Spitball Army

–  Avatar (2009)
The special effects were unreal, as was the 3D. I was glad that the 3D embraced all kinds of optical effects, and not just the obvious “in your face” ones; a couple of times, I found myself reaching out in front of me to touch something (falling ash, those flagella-laden tree sprites). But, sadly, the incredible visuals couldn’t compensate for the retread storylines, the cipher characters, and the mostly bad acting (Michelle Rodriguez, however – Ana Lucia from Lost, here again playing a character with a hard-edge – was very sympathetic). I found myself checking my watch several times (a rarity for me, and a bad sign). Sigh. One thing that really irked me: the constant use of a central musical motif throughout the film that was remarkably similar to one from Titanic (yes, same director – James Cameron – and same score composer – James Horner). With all that money? C’mon.

–  Broken Arrow (1950)
One of Jimmy Stewart’s Westerns. Today, there would probably be some complaints about the casting of white folks as Indians, but this was made in 1950 – before political correctness was a reflex action. Hardly matters, as Jeff Chandler portrayed Cochise quite convincingly. The movie itself is a terrific entertainment, and portrays culture clashes in the American West with a degree of naivete that passes as fictional liberty. It is easy to see how this could have been the inspiration for Dances with Wolves, and, by extension, Avatar. Some great shots of the Arizona landscape, though I have no idea if these were location shoots (I’m guessing not, at least for the most part). Broken Arrow was one further step in my exploration of the work of director Delmar Daves (3:10 to Yuma, Dark Passage), and it did not disappoint. Next Daves film on the schedule: Jubal, from 1956.