Sunday, January 3, 2010

Avatar 3D Movie Review


Before I saw Avatar, I must say that I was a 3D skeptic. The half red, half blue glasses of the past made me dizzy, and though it was cool when virtual objects were flying towards you at high speeds, it just wasn’t worth the headache that inevitably ensued afterwards. However, the new digital 3D used in Avatar is a completely different story. Put on the black plastic glasses and you are immediately immersed in a shockingly detailed new world. When you mix this new on-screen dimension with the high definition of new movies, you are so intimately close that you can see the pores on a man’s cheek, a droplet of water falling slowly down, or the steam rising off a heated engine. A rainstorm seems so real, you can almost breathe in the humidity. The beautiful effects and fabulous animation are breathtaking, and for good cause; Avatar is the most expensive film ever produced!

The story follows Jake, a paraplegic marine veteran, who must decide if he will take the place of his late twin brother on a mission to the planet “Pandora”, which is inhabited by its native people, the Na’vi. Jake is promised spinal surgery in return for gathering intelligence on the native people’s home, which contains a very valuable material. To communicate with this humanoid, though alien, species, Jake and others connect to a machine that gives them new “avatars”, or bodies that resemble the Na’vi. In his new avatar, Jake has abilities that are now impossible in his disabled human body: running and jumping and feeling sand in his toes. What starts as simply a mission to finish the job and return to Earth turns into a life-changing adventure for Jake. He quickly falls for the beautiful and haunting Neytiri, a native, and his eyes are opened to how stunningly deeply the Na’vi is connected to one another and the importance of retaining their home land. As Jake’s world is flipped upside down, he knows he must take a stand against the imminent danger of destruction by the human military. In a shocking and heartbreaking battle, raw emotion and betrayal fuel the fire from all sides. In the conclusion, though death and destruction leave a bitter taste, the flames of hope burn brightly. You don’t want to miss this movie; it is simply epic.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Reflections on a wild calm

Early this morning I crawl out of bed
a soft hazy light peeks through
where the curtain parts
cool morning air drifts in the room
through the open window
with a damp earthly pine scent
the scene accented
by the far off cry of an early bird
and the barely pervievable sound
of the calm waves lapping and singing
a song of summer

I grab a blanket and
pull on my sweatshirt,
leaving me feeling warm and secure
I run my fingers through my braids
releasing the soft golden crimps
to feel the early summer breeze
of a morning by the lake

I slip on my shoes and pad softly out of my room
hearing the soft, slow breathing of the people
through the next door
I drift down the creeky stairs
and across the living room
Hand on the heavy wooden door, I push
feeling it give and let in more light
power in my fingertips
through the veranda and the ripped screen door

outside ripped rainbow ribbons
floating and bending around the trees
seeing the pastel blue of the water
reflecting reds and oranges
of the almost appearing sun.

I break into a run,
powered by a rush of near ecstasy
I reach the bottom of the hill
and stand
facing the fabulous display of colors
I spread out the blanket
and lie down one hand out
palm up, playing with the verdant grass

I look towards the sunrise once more,
thin wispy clouds streaked through the scene
glowing intense reds and golds
against the muted but spectacular background haze

I sit in this wild calm
slowly watching
as the sun peeks above the horizon