Avatar Amazes and Awes

3D can't save this soulless creature feature

(NEWSER) - In Clash Sam Worthington plays a half mortal hopelessly in love and stuck between two worlds. Sound familiar? This remake aims for Avatar, but falls short. Though it has expensive effects (3D!) and stars (Ralph Fiennes!), it even falls short of the cheerfully cheesy original.

• This movie manages to make Avatar's plot look sophisticated, writes Dana Stevens on Slate . "Compared with this witless, chaotic mess of a movie, James Cameron's epic looks worthy of the ancient Greek authors."

Critics say Cameron owes a debt to the Strugatsky brothers

(NEWSER) - Avatar has prompted cries of plagiarism from Russians who say similarities between the 3D blockbuster and the Soviet-era works of the Arkady and Boris Strugatsky are more than just coincidence. James Cameron's movie and the Strugatsky brothers' World of Noon cycle of sci-fi novels both take place in the 22nd century on lushly forested worlds named Pandora, note Russian critics. More»

Director accused of perpetuating colonial stereotypes

(NEWSER) - Avatar employs cutting-edge technology but its storyline is outdated and racist, say critics outraged on behalf of the movie's fictional race of blue-skinned aliens. By having a white American rescue the race, it perpetrates the "white Messiah" myth and suggests non-whites can't help themselves, say critics, including David Brooks at the New York Times who calls it "a racial fantasy par excellence." More»

Coen brothers, Scorsese, Tarantino could give Cameron a run

(NEWSER) - With Avatar whipping up Oscar buzz for James Cameron, io9 nominates five great directors who could make magic with the “wondrous freedoms” available in the science-fiction genre:

• Paul Greengrass: The man behind The Bourne Ultimatum thrives on a “mixture of chaos and intimacy”—perfect to document the future.
• The Coen brothers: “Few filmmakers have as facile a grasp on the ‘other’ as” the duo behind Fargo, Marc Bernadin writes. “Or as subversive a sense of humor.”

Reviewers can't weigh in just yet on Cameron's 3-D epic

(NEWSER) - James Cameron's Avatar had its world premiere in London last night, and audience members and critics are sworn to secrecy for now. Based on the inevitable leaks and pseudo-reviews, the 3-D epic is pretty good:

• Anna Keir, the Independent : It's "rather good. Surprisingly, for a film this rich in action and this beautiful to watch, Cameron doesn't overegg the 3D-ness of it all, which makes those moments, when they come, even more of a joy to watch."
• Sam Rubin, KTLA-TV : "This is another rare example where the quality of the movie does indeed exceed the hype." He predicts Oscar nominations for best picture and best director.