I've finally seen Avatar

At the time of writing, I've just arrived home from seeing Avatar... at last. Although I've previously seen Toy Story re-rendered into 3D, and also Shrek Forever After, this is the first live action film I've seen in the format. Not only that, it was, of course, filmed in 3D and not merely "upscaled" in post-production as, say, Alice and Wonderland was.

The film had been a labour of love for James Cameron for years and that can be seen in the fantastic world he has created. Pandora is beautiful planet with its own unique flora and fauna much of which is either fluorescent or luminescent. The ecosystem is finally balanced and there is an interdependence between the Na'vi (the humanoid inhabitants) and the other creatures and plant-life. Indeed, the Na'vi can "plug in" to horse and dragon-like creatures to ride them using the power of thought, and also to the "Tree of Souls" to connect with their ancestors.

Unfortunately, the planet also houses huge reserves of "Unobtainium" which has led to the establishment of an human mining operation which threatens the existence of the Na'vi. To make communication easier, Avatars have been made using Human and Na'vi DNA. These allow the humans to take the form of the Na'vi and get close to them.

With it's heavy focus on the unique environment of Pandora, as well as references to an earth which has been sucked dry of its own resources, this is a none-too-subtle lesson about the dangers of  messing with nature. It is also a film about identity and, to some extent, about race relations.

The story itself is relatively flimsy and predictable and the film is too long but these are forgivable sins in this instance. Cameron's achievement with this film is to show what is possible with 3D. In doing so, however, he has been careful not to create some form of demonstration or exhibition piece. He doesn't, for example, use the 3D to bring the action into the auditorium on too many occasions, rather he uses it to provide depth to the picture and to support and enhance the landscape and special effects (expertly provided by WETA, Peter Jackson's studio which created the effects in Lord of the Rings).

Of course, most film reviews would feature comment on the story, the script, the acting and in these regards Avatar is not without its limitations. On its own terms, however, Avatar is a success, leading the way into the brave new world of live action 3D cinema.

Andrew

To Infinity... and Beyond

Today I went to see a film in the new generation of 3D for the first time.

I've been keen to see what all the fuss is about so when the opportunity to try it presented itself I jumped at the chance! Even more so, it was a chance to re-watch a film I love but hadn't seen in a long time!

So, what did I think? Well, going to the cinema has not be a cheap option for a long time, and there is a premium to pay for 3D, especially when choosing the "superior" seats. So for two people, off peak, with a large drink each and large popcorn to share there was precious little change out of £30.

After some disappointingly 2D adverts, we were instructed to put on our glasses. Don't imagine these as flimsy bits of card with red and green pieces of cellophane. These were plastic framed with special lenses, the colour of sunglasses. Indeed, while it may not seem cost effective to the industry to collect, sanitise and re-use these, it seems a waste to send people home with them when they will have no further use! Perhaps a discount for re-used glasses should be introduced.

Anyway, back to the cinema and, glasses now position comfortably over my real glasses, the trailers began and, well, the 3D experience was quite amazing. While there were some impressive effects bringing action out of the screen into the auditorium, in the way people typically expect 3D to be, the effect was more impressive when depth was created behind the screen.

There were a number of films trailed, including Avatar, A Christmas Carol and Up!. Of these, Up!, which opens on Friday, looks the most promising. It may be that animation lends itself to the technology better, or it may be that the others tried too hard, but Up! appears to have understood that, while the scope for effects is stunning, they shouldn't distract from the story-telling experience.

The main feature was Toy Story. I had almost forgotten quite how good it is, with its central themes of jealousy, loyalty and friendship, a great soundtrack, humour (many of the jokes with adult undertones) and some very touching moments. It's a well rounded film which, re-rendered in 3D was even more rounded.

What the 3D system wasn't so good at doing was dealing with fast action. In these scenes, the crispness of the picture and depth-perception were somewhat lost. Perhaps this was a feature of the rendering process, or a reflection of the fact that the film wasn't made for this technology. It will be interesting to see how such scenes fare in custom-made 3D films.

So, while this may be an expensive way to have a cinema experience (particularly for 80 minute long animations!), the added dimension is enjoyable. As the technology develops, problems with action shots may diminish and film-makers will also learn how to effectively exploit the added possibilities without going over the top with special effects.

I want to see Up! and it will be interesting to watch a live action film too. And, of course, there's a re-rendered version of Toy Story 2 on the way ahead of Toy Story 3 next year. While it may not be yet be a technology which can fly, it certainly manages to fall with style...

Andrew