Avatar in the Hurt Locker

Okay here it goes…. Everyone and their brother is going to hate me for this…. “Avatar” kinda sucked…..

Hey now, put down your torches and pitchforks and let me explain first. For those of you who are lost, I’ll explain. At the 82^nd Oscars in 2009 the nominations for best picture were rather slim. Almost everyone had the blockbuster hit “Avatar” picked to win it all. The academy instead decided that “The Hurt Locker” was the best picture that year.

There was immediate public outcry and many people who hadn’t even seen “The Hurt Locker” were saying that it sucked and shouldn’t have won. Due to the angry mob that was forming at the time I kept my opinions about the nominees to myself. But after re watching both movies in the past few months I remembered my stance and decided to declare it, once and for all.

“The Hurt Locker” is one of the best movies of all time. All the technical factors are amazing, acting, directing, special effects, ect. But what really sets this apart is the connection to the real world and its story. This movie came out in 2008, just as the Iraq War was coming to a close. Many were beginning to question the war. This movie reminded the United States about the other costs of war. Beyond the money and wasted time. The very real human cost that almost no one saw. It shows you American soldiers die, be wounded, and become mentally unstable. All of the surviving characters are mentally scared by the war. Unfortunately, this film didn’t do very well at the time, in fact, it’s the lowest grossing movie to win best picture. But the message and meaning behind it are still strong. There is a real human cost that thousands are paying and have paid, and that needs to be a factor when talking about the war.

As for the story, I just have to tell you to watch it. You won’t regret it. There’s a good chance you’ll get chills more often than not and a guarantee that if you aren’t gripping the edge of your seat it will be because you are sitting back, contemplating what you just saw.

I will say this, the opening has a quote, “War is a Drug”

Now on to “Avatar”

Guys…. It’s Pocahontas. That’s all it is. A slightly adapted story with a futuristic slap. That’s about it. Everything in the movie is kind of average. It does have a HUGE upside though. The special effects are the best ever. I’ll give that to them. It’s a beautiful movie, even if it was made on a computer it is still really beautiful and the fact it was made, not found, it’s enough to get it pretty high. But that’s one category. So give them an Oscar for that. But we have to stop pretending like this is some amazing film that should be cherished forever. It was alright and it was a step forward in the CGI world. That’s one Oscar nomination. And it’s far from best picture.