Source Code was a Breath of Fresh Air

Hey all,

Often times, movies are boring, and shallow with no real thematic elements.  However, every once in awhile, something different comes about to change how we view life and humanity.  Source Code is this rare occasion.

Before going into the specific elements which make this movie astounding, we should probably cover the not-so-goods.  The movie lacks a literal plot.  It is clear what the story is about but it is rather unclear how everything works.  This actually makes the entertainment value of the movie fairly disappointing.  The ending doesn't really make sense.  Watch the movie, and you'll know what I mean.  Nevertheless, plot points aside, the themes suggested in this film more than make up for its loss in plot.

1. We should first go over Sean.  Sean is, in every sense of the word, a foil for the Captain.  It's unclear who the real Sean was, seeing as Christina never went into detail.  However, it is certain that Sean is a different person than the Captain.  The Captain is rational, and curious; Sean is spontaneous and reckless, living in the moment.
2. One of the major themes is living life to the fullest.  That is, living every moment as if it's the last.  The ironic twist in the movie is that, Sean literally has 8 minutes to live every time he relives the train crash.  However, this movie presents a greater sense of the beauty of life.  At the end of the movie, Sean encourages everyone to laugh and have fun; enjoy life.
3. Another theme is that of fate.  The movie seems to suggest that fate is in our own hands if we try hard enough to succeed.  The Captain relived and died the same scene multiple times, but was finally successful in changing his fate.
4. The phone call to his father was one of the most touching moments in cinematic history...in my opinion. The actual storyline was 'meh' but the theme behind it was pretty moving.  In the literal sense of the movie, the Captain can no longer be who he was in the real life.  He must be Sean, now.  However, thematically, when the Captain calls his father, it shows a change in the hero's quest, but also shows failure.  He is finally able to contact his father, only to do it in second person, saying he (the Captain) is sorry, rather than he himself is sorry.  This shows that Sean has distanced himself with his past, a bittersweet moment.
5. One of the final things I noticed was the end scene with 'The Bean' in Chicago really framed the movie nicely.  In the beginning of the movie, Sean looked into a flat mirror and saw someone else's reflection - the real Sean's.  However, in 'The Bean' Sean sees himself, in a distorted manner.   It suggests how life will be different now, a false, distorted reality from the one the Captain was used to.  Mirrors are associated with reality, and the Captain constantly struggled with his own identity, a major side plot in the movie.  As the frames pan and zoom, the view does flatten, showing stability.

Overall, this movie was beautifully directed, and it's lack of closure is made up for by it's strong artistry.  If you want a movie worth thinking about for hours afterwards, give Source Code a go.

Final Rating: A

Thanks for reading,

cyoubx

Avatar is a Mediocre Movie

I saw Avatar awhile back, hoping for something amazing; all my peers gave it two thumbs up, so I was all hyped up. After looking at a screen for nearly three hours, I left disappointed. Not only did Avatar fail to be unique, it was downright terrible.

Where to begin? I suppose with the largest flaw present - the plot. James Cameron could not have picked a cheesier, unoriginal focal point. As one of my friends coined it - "Pocahontas in space." That statement is spot-on. Not only is the plot identical, the only "twist" to the original Disney animation is the environment, consisting of chemiluminescent organisms and smurfs. This plot made the movie a no-brainer, every aspect of the movie was predictable, and the tale was drawn out for far too long.

Next, goof-ups. According to the Colonel, the Pandoras is a small planet, thus you have to work out to keep from "getting soft." Okay, fine, but how do you explain the gravity being the same as it is on Earth. There is no apparent difference in gravity. Then again, I'm no free-fall expert.

Moving on, as much as I dismissed the last claim, this next one is definitely a flaw. Based on the prevalent use of masks, I assume that Pandoras has an oxygen deficiency (do correct me if I'm wrong). Thus, humans have to travel outside with the gas masks on in order to survive. This leads to two flaws in the movie. Why does Trudy lack a mask when she pilots the copter?! And how does fire work in on Pandora? Again, correct me if I'm wrong, but that was a huge torch that Sulley had when he first stayed in the forest.

Now for the pros. There's not much except for the immaculate detail in the CGI. Admittedly, the effects in this movie were astounding. However, to counter that, this movie was in production 15 years prior to the release date.

In all, this movie is a mediocre reenactment of Pocahontas with CGI on steroids. The lack of originality makes it seem like plagiarism by the media, that is, content that is not one's own, but is not called out since it brings in cash.

Avatar was a successful movie from an economic standpoint, but really no more. I was thoroughly disappointed.

Final Rating: C+

Thanks for reading,
cyoubx