ÿþ<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1"> <title>OnlineColumnist®.com: Putin Punishes Georgia</title> <meta name="generator" content="Adobe GoLive 4"> <style type="text/css"> .style3 { height: 68px; } .MsoNormal {} h1 {margin-bottom:.0001pt; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; font-weight:normal; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; } .style4 { font-size: large; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial; } .style5 { font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; } .style6 { text-decoration: underline; } .style7 { font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt; } </style> </head> <body bgcolor="white" vlink="black"> <center> &nbsp;<table cool width="624" height="2719" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" gridx="16" showgridx gridy="16" showgridy> <tr height="79"> <td width="133" height="118" rowspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"> <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="110" width="62" src="images/discobolos.logo.transp.gif" border="0"></a></td> <td width="7" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="482" height="79" colspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="140"><img height="75" width="450" src="images/banner.GIF"></td> <td width="1" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="79"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="79"></td> </tr> <tr height="39"> <td width="182" height="39"></td> <td width="300" height="39" valign="top" align="left" xpos="322"><a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="14" width="267" src="images/divisionofNEW.GIF" border="0"></a></td> <td width="1" height="39"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="39"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="624" colspan="6" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0" class="style3"> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="black" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#99ffcc" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"> <tr> <td align="center"> <div align="left"> <a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> HOME</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> &#8226; <a href="articlesindex.html">ARTICLES</a> &#8226; <a href="books.html">BOOKS</a> &#8226; <a href="teflon.html"> THE </a><a href="teflon.html">TEFLON</a><a href="teflon.html"> REPORT</a> &#8226; <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com"> REACTIONS</a> &#8226; <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">ABOUT DISCOBOLOS</a></strong></font></div> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr height="2"> <td width="133" height="2">&nbsp;</td> <td width="489" height="2576" colspan="3" rowspan="2" align="left" xpos="133" content valign="top" csheight="2573"> <p class="style4"><i>Avatar&#39;s</i> Bells-and-Whistles</p> <p><b><font face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica">by John M. Curtis</font></b><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b><a href="books.html"><br> </a></b></font><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b> (310) 204-8700</b></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><i>Copyright Jan.. 4, 2010<br>All Rights Reserved. </i></font>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <bAbout the Author</u> <p class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="style5">&nbsp;J</span>ames Cameron s <i>Avatar</i> shatters all expectations for marketing hype but proves that bells-and-whistles are no substitute for aesthetic moviemaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Cameron puts his <i>Titanic</i> credentials on the line, waiting 12 years before venturing into the imaginary world of steroidal SciFi, using 3-D to exaggerate computer-generated animation and dazzling visuals, perhaps the only saving grace to an otherwise simple-minded shoot-em-up plot, an indulgent hodgepodge of <i>Star Wars</i>, <i> Jurassic Park</i> and <i>Pocahantas</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Calling Cameron s work a  game-changer or the  shape of things to come, mirrors the self-congratulatory hype that has generated over $170 million U.S., $1 billion worldwide, with expectations to turn a profit on the costliest movie of all time at $500 million.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;&nbsp; </span> While there s no accounting for popular taste, Cameron s <i>Avatar</i> is no breakthrough in moviemaking.</p> <p class="style7" style="tab-stops: center 3.0in right 6.0in"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Cameron s over-reliance on big-screen fireworks and  breathtaking visuals can t hide his simple-minded screenplay pitting some Las Vegas-like-Blueman-Group-looking creatures against a Blackwater-like corporate hybrid of the military-industrial complex, seeking to pillage-and-plunder the pristine day-glow colored world of the native Na vi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While Cameron sets up a <i>Blue Lagoon</i>-like love story between bare-breasted blue-tinged Na vi Neytiri [Zoe Saldana] and an unlikely paraplegic ex-marine Jake Sully [Sam Worthington], transformed via DNA magic into an Avatar-looking clone, the rest of the story is just another <i>Terminator</i>-like shoot-em-up Hollywood action story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>In Cameron s world, the villain is the U.S. military, personified by maniacal marine Col. Miles Quaritch [Stephen Lang] and his Pentagon-like bureaucrat boss Parker Selfridge [Giovani Ribisi].</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Cameron knows from his <i>Titanic </i>days that brilliant movie making is more than stunning visuals but a story of a dramatic complexity and characters, sufficiently developed and acted to create a bond with the interested moviegoers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While there s some interest in Neytiri and Jake s budding love story, there s little to write home about with Quaritch and Selfridge s mediocre performances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>No budding stars like <i>Titanic s </i>Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet grace <i>Avatar</i>, only subtle nudity that managed to slip under the radar of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences minders, awarding the audience-friendly PG-13 rating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Even Dr. Grace Augustine [Sigourney Weaver] of <i>Ghostbuster s</i> fame, added little to forgettable acting performances, hardly worthy of Golden Globe or Academy Award nominations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>No, Cameron only relied this time on his neon visuals.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>For moviegoers and there s plenty mesmerized by dazzling visuals, Cameron offers the ultimate Las Vegas-like experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Like approaching the Vegas strip for the first time, there s a certain awe when encountering day-glow plants and imaginary creatures along the same lines as <i>Star Wars</i>, no accident that <i>Star War s</i> George Lucas  Industrial Light &amp; Magic added to the special effects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While there s plenty to ooh-and-ah about, there s little to rejoice for movie buffs hoping for a richly satisfying experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Mediocre screenwriting, lackluster acting and above-average music don t break new ground in moviemaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Forcing moviegoers to wear 3-D glasses, interfering with the viewer s visual field, detracts from the movie-going experience more than the gimmicky benefits of 3-D.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Believing that 3-D is a future  game-changer defies reality and common sense.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><i>Avatar</i> provides pure entertainment the same way Las Vegas creates an ever-more-stimulating Disneyland for entertainment-starved adults.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>More extravagant buffets don t satisfy appetites for better quality, only fill a gastronomic void.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span><i>Avatar </i>bathes the audience in extravagant visuals but doesn t give them anything to think about, especially if Cameron wished to make a statement about industrial man s exploitation of native populations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>There s no Grammy or Academy Award-winner like Celine Dion belting out a hauntingly beautiful theme song like <i>Titanic s </i> My heart will go on. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Cameron would have been better off reproducing the harmonic drone inside Las Vegas casinos, scientifically arranged to transform Scoutmasters and PTA mothers into weekend gamblers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Avatar has all the glitz but it lacks a solid screenplay, memorable acting and a fulfilling meaning.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Cameron s 12-year absence since <i>Titanic </i>shows that he s forgotten the essence of great filmmaking. Marketing hype and raking in oodles of cash don t replace well-written screenplays, unforgettable acting and memorable music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span><i>Avatar </i>amuses audiences with special effects much the same way Las Vegas provides the latest-and-the-greatest self-absorbed entertainment for individuals craving pizzazz but not looking for an aesthetic experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Cameron delivers impressive visuals but doesn t follow it up with a meaningful screenplay or memorable acting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Contrary to marketing hype, <i> Avatar </i>is no  game-changer only hits a new high for Las Vegas-like hyper-stimulation, the very problem with a video game generation unable to sit still long enough to appreciate a good love story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Before Cameron believes his own hype, he should go back to the drawing board for his next film.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span class="style6">About the Author </span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <b>John M. Curtis</b> writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>He s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author <i>of <a href="books.html">Dodging The Bullet</a></i> and <i><a href="books.html">Operation Charisma</a></i>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="1" height="2576" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="2"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2"></td> </tr> <tr height="2574"> <td width="133" height="2574" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"><img height="172" width="111" src="images/johninframe3.jpg"></td> <td width="1" height="2574"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2574"></td> </tr> <tr height="1" cntrlrow> <td width="133" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="133" height="1"></td> <td width="7" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="7" height="1"></td> <td width="182" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="182" height="1"></td> <td width="300" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="300" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" width="597"> <tr> <td><font size="1" face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica"> <hr noshade size="1"> </font><a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> Home</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> || <a href="articlesindex.html">Articles</a> || <a href="books.html">Books</a> || <a href="teflon.html">The Teflon Report</a> || <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com"> Reactions</a> || <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">About Discobolos</a></strong></font> <div align="left"> <p><font size="1" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">This site designed, developed and hosted by the experts at</font><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"> <a href="http://www.cmeonline.net" target="_blank"><img height="30" width="138" src="images/cmelogoANIM.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></a></font></p> </div> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">©1999-2005 <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"> Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.</a><br> (310) 204-8300<br> All Rights Reserved. </font></td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>