i finally managed to watch two of the films in my must-see list this weekend– Sherlock Holmes and Avatar.

Sherlock Holmes was mostly ok, very entertaining with a great cast and snappy pace but overall, doesn’t really qualify as a great film. it features a shorter, scruffier version of Sherlock Holmes, as well as a more assertive and cleverer Dr. Watson. i still like this film though.

Avatar, as everybody else must have realized by now, is a sumptuous feast for the senses (esp. visual and aural). i’m glad i gave in to zarine’s prodding to watch this film in 3D — somehow the whole package comes alive as a more heightened and more layered experience when you see this movie in an iMax screen. go watch the 3D version of Avatar if you can. it’s worth the hefty admission price, i promise you.

Other notes. sigourney weaver’s character, Dr. Grace Augustine, feels like a conglomeration of two roles she has played to perfection in the past: Lt. Ellen Ripley (Aliens, also directed by james cameron) and Dr. Dian Fossey (Gorillas in the Mist). as the tough and eminently resourceful Ripley, she was the lone voice of reason and caution; as Fossey, she showed fierce compassion and dedication to the subjects of her study.

as good as Avatar is, it didn’t quite strike me as well as most of the films that i consider my all-time favorites. it has several undeniable factors in its favor though: (1) the movie is long but it doesn’t feel that way because you’re too busy assimilating details in many levels; (2) it lingers in your subconscious long after you have seen it; (3) it has a riveting story with universal themes (despite some drawbacks, particularly the one-dimensionality of some characters).

conclusion: missing Avatar should qualify as a crime for serious film lovers out there.