Avatar – Trailer

Avatar

Directed by: James Cameron
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver
Rating: Not rated yet
Release Date: December 18, 2009

Trailer Score: 6/10

My Thoughts: Footage from the Titanic director’s highly anticipated IMAX 3D epic Avatar has just been released to the public, after months of fanboy drooling and/or speculation. Spielberg has predicted this particular movie will be “the biggest live-action 3D film ever.” But what is the most enjoyable part about its first official trailer?

Its music. It sounds like a Nine Inch Nails song that is mercilessly skipping inside a CD-player. Neato!

The third shot seen in the preview is a close second, but the trailer for Avatar is doing it all wrong. Still high on itself, the film advertises itself with only one bit of dialogue, while providing a flimsy grasp of what the actual story is. Then, it loses control of its powers, and seems to give away too much. I’m sure there well be plenty of “money shots” in the third act, but a few too many of them seem to be dished out here. I hate having to watch the second half of this trailer. A good teaser would keep my slobbering mouth on the repeat button (check out the trailer for the next Christopher Nolan movie, Inception, which is playing before Inglourious Basterds). But this one has me even more at the brink of beginning an Avatar-stinence. For the sake of Avatar’s enjoyment and whatever surprise it has to offer, I’m going to be avoiding all advertisements and going to make a giant clown out of myself when I run away from TV’s covering my ears and humming to myself “One Time” by Justin Bieber. (Trust me, my Basterds-tinence was a “great success!”).

But I digress. The motion-capture does look quite life-like, probably more realistic than cinema has ever seen. But is that going to be enough?

Well done, James Cameron. Your two minute trailer, which I have seen now in 2D, 2D HD, 3D HD (and unfortunately not in D3: The Mighty Ducks), has me fearing for your ego. Are great graphics, blue tribal alien creatures, and a what looks like a war co-starring “Halo” going to keep your brainchild from exploding in your face? I don’t know. I’m a bit worried. But my heart will go on.