AVATAR was directed by James Cameron, and stars Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, etc.

According to TheWrap.com, a FOX spokesperson confirmed that AVATAR has a production budget of $237 million - plus $150 million in marketing/promotion cost - thereby granting AVATAR the distinction of being the most expensive movie ever made to date.

The production quality is FIRST-RATE! I was in awe with the spectacularly computer-generated world(moon) of Pandora. The realistic-looking world-scapes transfixed me - and that combined with the EXCELLENT cinematography by Mauro Fiore plus the 3D that possessed tremendous depth, the world of Pandora truly came ALIVE! I was mesmerized by Pandora's bio-luminescent night-time flora and fauna - a veritable fairy-land of soft glow and breath-taking lights. I was so in awe that I think I hurt my jaw as it dropped and hit the floor.

I really enjoyed watching the Banshee/Ikran flights, which I found to be immensely exhilarating! Most of the featured Pandora's wildlife/creatures are basically analogues of Earth's horses (Direhorses/Pa'li), wolves (Viperwolves/Nantang), pterodactyl (Banshee/Ikran), rhinoceros (Hammerhead/Titanothere), and the Thanator/Palulukan which reminded me of a combination of tiger, cougar, and puma. The action-scenes were well-choreographed/well-presented, and the action sequences were clear and well-defined. The computer generated Na'vi people and Pandora's flora and wildlife were remarkably realistic-looking. And above all, I cannot help but be amazed by the combination and juxtapositioning of live-action and computer generated images which blended seamlessly.

Themes explored included leadership, greed, colonialism, love/friendship, environmentalism, spiritualism, harmony and communion.

However, in spite of all the above positives, AVATAR's average plot begged for improvement - plus, the characters are basically one-dimensional and could be better developed - and these, were the only drawbacks.

Overall, James Cameron delivered a truly spectacular gorgeous action-packed spectacle worth checking-out.

VERDICT:
A Must See for fans of fantasy/sci-fi and action genres.
If possible, see it in IMAX 3D - you will be glad you did.
At approximately 2hr and 40mins, I was left hungry for more!
Eywa rules! (Mother-nature has the last word!)
Grade: A

 Michael Lye is a Atlanta Film Festival 365 Member and Volunteer

INVICTUS.

Invictus is latin for 'unconquered' - and is also a 1875 short poem by English poet William Ernest Henley.
The last two lines of the poem are...
"I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul."

Filmed entirely in South Africa, Invictus is a 135-minute movie based on the non-fiction book by John Carlin - Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation, and chronicled Nelson Mandela's life from 1994-1995 - focusing mainly on his inspiring and successful attempts to racially and politically depolarize plus unify the South African nation with the help of South Africa's underdog rugby team, Springboks. The movie also touched briefly on his release from 27 years of imprisonment (for opposing apartheid) plus his subsequent election as the first black President of South Africa.

In this movie, President Nelson Mandela(Morgan Freeman - one of the finest actors of the present era) uttered the above two lines of the poem to the captain of the Springboks, Francois Pienaar(a very blond Matt Damon) - with surprising profound effect so that Francois came to realize that the idea of winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup(against the seemingly unbeatable and formidable New Zealand's All Blacks) is not only a surmountable goal - but that his rugby team is also a effective vehicle to bring the entire nation together through sports. (And that, is surprising because back then in South Africa, the blacks reviled the Springboks which they viewed negatively as a symbol of white oppression.)

Clint Eastwood, a extraordinary gifted director, was charged with the difficult task of weaving politics and sports while presenting a portrait of a gentle, wise, and humanitarian leader. He succeeded in crafting a well-told story - with excellent production values - that is fresh, entertaining, educational, inspiring, and yet - not at all 'preachy'.

Morgan Freeman, who is personally acquainted with Mandela, embodied Nelson Mandela with perfection. He exuded strength, tolerance, and wisdom in this movie that is also pregnant with other important messages such as forgiveness, humanity, reconciliation, racial-equality, democracy, and national unity.
Matt Damon's terrific portrayal of Francois Pienaar made me forget that I was watching Matt Damon on-screen. His South African accent sounded natural to my ears.

All the above three thespians are indeed at the top of their game.
Also, kudos to the supporting cast for turning in a excellent performance. I especially enjoyed the humor and insight interjected by Clint Eastwood in the depiction of the supporting roles' interactions - which also conveyed the then average everyday person's reactions to their fellow South Africans of different race.

The engagingly chair-gripping knuckle-biting depictions of the rugby matches will likely turn you into a new covert for this rough sport.

Factoids:
Impressively well-integrated and seamless CGI helped populate the stadium crowd in all the scenes of Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg.
Nelson Mandela had personally mentioned to Morgan Freeman that one day he would like for the actor to play him in a movie.

A parting thought...
As uttered in the movie by Francois to his wife, "...how you spend 30 years in a tiny cell and come out ready to forgive the people who put you there." - the impact that this line makes will resonate deeply long after the movie is over.

VERDICT:
ROUSING, INSPIRATIONAL, POWERFUL, and EMOTIONAL.
Excellent: Grade A.    

Michael Lye is an ATL365 Member and Volunteer 

PIRATE RADIO. Can't stop the music!!!

Richard Curtis(Bridget Jones's Diary, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill) wrote/directed this 60's period UK comedy export - The Boat That Rocked - that was retitled Pirate Radio for its US(and Canadian) release - and its run-time was also shortened from 2hr 14mins to 1hr 55mins.

This is a fictitious tale of a rebellious popular 'pirate radio' station(loosely based on Radio Caroline) that broadcasted populist entertainment on the Medium wave band(to the UK) from the Radio Rock ship in the high seas just outside of UK's territorial waters - rocking the patrician-controlled UK and vexing Kenneth Branagh's stiff upper-lipped Minister Dormandy.

Pirate Radio floated on a minimalist plot that focused heavily on its characters while being saturated with a exceptionally infectious 60s groovy foot-tapping soundtrack.

The cast performed with gleeful abandon relishing their roles - quirky eccentric characters with silly names such as The Count, Thick Kevin, the Dawn Treader, The Knut, etc., and Twatt(which provided some mirthful giggles).

The colorful joyful Radio Rock crew's scenes contrasted sharply against the stoic dull repressive stark sets of Kenneth Branagh's scenes.
Production values are average - not as polished as most Hollywood products.

VERDICT:
Overall, a fun joyously entertaining movie that should float freely on its own steam.
A treat for fans of British comedies.
Grade: B

Michael Lye is an ATL365 Member and Volunteer

TE BLIND SIDE - a truly-moving eye-opening heart-warming experience!!!

Partially filmed in Atlanta, GA - The Blind Side is a 2hr movie-adaptation of Michael Lewis' 2006 non-fiction biography book titled The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game.

This excellent movie was directed/screen-written by John Lee Hancock(King Arthur, The Alamo, The Rookie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil), and chronicled Michael Oher's life prior to college. He is currently (no. 74) Baltimore Raven's offensive tackle.

I was deeply moved by this high-quality production about a gentle (black) boy who was alone, alienated and left to fend for himself; and by the generous/giving, nurturing, kind and compassionate (white) Tuohy family who accepted Michael (a total stranger) into their family and eventually adopting him - thus, gifting Michael the rare life-changing opportunity to defy extreme odds and to succeed against his life's early adversities/hardships.

The Blind Side is a compelling true story peppered by perfectly well-timed light moments which appropriately balanced the movie's heavy themes about grace, love, sharing/giving, compassion, trust, strength and courage that transcends and breaks racial, social, and economic barriers.

Kudos to the talented cast that comprise Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Kathy Bates, Lilly Collins, Jae Head - with cameos by actual NCAA current and former coaches/recruiters, plus a brief appearance by Steve Warren(local Atlanta movie-critic for the weekly, The Sunday Paper) as a admissions/board member of the Briarcrest Christian School.

VERDICT:
Treat yourself to this well-made movie that will be released just in time for Thanksgiving.
GRADE: A

Michael Lye is an ATL365 member and volunteer.

Disney's A Christmas Carol  in Disney Digital 3-D.

Robert Zemeckis wrote/directed this 1.5hr 3-D-animated movie-adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1983 novel.

In Jim Carrey's first appearance in a Disney movie, he played Ebenezer Scrooge plus the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future. The Ebenezer Scrooge animated character received more attention/detail compared to other characters in the movie - paying close attention, you will notice the uneven treatments.

Overall, the CGIs were competently rendered and the 3-D possessed remarkable depth. However, this movie gravitated heavily on special-effects and the 3-D spectacles while relegating Charles Dickens' Victorian story regarding morality and redemption to the background. This sacrifice produced a dazzlingly visually captivating movie that lacked seamless plot flow - continuity in certain scenes were jarring and the story lacked gravitas.

VERDICT:
At a $175 million budget, this movie is more over-bloated than a roasted Christmas goose.
Good - but not great.
Grade: C

Michael Lye is an ATL365 Member and Volunteer

Michael Jackson's This Is It. 

Michael Joseph Jackson may have departed(on 25 June 2009 at age 50) but he left behind his performance/music legacy as showcased in this 111-min concert documentary(from March - June 2009) on the staging/creation/development, choreography, training and rehearsals of his This Is It concert series. A total of 24 songs were presented in this film, and a hypnotically thrilling new THRILLER segment was exuberantly presented - as were several shot-on green-screen music video segments.

For the real deal on Michael Jackson, this is it - the movie gave us a front-row seat, stage-side views, on-stage experiences, and behind-the-scenes look at the Artist, Performer, Dancer, Perfectionist, Eco-conscious environmentally-caring, and humble sides of the multi-talented King of Pop who poured high levels of dedication/efforts into his craft and artistry, and how he elicited and expected the same from his musicians, dancers, and production team.

VERDICT:
A Must-See for fans of M.J.
Overall, a MEMORABLE and well-crafted movie.
Grade: A.

 Michael Lye is an ATL365 Member and Volunteer.