Gogna - a rising star in the entertainment and broadcasting world – provides his thoughts and opinions on entertainment, films and all things Hollywood for XEHERONLINE.COM
BY GOGNA | FEB 11, 2010
I have a tremendous passion for entertainment, broadcasting and films – especially big Hollywood blockbusters.
So it was quite apt when I saw James Cameron’s new highly anticipated film Avatar in the IMAX cinema in London. Firstly, if you go and see Avatar, make sure you see it in a 3D cinema like IMAX. This film is made to be seen in 3D. With IMAX - the screen is massive and you really get to experience cinema in its true glory.
Now to the film. Avatar is an event film, much like Cameron’s previous films such as Titanic, Terminator 2 and Aliens. The premise of the film is simple – the main lead Jake Sully - a disabled ex-Marine (played by Sam Worthington) is hired by humans from Earth to help with a mining project on the distant alien world of Pandora. The name of the film – Avatar – comes from the hybrid body that Jake will inhabit. Jake’s brother is killed, and it is only Jake’s DNA that can bond with the Avatar. The humans from Earth want to plunder a very valuable mineral found on Pandora. Like most Cameron films, there is a love story at the heart of the film. In this case Jake falls in love with Neytiri, one of the alien inhabitants (nicely played by Zoe Saldana). Hence, the story is one of boy meets alien girl, boy falls in love with alien girl, then boy chooses to fight for his love and defend the alien Na’vi race.
The main draw of the film is Avatar’s spectacular special effects. The things that can be done digitally now are astounding. I really respect Cameron as a film maker, as he often waits to ‘create’ the technology to map out his vision onto the screen. He did the same with Terminator 2 – creating the ‘liquid metal’ Terminator special effects which were ground breaking when the film was released. Avatar is no different. Cameron has created a beautiful and visually striking alien world. Watching the film – the audience is easily transformed into the break taking scenery of Pandora’s world.
One thing I did like is the clear message that Cameron is giving in the film about how precious the natural world is, and how destructive man can be in destroying nature in his relentless greed for money and wealth. Timing wise, this fits in well with the general state of the world we are in. Once you watch the film, you cannot but help think about the responsibility we have as human beings to preserve our only planet.
The point I would like to make is that before seeing the film, I had reservations as to how we as the audience would empathise with characters that are CGI created. Well, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Cameron and his nifty special effects team mapped out human expressions and emotions beautifully on the CGI Avatar beings.
Also, look out for Sigourney Weaver, as she makes a welcome return in a Cameron film.
So, what do I think? Go and see Avatar – it’s a big, bold, entertaining film with stunning special effects and a good message about nature. You’re going to see a lot more 3D films being made in Hollywood post Avatar.
You can listen to Gogna on 'The Gogna Show' every Sunday 2pm - 4pm UK time on Westside 89.6 FM by tuning in to 89.6 FM or by listening via Westsideradio.co.uk. 'The Gogna Show' is Westside FM's flagship live entertainment radio talk show which features both Hollywood and Bollywood entertainment.
