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Dansrage
Reviews
Fritz the Cat (1972)
A perfect metaphor for life in the swingin' 60s
How does one describe Fritz the Cat? Some would call it artistic, deeply metaphorical, a testament to a time when social problems tore America apart. Some would call it dirty, unnecessarily explicit, overly controversial.
Its hard to put this movie into words, because I'm sure it will mean something different to every person who watches it. Im sure that at the time of its release, it was way more shocking than it could ever be today, what with the sexuality and violence depicted in modern cinema. I don't think that this movie was intended to shock or disgust the viewer, i think rather that it was made to show what life was like back then, sexual promiscuity, recreational drug use, the demonization of authority figures, racial segregation, the gritty realism of a society making a chaotic transition into the modern era.
The protagonist, Fritz, is a joy to watch. Rarely have i missed a character when they were off-screen. He is lovable, funny, and yet realistic. The characters he meets on his journey are unique, and interesting in their own ways, they didn't conform to any archetypes. The voice acting was spot on, i don't think i have ever heard such suitable voices for their on-screen parts.
The animation style is unique, and works pretty well as a medium, although its age and obviously limited budget show, that doesn't compromise its ability to tell the story.
I very much enjoyed this movie, and i think anyone who enjoys cinema should give it a try.
7/10
Avatar (2009)
A very enjoyable movie, but not Shakespeare.
*Warning, contains spoilers*
I went to see this movie with an open mind, expecting a blockbuster from the genius who directed Terminator 2 and Titanic. Now, the first thing to notice is that the graphics are excellent. Easily the best special effects i have ever seen, anywhere. But, unfortunately for this film, special effects do not make a movie. The story left much to be desired, being the old recycled story of "Soldier goes to live with oppressed natives, comes to love natives, turns against his own people and fights with natives" (See: Pocahontas, Fern Gully, Dances with wolves). The acting was 10/10 and very believable, the CG characters especially showed lots of emotion. The action is great, and there are lots of adrenaline-fueled fight scenes. I often see this film compared to District 9, and, after seeing the film i cant help but bring this comparison to question. On a budget of 30 million USD, District 9 told the story of alien refugees, stranded on earth. The tale was gritty and realistic, with a compelling story and excellent action sequences. I cant help but compare the "Na'Vi" of Avatar to the "Prawns" of District 9. Graphically, they are very similar (one being realistic, the other being fantasy of course) and in both "species" emotion was very well represented. But the Prawns were so much more believable than the Na'Vi, they felt like a genuine race, a culture, whereas the Na'Vi feel like what they are, computer generated, blue cat people. Despite the excellent special effects, i would have expected more on a budget of 500 million USD. All in all, it was a very enjoyable film, but lacked substance and originality. If you want to see a riveting tale of love and war, don't watch Avatar, but if you want to see a sci-fi action thriller, then go ahead. 6/10