Avatar Vs. 2012

Okay, there's really no competition, is there?

No, I'm not talking about competition in terms of box office or which was more interesting, since they are both movies in similar spheres but totally different genres.

2012 = disaster movie
Avatar = sci-fi


Alright. That was cleared.


I had the opportunity to watch this 2 shows in the span of 2 days. Avatar first, 2012 next.

Naturally, I was drawn towards Avatar because of rave reviews. People on Facebook and Twitter are praising it to no end, calling it 'awesome'.

On the other hand, 2012 was 'cliche', 'logically flawed', 'any other story', 'boring', 'good effects though', but I wanted to watch 2012 because I watched Haeundae first. And also because I like disaster movies.



Avatar


Now, I never said Avatar was not nice. I liked Avatar with its after flavor. Kinda like perfume and their afterscent thingie. But was I awed to bits? No.

No spoilers here, but yes, I do agree that the CGI or whatever technology that James Cameron was utilizing to create the lifelike blue Na'vi and the forests and all its inhabitants was done incredibly well. It didn't feel like I was watching blue thin Shreks or Woody, though I think Pixar has quite a solid reputation in terms of CGI.

But yes, I digress, as I often do.

I do say that the forest and the glow-in-the-dark effects were almost musical. There's a lot of running, climbing, flying - all the awesome thing that works awesomely in the context of IMAX or 3D for you non-techies.

But anywayz.

And the premise of the story was interesting. Man DNA + Na'vi (Natives) DNA = Avatar

And I loved how the male lead, Jake, goes and record his video logs, making the show sounded from a first person perspective. Perfect for IMAX.

But to me, that's it.

My verdict for this show was that it's nice, yes. But awesome? No. Not really.

Why?

The storyline as a whole.

It was so Hollywood-kinda-story-with-the-hero's-journey-smacked-right-at-your-face kinda story. I wasn't bored thanks to the CGI and the premise of the story, but the storyline was really...meh. Remember the same reason you watched Titanic. You remember the ship and the story but you didn't remember how plain the story was if you took away the ship. Same thing here. Take away the CGI and that premise of the plot and you find it a classic Hollywood story.

But I have to admit that James Cameron is frightfully clever. When he smacks it right at your face, he smacks it real hard that you didn't realize it until the show is over. And the classic deux-ex-machina plot (where the gods or some imaginable backstage hand came and rescue the show) was done so blatantly that the female lead calls out "Jake! Eywa has heard you!" or something to that kind.

However, I may be too harsh. As I said, James Cameron is clever, you gotta hand it to him. But if you want to watch the show, watch it in IMAX/3D. I think 'awesome' will befit the show. But for those who aim for story that is interesting, maybe Salt, the spy(?) thriller featuring Angelina Jolie. Or really, the late Yasmin Ahmad's Muallaf should be quite solid. Though I did mention that this movie followed the Hollywood formula...which goes almost for all movies Hollywood produces.

Avatar may not sit on my stomach during the watch but somehow it leaves this savory aftertaste that may not be too bad after all.

Check out a more thorough "why-you-should-watch-this-show-like-awesome" review here or here.


2012


Okay, next show.

I'll admit: I love disaster movies. But that doesn't mean the discourse has to be shallow either (quoting Javabeans).

Of course 2012 was spectacular on CGI, just as it was in the case of Avatar.

I didn't think there was as many logical flaws as there was in say, The Day After Tomorrow (I can never erase the memory of a big ship floating into downtown Manhattan). Of course, the dexterity and tenacity of the limo, plane and all transportation devices driven by the leads are highly questionable. But seriously, it's not REALLY a disaster movie.

For people like us who have a certain degree of knowledge about end times, apocalypse and Noah's Ark, this story comes with no surprise, though I did "eh" about the end-of-the-world part. Cause it didn't exactly end. But as I've said, it's not REALLY a disaster movie.

That's where 2012 failed me. C'mon, the great flood, again??!

And I do agree with the critics. The storyline was not great, but I stand by my recommendation line: Watch it for the CGI. The rest you can forget.



So which show to watch?

If you want to cry...or at least have some emotional touching scenes, go for 2012. People die and you realize how fragile life is.

But if you want a more cohesive story with its effects, Avatar's your game. But really, watch it in IMAX/3D. That, will be quite awesome.