SCRIPT/STRUCTURE
You’ll hear it described as Dances with Wolves in space. Or maybe even Fern Gully Redux. But it’s probably closer to Dances with Wolves meets The Last Samurai in space. There’s nothing original about this story. Everything you see is familiar and for every scene, you’ll probably be able to pick out 2-3 movies with similar imagery. Which necessarily isn’t a bad thing. I read an article (amidst the flurry of Avatar-related articles) over the past 2 weeks where James Cameron mentioned – and I’m paraphrasing – that technological advances in film production (the 3D and highly advanced character animation) are more palatable when you can place it in the context of very familiar stories.

The script is structurally sound – all major events happen when they’re supposed to and Jake Sully hits and overcomes every obstacle the way he should. Again, since it’s a familiar story, it’s predictable and you know what will should happen in the next scene. It’s almost 3 hours but never really felt that way. Scenes never felt like they dragged even if you knew what was coming next.

The dialogue was probably the weakest element of the script, but I knew what I was getting into and really didn’t expect much of it. The film does explore some timely themes – like terrorism, corporate greed, and environmentalism – and with a heavy hand at times.

CHARACTER
The characters are archetypal and they play the roles they’re supposed to play for this type of story. You may contend that they seemed pretty flat, but for a sci-fi/action/fantasy film, this deficiency easily overlooked when you’re caught up in the story. In a movie like this, you’re not so much concerned with how the character changes throughout the story, but how he reacts to the obstacles that present themselves in the plot.

I will commend the artists who animated the Na’vi. I was trying VERY hard to look for any flaws in the animation, especially during close-ups when you see their faces. I’m happy to say I couldn’t really find any. In the past, CGI facial animation always left something to be desired. It never seemed real enough. When one of the Na’vi was angry or sad or happy, it really looked that way. The realism in how emotions were captured and then displayed is one of the biggest reasons I was able to immerse myself in this movie.

DIRECTION
It’s clear that Cameron still understands how important storytelling is to the cinematic experience. Are you listening Michael Bay? If there’s one thing you get from James Cameron, it’s a good time. I look back at all his films and I’ve enjoyed watching every one of them – even Titanic. As much as that film is the butt of jokes these days, I remember being completely engrossed with what was on screen. It was a spectacle, and so is Avatar. Cameron just knows how to “wow” the audience – despite the cheesy Simba and Nala-esque love scene, stilted dialogue, AND corny theme song.

STYLE
There’s really not much I can say about the actual cinematic elements of the film. Perhaps I was too engrossed with the storytelling that I missed some things. I do know that the film employed the Firefly/BSG-esque CGI verite shots – in which a “camera” would zoom in or out on a subject. I guess this makes sense since that style is kind of hip these days. It didn’t seem distracting in any way, but then again, my eye is already used to that technique.

The 3D was cool, but a few weeks removed from my viewing, I wouldn’t say it’s “game-changing.” It was cool seeing the imagery pop out from the screen a little bit, but it never felt like it was a gimmick – like having various objects fly at your face or whatever. After a while, you forgot the movie was 3D and it just looked normal.

THOUGHTS/GRIPES
Avatar won’t change the way you see the world, but it’s definitely a spectacle to experience. As someone who probably looks at movies a bit TOO critically sometimes, it’s refreshing get fully immersed in a story. When people talk about movies that take you away to that special place and if you stare to long, you’d probably break down and cry to another world for a few hours, this is it. The criticisms I have don’t prevent me from recommending it. But I’m sure with all the publicity for this film, your mind is already made up.

I do wonder how well the film would hold up in multiple viewings though. I’ve always loved the films that offer a little more during the second viewing – Fight Club, Memento, and Brick come to mind. Will the script’s flaws be more prevalent the second time around? What would I think of it after a 2D viewing, or even on Blu-ray? Doesn’t matter. James Cameron has my money and I’m happy it was money well spent.

With the hope of avoiding the stigma of New Year’s resolutions, I’m stealing a phrase from John August (a screenwriter whose blog I follow) and calling them areas of interest.

But before I get into that, I do want to reflect a bit on 2009 and how humbling it has been. I’ve sprinkled in some thoughts throughout the year about how things haven’t turned out the way I’ve hoped. Some of that was bad timing, but I think most of it was just me feeling sorry for myself. I tried to avoid getting all emo about it so if anything sounded particularly whiny…eh, whatever. This is a blog after all. But instead of dwelling on the lowlights, here are the highlights:

• Noodle – Easily the best thing about 2009. Having never owned dog, I didn’t feel the most comfortable with being a parent. And now almost four months in, I can’t imagine coming home without Noodle rushing to the door and greeting me with a vigorously wagging tail. Tess and I always say she’s the best dog ever. But who cares that she’s the only one we’ve ever had?
• Our New Home – I think I’ve mentioned this in the past (if not on this blog, then to some of my friends in person) but I’m happy that our apartment in LA is actually OUR apartment. In NY, I was pretty much just crashing at Tess’ place. It was nice to furnish and decorate our spot this past year.
• The Bay – Being in LA gives us the chance to come home at a fraction of the cost of traveling to and from NYC. I feel like part of the gang again. I actually get hear about big news (both good and bad) firsthand instead of via Facebook or infrequent visits from friends. And even now that boyfriend-girlfriends are turning into husbands-wives and with family additions on the way, the bonds of friendship are as strong as ever. It’s just the method of hanging out that’s changed.
• PS3 – I get that this is waaaaay materialistic and superficial, but I don’t care. Playing video games is super fun. I haven’t owned my own console since Sega Dreamcast back in 1999, so I’m about due for one. [NOTE: I have had several different consoles since then in the houses in which I lived, but they weren't really mine] I will say it’s crazy how mind-blowing video games are these days.

Lastly, 2009 wouldn’t have happened without my awesome girlfiend, Tess. Without her, these highlights wouldn’t have been as high and the low lights would be much lower. You know, come to think of it, everything above wouldn’t have happened if Tess wasn’t around.

Ok, now that the obligatory look-back-at-the-blessings-of-the-past-year schpeel is out of the way, now the areas of interest:

“Shut up and work“
I had complained about my job situation when I should’ve been content to have one. This year, I’ll keep my cards closer and play my hand smarter.

This also applies to my own creative endeavors. I have definitely been cautious to avoid “LA talk” – you know, proclaiming the projects you’re working on to A) let everyone around you know you are an ambitous person who dreams of doing more than just part-time SEO-related work and/or B) convincing yourself that you’ve got the skill, talent and drive to pursue your dream.

Collaboration
I think this will be the key to having a productive creative year. Since I’m in LA and working part-time at an internet company, it’s no surprise that I’m around lots of creative types just waiting for a break. It’s both comforting to know that there are many, many, MANY others in my position and it’s these folks I may end up building creative relationships with going forward.

Staying Healthy
This category covers exercise and eating habits. Since the arrival of Noodle and a PS3, I’ve definitely been VERY lax with my workout regimen. I’d like to get back to somewhere between 9-12 miles per week with some weight training. I always have a hard time watching what I eat and I doubt I really want to do a whole lot to change that. However, I would like to watch how much I eat. Maybe this will be the year I can stay consistent with portion control.

I’m at a point in my life when staying fit for the sake of appearance is just stupid. Apparently high cholesterol runs in my family and with my dad’s triple bypass heart surgery a few years ago, staying fit means I stay out of the hospital.

Which of course leads to…

Health Insurance
It’s a stretch, but here’s to hoping.

Some minor things I should also mention:
- less TV, well…less BAD TV anyway. I figure if I find myself watching pointless reality shows or reruns, my time is probably better spent leveling up on CoD: MW2, playing some FIFA 10 (which I don’t have yet), finishing Batman: Arkham Asylum, starting Infamous, watching a Blu-ray disc OR streaming movies/TV shows via Netflix. I want to take FULL advantage of the gloriousness of the PS3
-  more posts, specifically more thorough movie and TV reviews.
- [added 01/02/2010] unfollow blogs. Over the last year, I kind of went crazy with Google Reader adding more and more blogs to the list. They range from SF Giants, SF 49ers, GS Warriors, film-related news, screenwriting, and friends’ blogs. So much of my day is spent making sure all the new items are at least glanced at, if not read. Much of this information is pointless. This year, I’ll only follow SF Giants, SF 49ers, screenwriting and friends’ blogs.

HAPPY TWENTY-TEN EVERYONE!

[UPDATE: I ran 3 miles today and prepared a normal-sized portion of an unhealthy breakfast (leftover prime rib, hash browns and an over-easy egg). I suppose that's not a bad way to start the year.]