Preview: Avatar (2009)

Synopsis:

Humans find themselves pitted against a strange alien race in James Cameron's 3D opus.

• Poster: C

Review:

By now, this image has become semi-iconic, but when taken into context, it's not all that interesting to look at.

• Trailer: B

Review:

The effects do look particularly stunning and it seems like Cameron has gone to great trouble to make the animated human expressions and movements more realistic than many of his contemporaries, but with a notable lack of plot revelation and an overabundance of CGI, this could be similar to all the recent Star Wars prequel or like Watchmen or it could be a masterpiece that only James Cameron could produce. It's extremely difficult to tell at this juncture. We'll have to wait until December to find out.

Oscar Prospects:

Depending on the overall quality of the film, this could either be a huge Academy juggernaut or it could figure only in a small handful of categories. There are three guaranteed nominations at this point (Visual Effects, Sound Mixing and Sound Effect). The rest will have to wait to be seen.

Release Date:

• December 18, 2009

Full Review Synopsis:

It's the experience, more than the story, that's worth celebrating here.

• Full Review: Avatar

-Wesley Lovell (August 23, 2009) Original

-Wesley Lovell (March 14, 2010) New Poster; Buy the Poster Enabled

-Wesley Lovell (April 4, 2010) Added Review Link