Amateur film critic does solid work

One of my former Gonzaga University students, Brian Chausmer, sent me his takes on three recent films. They were so well conceived, I asked him if I could share them here. I give you, then, the world of contemporary cinema according to Chausmer:

“Avatar” : Solid. Damn solid. I expected the 3D, IMAX, digital
production, surround-sound extravaganza to be hokey and gaudy, but the
3D rendering was subtle and well suited in certain contexts: embers
flying around after the fall of the big tree, arrows flying by, fire,
etc., and never over-the-top. Except for the occasional slip of the
glasses every time the sound waves knocked them down my face, I never
once felt overwhelmed by the use of 3D and audio effects.

Colonialism, transcendentalism, naturalism, imperialism and the obvious
MacGuffins aside, it was still enjoyable. I’m not one to revel over a
producer’s supposed magnum opus, but beyond Cameron’s personal
achievement, this movie felt like an achievement for the entire Sci-Fi
(see also: SyFy) genre. My only disappointment is that I’ll have a hard
time watching other movies that now seem hokey in comparison. It
certainly won’t win an academy award for original plot (see: “Pocahontas,”
“Dances with Wolves,” the Joseph Campbell Hero Cycle…), but to create an
entirely new (consistent) language and render something so
breathtakingly gorgeous is worthy of every other commendation they can
think of. I literally feel like I experienced every human emotion while
watching this movie.

My final question is: what was real? Was it entirely CGI? And if so, how
underinflated are the budget numbers? ($237 million?) I have no idea how
many computers and artists it takes to render trees, fire and water that
perfectly, but I sure can’t wait to see the “making of” DVD.

“Sherlock Holmes” : Fun, but not the box-office sweeper I thought it
would be. While entertaining and well played by RDJ and Jude Law, I
never felt like I was immersed in the plot or the goal of the two
protagonists. I don’t know much about the Holmes series, but I do know
that this one was hardly true to the original Doyle stories. Though
sticking true to the original story would’ve bored most moviegoers.

I guess I’m just exhausted by that whole late 19th-century costume and
set design. I feel like the takes on that era are so overdone that I get
sick of watching a movie that seems perpetually dark and low on contrast.

Otherwise, it was fun and worth it to see RDJ and Jude Law work together.

“Hurt Locker” : Like the title says, this movie could be summarized in
one word: intense. While there were no jaw-clenching battle scenes,
it seemed as if even the “simplest” of defusing missions they went on
made me pucker up and cringe as I anticipated seeing Jeremy Renner have
his entrails blown clear across Baghdad. Great film.

Below : The trailer for “Hurt Locker.”