stargunner

I'm just gonna keep this short and simple - for a true crime documentary, it's fairly thorough and gives a satisfying account from all sides from beginning to end. But Nancy Grace is in this WAY too much. She may have been a prosecutor long ago, but she is strictly an entertainer who makes big bucks off sensationalizing stories like this. Maybe some clips of her show here and there would have been fine, but they brought her on as if she was some cornerstone of the investigation. Frankly, it's kind of embarrassing and highlights a serious problem with cases like this that get publicized. Maybe that was the intention, but it didn't feel like it.

Critics and viewers alike have been panning this film on all fronts. I walked in not knowing what to expect, being unfamiliar with the book and a Peter Jackson fan disappointed by his last film King Kong. While there were some pacing issues similar to his previous films, I thought The Lovely Bones was stunning and powerful.

A lot of people have been making the enormously stupid mistake of comparing this film to Avatar on a visual and story level. Let's get this ridiculousness out of the way - Avatar's story was a re-hash of older stories, and the visuals were used to glaze it over. The Lovely Bones used visuals to help tell the story and tie-in plot elements - instead of a constant distraction to hide a bad story and cheeseball script.

The Lovely Bones invokes every emotion at the right times. It is heartbreaking, thrilling, funny, full of joy, full of despair. It touches on a subject that we will all face one day (death) in a way that's down to earth and also full of imagination. Jackson did a good job interlacing the vivid and sometimes frightening 'in-between' world that Susie is in - giving that 'so close but so far away' feeling.

Some of Susie's dream world was a little cheesy, but it is easily forgiven for a movie so lush and full of all the experiences of life. Excellent casting, beautiful visuals, and a very touching story. This film deserves more appreciation than it is getting. It is not only a great story, but a piece of visual art in a way so much more unique and special than films like Avatar. It seems most people that have seen the film do not agree, and that is unfortunate. Though if you were considering seeing the film and have been turned off by the reviews, I suggest you go anyway and you may be pleasantly surprised. It is one of the best films I have seen in a while.

I am amazed by some of the responses to this film, especially the people who thought they wouldn't like it. I suppose audiences are still wowed by the same old 3D tricks that vfx studios have been pulling off since the beginning of this decade. The only difference is that Avatar is completely oversaturated with every cg gimmick you could imagine.

A tired re-telling of cowboys vs. indians, Cameron treats his audience like simpletons and idiots with a message that couldn't be more in-your-face and oblivious - and just in case you don't understand parts of it, he throws in some unnecessary narration by the main character for good measure. I mean really, the Na'vi couldn't be more stereotypical Native Americans, and the resource on the planet of Pandora is called Unobtanium? Ha ha ha, I get it, unobtainable, wow that's really deep Cameron. I'm moved.

I have to give credit to WETA Digital - the studio that brought Cameron's "vision" to life - for doing an excellent job on the visuals and breaking the uncanny valley (as far as blue lanky "humanoids" go.) That aside, this film has laughable writing, predictable, boring characters, and a repackaged shame-on-you cheeseball message about raping the earth and white guilt.

I really don't understand people's love affair with Cameron and this corny film. At least I can give him credit for being right about the fact that most people still can't see a crappy screenplay through amazing visuals he had no part in. A year from now people will be watching this on their regular TV screens and wondering what they thought was so great about it. Trust me - this movie will only impress in theaters. It has no value beyond mindless entertainment. And as far as the message, you might as well watch Ferngully or Pocahontas and spare yourself the terrifying and ugly designs of the Na'vi.