At last! I have seen Avatar.

I've been restricted from watching films until I get my Class 7 license. I am sad Laura.

It's not that I'm only just starting to study, but it'll still be about a week until I'll be ready to take the test. I am rather stressed about passing, as well as annoyed at the lack of movie nights.

I was, however, still allowed to go see Avatar in 3D at Silver City today, since I had already made plans to go with friends. The film was incredible, I was breathless at the end and I wanted to see it again right away. James Cameron, the director, has made another masterpiece.

It's not that the plot is so great, since aside from the main idea it consisted mostly of political themes regarding humans as nature-hating, earth-destroying, money-hungry murderers and the usual good-guy + bad-guy = conflict kind of idea. The impressive thing, was the visual effects.

In the making of the film, when they were shooting the avatars themselves, the actors played their parts wearing special suits with sensors feeding their movements into computers which turn the actors into the large, blue creatures you see in the film. They actually incorporated the actors' facial features into the creatures as well, so you can still appreciate the acting and the more realistic-looking expressions and body movements that only a real person can provide. They looked very very real, unlike some of the video game style CGI you see today.

The scenery was also stunning. It made you want to live there, among the huge trees and electric plants, riding one of those flying creatures. You wanted to BE an avatar, those lovely large cat-like beings that are so one with their world. But, unfortunately, it also made you hate what our world has become -although I fought my mind on that, since believing that would mean I fell for the propaganda. However, it was still too amazing not to balk at or buy into, so I didn't feel bad.

As for the inspiration for the film, not counting the plot surrounding it, the idea of people using their brain waves to control other bodies has been around a very long time. Harlan Ellison, Paul Anderson and many other science fiction authors have used the same idea in several different scenarios. I'm not surprised, however, that it's taken this long for a filmmaker to use the idea: it would have been wasted without this new, cutting-edge technology which really, made the movie. It was wonderful to see in 3D.