedy drama, details of which I won't go into here (in case one day I decide to work on it!).

Now that this assignment is done, we have the Narrative Constructions assignment to complete by January the 12th, followed by a 3-week intensive course on Project Management, whereby we have to produce a 4 minute drama. I already have the location and story outline set so keep posted for more developments on its production. 2010 also holds promise for a new, powerful and unusual documentary to be produced with David Klein, a talented, German documentary director.

I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas at home with your family and/or friends. I was lucky enough to celebrate Christmas with my housemates and neighbours in Bournemouth, then come back to Cyprus and celebrate with family and family friends. In all, I believe that coming home to relax is one of the most important things and seeing as I don't live in England, it is quite hard to attain that level of relaxation. This is mainly due to the fact that I can't exactly hop onto a train and go home for the weekend...well I could...if i was on footballers' wages...I can only dream.

New Years Eve should be excellent as my friends and I are going to the same spot we go every year for an open bar at Pebbles, on the seafront in Limassol. €45 isn't too bad considering other places are charging anything from €55 - €170. Normal nights often charge €5 per shot and €7 for a Jack Daniels and Coke so I plan to get my money's worth! It will be nice as my best friend's brother is DJ'ing with his events company.

I trust that you have all got some nice plans with friends and/or family and once this awful 2009 is over and done with, I hope that 2010 brings you all health, happiness and the luck you wish for to succeed in everything you do.

Merry (Belated) Christmas and Happy New Year!!