I t's been a busy week or so. I'd intended to enthrall you loyal readers (almost into double figures now, surely) with updates before, but last week was packed to the proverbial brim with things 'what needed doing'. As well as getting Impact to bed (sweet-talker that I am), I got the chance to see Avatar ahead of its world premiere...


The full review will appear in the next Impact, but now the embargo is done I can at least say that's it's an astonishing piece of cinema - one of those films where you can watch it and thoroughly enjoy certain aspects, acknowledging a thoroughly amazing acheievement as it happens, but not being oblivious to some things that maybe could have been done just a bit better (or differently).

The good points: the cinematography and use of CGI IS amazing. You know that landmark that they said would come where you honestly couldn't tell the difference between a 'real' human and a CGI creation - it's here. Cameron and his team have created not just a cast of characters and story, but a universe. It's almost impossible to think that the wider landscape of Pandora, depsite all it's fantasy trappings, isn't a real place. The characters inhabit this world and Pandora absolutely convinces.

The 3D elements are an interesting factor and it's a compliment to say the film would probably have worked just as well without any of them. These aren't the 3D gimmicks of the past - there's very few 'duck' moments - just a consistent sense of depth. Aguably, the 3D elements are more acceptable and less noticeable on Pandora where those fantasy elements allow us to make the creative leap a little more easily. Back on the 'real' military base, the viewer might find themselves lifted out of the moment by camerawork and focus that TELLS you where to look rather lets you decide for yourself. There's the odd moment in that steel environment where it's just unecessary. But otherwise, the Pandora 3D is like a good score - it enhances the esperience without you being aware of it.

The story is a hugely simplistic tale of good and evil (bad humans ravaging the land, good hippy natives fighting for their spiritual home). Cameron tends to push the ecological agenda down your throat and there isn't room for a lot of subtlety but that doesn't mean that aren't several huge emotional punches amid the devastation. But again, he visually excels himself in creating both sides and their way of fighting/living etc. The actors are good, but the characters somewhat limiting. Away from our central cast (Worthington, Weaver, Saldana etc), a lot of the supporting cast are archetypes - taking actions because the script demands it rather than naturally flowing. Don't look for a lot of depth in - say - Ribisi and Rodriguez and even bad guy Stephen Lang is fairly simplistic in execution.

Avatar is Dances with Wolves meets Pern meets Apocalypse Now... starting like a space epic, continuing like a fairy-tale and ending like a war story. It takes you about 20 minutes to get past annoying exposition and to establish the right tone, but once you're in, it envelops you nicely.

Review done, I finished packing and took the flights out to Iowa on Sunday. All in all they went well, despite only being able to take one checked piece of baggage. Got into Detroit early, but left it to head to Sioux Falls a little late. I arrived in SF at about 9:00pm, so not too bad, and was met by Jilly and Tasha. Temperatures were pretty bad, but survivable. There'd been snow, but no new falls to worry about yet. However I'm already using several layers whenever I go out - with the wind chill factor, it feels even colder than it is.

Having a decent time so far, but need to get on with the wrappings...