OK, so the Academy just announced the Oscar nominees for the coveted, Best Picture. And of course, Avatar, was nominated. I can't help but think that Avatar was miscategorized. Rather than Best Picture, I argue that it should be up against Disney California Adventure's Toy Story Mania and Don't Mess with the Zohan for Best Amusement Park Ride due to its common goal of spectacle and amusement.
3D glasses and long lines and bright colors. That fits both Avatar and TSM. Frankly, I enjoyed TSM more because I got to shoot things at things. Both had talented cgi artists and huge corporate backing to develop a well-sought out thrill. Neither of these projects demonstrated a bold educational contribution to humanity's intellect, but rather decided to just please the masses with a great experience. There's nothing wrong with this; especially in economic climate when most people commonly find themselves in terrible situations.
Avatar was an amazing visual experience. The digital artists behind this film did a great job, and were hopefully paid what they deserved. The writers, however, were lacking. Has James Cameron decided that special effects are more of a priority than a good story? Yes. Come on, you have to admit that story was plagued with predictable and cheap resolutions. At least Toy Story Mania fully engulfed me into the world of Toy Story with unexpected outcomes via competition and interaction- banking on the genius of video games. So for Best Ride, my vote goes to Toy Story Mania. Sorry, Zohan, your sense of humor wasn't enough in this category. You weren't even in 3D.
A few steps backwards and rewound, I define film like Wikipedia: "Films are cultural artifacts created by specific cultures, which reflect those cultures, and, in turn, affect them. Film is considered to be an important art form, a source of popular entertainment and a powerful method for educating — or indoctrinating — citizens." So by definition, Avatar, is a film and so is Toy Story Mania! But as far as BEST PICTURE, I would expect a more challenging, definitive emotional and educational cultural statement instead of a more crowd pleasing, multi-bajillion dollar "DUH!" and fancy remake of Pocahontas.
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