Me at the Movies

I went to see "Avatar" on New Year's Day and, aside from the special effects (which were spectacular), I was mostly unimpressed with it. The story was trite and the movie was way too long. (For someone with my short attention span, making a commitment to see a 2-hour movie is a big deal. It's not wise to push me beyond that.) By the time the SECOND big battle rolled around, I was saying OUT LOUD "why is this movie still on?"

That said, "Avatar" does have some AMAZING visuals. Director James Cameron does an excellent job of creating the world of the moon Pandora. And he renders the natives of Pandora, the Na'vi, in realistic fashion. The enchanting world Cameron creates is almost enough to make up for blatant colonizer's redemption fantasy that makes up the "story."

Almost.



"Sherlock Holmes" wasn't much better, although it had the charm of Robert Downey, Jr. to carry it along. And for once, Jude Law didn't irritate me. As Holmes' love interest, Rachel McAdams was just there. She was the clearest indication (well, along with the constant bare-knuckled brawling) of the Baker Street hero's dumbing down for 21st century audiences. I read and loved several of the Sherlock Holmes stories. I don't need them dumbed down. I kind of like that Holmes mostly solved crimes with his mind and not his fists.

And I don't think I'm alone in that.