I can has vacation?

[hrj]

Sure enough, pretty much the minute I left work for my vacation on Friday, I started coming down with a cold. Saturday was tied up with the memorial. Thanks to everyone who contributed refreshments -- while we didn't have overwhelming crowds, a good dent was made in the contributions with the remainder donated to a rotating homeless shelter that the Palo Alto Friends Meeting participates in. The memorial was quiet and low-key as Quaker gatherings generally are. Afterward the family group adjourned to my relatives' place in San Mateo for general socializing. (I confess I would have been happy to go straight home to bed, but one does what needs to be done.) The universe conspired to free me from any need to do airport runs on Sunday, so I scheduled it for getting as much sleep as possible with an aim to kicking the cold as quickly as possible. With a few ups and downs for more fluids, I slept more or less until 11am, then got up and walked over to Emery Bay to take in Avatar in 3D. (I was planning to catch the IMAX version, but they were sold out for the mid-day show and I figured the differential wasn't worth the wait.) It was sprinkling a bit when I came out and walked home, but not so much as to be uncomfortable. More hot soup and back to sleep from about 5-8pm. Up for more fluids and then managed about a solid 12 hours more of sleep. I haven't kicked the thing entirely, but I think I'm better positioned to survive the red-eye tonight to Maine. Packing has happened. I need to wash all the platters and bowls from the memorial refreshments (and tag things for who they go back to).

If I wait to do a full review of Avatar, I won't get around to it. So let's just say, it's an overwhelming visual feast of imaginative worldbuilding. And it's a real shame that they used up all the imagination and creativity on the world-building and didn't have a single drop left over for the hackneyed plot and the stereotyped characters. I think my judgement can be summed up with the following:

If your characters are referring to the valuable McGuffin-mineral as "unobtainium", it should be ironically humorous. It wasn't.

Comments

[vittoriosa.livejournal.com]

That sums up exactly why I can't stand James Cameron's movies, especially "Titanic." All style, no substance and *really* bad writing.

I'll go see "Avatar" anyway because I think the visuals will be worth it. And since I'm going in with such low expectations for the screenplay, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised. :-)

[goldenstag.livejournal.com]

The visuals ARE really good. I've seen it 2d, and will see it 3d tomorrow evening. The story is very predictable, however I was still able to mostly enjoy it, even if I could see what was coming a mile off ... (although "Unobtainium" is still pretty goofy ...).

[gunnora.livejournal.com]

It was "Dances With Wolves" with much better acting! (As far as I am concerned, Kevin Costner has a monotone and zero emotional range, YMMV). Plus effects!

I saw it 3-D at the IMAX and plan to go back.