Avatar: The Way of Water Movie Review

To say that Avatar (2009) made an impact is an understatement. The highest-grossing movie of all time, it became an instant classic and a fan favorite.

The sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, was released in theaters last weekend. Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) are happily settled down and are raising their children. When Quaritch (Stephen Lang) comes back in Na’vi form, he has one thing in mind: revenge.

Jake and Neytiri leave their home and find refuge with another Na’vi tribe. Led by Tonowari (Cliff Curtis) and Ronal (Kate Winslet), they rely on the sea for everything. While their children try to fit in and learn the ways of their hosts, Quaritch gets closer. Eventually, it becomes obvious that the only way to stop him is for Jake and the Na’vi to take him head-on.

This movie is incredible. The 13-year wait and the 3+ hours run time are completely worth it. Balancing narrative, special effects, and climate change, James Cameron tells a story that is both effective and powerful.

As he did in the first film, he used the allegory of the Na’vi and the destruction of their world as a warning about ours. I have had to hand it to Cameron. A film of this type, with all of the disparate elements, could have easily failed. The special effects might have overtaken the story, the filmmakers could have gotten on their soapboxes, etc. But they all blend seamlessly together.

What I loved was that at its heart, it is the tale of a family. Parents doing their best to raise their kids, young people trying to find themselves, learning from our mistakes, etc. Cameron also continues with the tradition of strong female characters. Ronal and Neytiri do not wait for their mates to rescue them. They are just as badass and in charge as their partners.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Avatar: The Way of Water is presently in theaters.

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Flashback Friday-Drumline (2002)

Talent is a wonderful thing. It is an innate skill that gives us the initial momentum go for whatever or whomever we want to be. But talent will only get us so far. It takes hard work and drive to succeed.

In the 2002 film, Drumline, Devon (Nick Cannon) is a street drummer from New York City who has talent to burn. He is recruited by Dr. Lee (Orlando Jones) to enroll in a Southern university and join the drumline of the school’s marching band.

Devon thinks that his talent is enough to get him to the top. As we all learn sooner or later, talent will only get you so far. But he has enough charisma and charm to form a relationship with Laila (Zoe Saldana), the dance captain of the marching band.

Movies in this genre usually fall into one of two categories: preachy and predictable or fun and entertaining. Though the message of the film is that hard work plus talent equals success, it’s nice to watch the message packed into an entertaining film.

I recommend it.

Avengers: Infinity War Movie Review

For ten years, Marvel Studios has been telling the individual stories of their heroes. Last week, Avengers: Infinity War hit theaters, bringing all of their heroes together in one film.

Thanos (James Brolin) is known as a destroyer of worlds. He is on a quest to locate all of the infinity stones. When one has all of the stones, they are guaranteed limitless power. It is up to the Avengers and their allies to prevent Thanos from collecting all of the stones and gaining that power. If they cannot stop Thanos, then life on Earth as they know it to be will cease to exist.

A general rule of thumb when it comes to the number of characters is that the smaller the list, the better. Too many characters with varying narratives can often confuse the audience. But somehow, the screenwriters were still able to create a compelling narrative with the large cast of characters. Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), etc are all given equal screen time. Another general rule of thumb is to limit the length of the script. The movie clocks in at just under three hours.

I would remiss in saying that I would not bring young kids to the movie because it has certain adult elements in terms of language that a young child might need an explanation for. It also goes without saying, at in my mind, that I would not see this movie unless I had at least some knowledge of the narrative and characters from the previous films or the comic books.

But other than that, the film is entertaining and enjoyable.

Avengers: Infinity War is presently in theaters.

P.S. Am I the only redhead who is a little perturbed that Black Widow is now a blonde?

The Critics Were Wrong (Maybe)- Crossroads (2002)

Your late teens and early 20’s is a very interesting time in life. You are an adult, but you are barely an adult. Your childhood is only a few years behind you.

The 2002 movie, Crossroads is about that period  in our lives.

Lucy (Britney Spears), Kit (Zoe Saldana) and Mimi (Taryn Manning) have been best friends for years. The night of high school graduation, Lucy reveals that she is going to Los Angeles to audition for a record company. Kit and Mimi decide to go with her, against the wishes of Lucy’s father Pete (Dan Aykroyd). On the road to Los Angeles, they meet Ben (Anson Mount).

I saw this movie during it’s original theatrical run. I thought that the time, that it was not a bad movie, as I was around the age of the characters.

Were the critics wrong? No. This movie is just plain bad.