Originally posted by Saquist
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Saw it a few days ago. On the surface it was pretty derivative and unoriginal, and I was slightly irritated by how heavyhanded the Na'vi = Aboriginal people "analogy" was, and how black and white the issues were (human military = BAAAAAAAAD, Na'vi = GOOOOOOOD).
However, that didn't stop me from LOVING THE HELL OUT OF THIS FILM. I was a little dizzy at the beginning because of the 3D but after 10 minutes I got used to it and was instantly pulled into the movie. Pandora itself was visually stunning, of course, and the CGI was pretty much flawless. I also loved the interplay between Jake and Neytiri and their relationship.
Gotta say though, favorite character was definitely Neytiri. Strong, HAWT, and spunky, just what I like.
Zoe Saldana was phenomenal in the role, totally believable in everything she did. The way she said her dialogue was perfect. She's pretty much Sci-Fi royalty now.
And about that CGI again: the 3D really helped to convey the massive scope of this planet, and helped everything seem so much more real. It's a freaking world for goodness sakes, it should feel big and wide, and it should make us and the character seem small and insignificant - and that's exactly what the film did! It really made it feel like I stepped into another world. The wide vistas, the depth of field given by the 3D, all wonderful. And of course, the lifeforms; don't know how realistic they are, but still loved them; especially those frisbee bugs; it was certainly a treat for the eyes.
Speaking of big and wide, the destruction of Hometree was just terrifying because of those wideshots. This huge, massive, complex, detailed tower, slowly tilting and falling over while on fire - it was an amazing, and horrible sight. I mean, when the tree becomes slightly blurred because of distance, and you still can't see the whole thing? THAT MEANS IT'S DAMN BIG. That whole thing falling over just made feel that much smaller. It was the "moral event horizon", as TV Trope would say; man are not supposed to destroy something so much bigger than it.
Finally, there is the Na'vi themselves. I paid extra close attention to their facial movements and expressions, and it was unbelievable how life-like they seemed; they were able to capture a significant amount of those "little movements" that constantly reshape our own faces as we talk and move and whatnot. Very impressive.
There was one scene at the end that just blew my mind; I'm talking about the scene of Neytiri holding the real Jake in her hands, with the latter so much smaller than the former. It was an incredibly impactful scene since we've been following Jake-as-Na'vi interacting with Neytiri for most the film; now suddenly they are seeing their true forms face to face. I tried for quite some time to comprehend the meaning of that meeting, especially the "I see you" line, which was just a perfect "Chekov's line" throughout the entire movie that was leading up to this. And what happens? No surprise, no fear, no sense of betrayal; the two smiled at each other, and both understood that it was what's inside that mattered, not their appearances.
Definitely looking forward to a sequel!
). 
All bow to the new Sci-Fi queen!
She thought the story was wonderful, the visuals were beautiful and amazing, and the 3D presentation completely blew her away.
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