Countdown's Begun (Part 2)

Ah, so we begin Part 2 of this wonderful trek to determine who the stronger breeds of this upcoming Oscar breed will be. Well, I guess it was already determined "who", in Part 1, the rest is about "why". In this post, I'll take a look at James Cameron's Avatar, the 2009 Disney-Pixar smash hit Up, and The Lovely Bones, which is Peter Jackson's latest project.

Avatar (directed by James Cameron, in theatres December 18th, 2009)

Behold. Here is the film that many people, including the entire James Cameron fanclub, have been waiting for. The famous director who brought us Aliens (which would be the greatest sequel ever if not for The Godfather Part II), the first two Terminator films, The Abyss, is finally set to release his next sci-fi epic, his first feature-length film since 1997's Titanic, which, you know, went on 11 Academy Awards and is still the highest grossing movie of all time. Avatar, which has been in conception since 1995, has been the worked on tirelessly by Cameron, and has been hailed as The Messiah by respected filmmakers and visual effects gurus alike who have seen snippets of the film. The CGI is reported to be literally groundbreaking, and will antiquate most of today's standard techniques. At a budget of $240 million, the movie will have to make serious strides if it is to stay out of the red, but as we all know Cameron is no stranger to box office success. The film centers around Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington, who visits the planet of Pandora, which is inhabited by a humanoid species called the Na'vi. As humans are unable to breathe the air on the planet, they are sent in the form of human-Na'vi hybrids called Avatars, in which the controller of the Avatar stays physically behind but their mind joins the Avatar body, allowing them to navigate the planet. As a means to regain his mobility being a parapalegic, Sully becomes deeply entangled in the Na'vi way of life, falling in love with a female named Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), and as Sully's feelings and identification with the evolutionarily advanced Na'vi intensify, it becomes clear that the Earth's military has plans for Pandora which do not fit the Na'vi's best interests. Forced to choose sides, Sully must make a decision that will have global consequences. A film that is set to blow expectations away in every film dimension, Avatar releases on December 18th, 2009. Be prepared for the long haul, though, as Avatar is reported to have a runtime of over two-and-a-half hours.

Up (directed by Pete Docter, released on May 29th, 2009)

Up, the latest Pixar darling, is an almost guarantee for a Best Picture nomination. With the Best Animated Feature film likely in its pocket, Up has a human feel, which is to be expected, as it is the first Disney-Pixar film since 2004's The Incredibles to actually be centered on humans. Like every other Disney-Pixar film, it has been a critical and box-office wonder, and as of this post has snagged over $367 million worldwide. Up, which features the always-stunning visuals from Pixar studios blended with the simple but effective storytelling of Disney magic, features 78-year old Carl Fredricksen as its unlikely protagonist, a widower who has become lonely and sour in his old age. Now, Carl's once pleasant home has been encroached on by the demands of the big-city life, is approached by contractors who wish to demolish his home in order to make room for skyscrapers. Ordered by the court to move to Shady Oaks Retirement Home, Carl hatches a truly unorthodox escape plan. With the power of 10,000 helium balloons, Carl literally lifts his home off of its foundations, and sails along the sky, finally at peace. To his dismay, he discovers that 8 year-old Wilderness Explorer Russell has unwittingly come along for the ride. From there, the duo goes on an amazing and perilous journey to the heart of South America, where they come face-to-face with Carl's childhood hero, Charles Muntz. When things become ugly as Charles desires the hunt down the mystical bird that has become Carl's and Russell's companion, the journey turns into a literal life-and-death struggle. Featuring the voices of Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, and newcomer Jordan Nagai, Up is a heartwarming tale that is sure to enchant audiences and is looking strong as the first animated feature film to be nominated for Best Picture since 1991, when Beauty and the Beast became the first animated flick to go up for the honour.

The Lovely Bones (directed by Peter Jackson, in theatres December 11th, 2009)

While Peter Jackson has always been a quality filmmaker, there is no doubt about it that he hit the big time when he successfully directed the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, which has received numerous accolades and will likely go down as the greatest fantasy films of all time. A visionary genius, Jackson followed the success of the LotR trilogy by filming the modern version of King Kong, which also turned out to be a tremendous hit, grossing over $550 million worldwide, as well as receiving critical acclaim and picking up three Academy Awards. After a four-year hiatus, Jackson returns with an adaption of Alice Sebold's best-selling novel The Lovely Bones, starring Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, and Susan Sarandon. The film, as mentioned in a previous blog post, centers on the story of Susie Salmon, played by Ronan, who at age 14, is tragically raped, murdered and dismembered by her neighbor. Susie's family and friends are devasted by her loss, but unbeknownest to them, Susie is watching over them from a heaven-like purgatory, where she has some forms of contact with the living world. Living in a beautiful fantasy realm, Susie begins to believe that everything is perfect, but she begins to realize that the memories of her killer still haunt her. With her ability to contact the living world, Susie must weigh her options, forced to choose between helping her family achieve vengeance or helping them heal. From the trailer alone, Peter Jackson's visual work looks beautiful enough to consider it a shoe-in for the technical awards at the 82nd Academy Awards, if it were not for Avatar being in the running as well. December 11th is the release date, and it is a sure thing that I will be there.

Catch Part 3 on the weekend.