BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

GarnettTeenage The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

sol- Addicted to a virtual reality war game, a Polish woman begins to question the game's origins and rumoured hidden levels after her dog mysteriously vanishes in this offbeat science fiction film. Shot in sepia tones and full of antiquated computer graphics and monitors like those in 'Brazil', the film is visually arresting from its very first frame and the protagonist makes for a curious character: a famous gamer, yet an introvert with so little in her life outside of gaming that she dedicates herself to tracking the game's secrets when her dog disappears. The film is, however, also full of cryptic conversations (about the game and gaming) that prove quite distancing and with many highly repetitive virtual reality gaming sequences, it is only in the final 25 minutes that the move really takes off with a mind-bending plot twist. It is such an intelligent and thought-provoking turn of events though that the final 25 minutes almost renders the film a masterwork, but it never makes sense why the movie takes over an hour to reach this point. One might argue that the project would have worked better as a swift short film, but an earlier revelation and more post-twist scenes would have been even better. Still, it is hard not to admire 'Avalon' for the way it so sublimely weaves the twist in, and the lateness of the revelation does admittedly make it all the more delightfully unexpected. Lead actress Malgorzata Foremniak is solid throughout, but it is her facial reactions that convey all in the final 25 minutes that render 'Avalon' a memorable experience despite its shortcomings.

fireycam-38624 Simply, I enjoyed the journey it took me on. I liked the story and the way it was presented. For the character Ash, the game was an escape from reality and she came to believe that maybe there was a little more.At first though I thought the game graphics in this movie were a little outdated. But then you realise with the setting the character is in, they are lucky to have anything like this at all. And so it all does seem to fit together.My contribution to this, is that I checked out the 'making of' supplement to the DVD. This was an eye opener. I came to have a much greater appreciation of the movie and also the genius and work that went into some scenes by the makers.Highly recommended.

Kong Ho Meng Although made like a low budget film and a super slow pace which can be a sore boredom, it is very surreal not just in a high form of art but the hidden power of Avalon is it leaves a lot of food for thought. Whether reality is what it seems or what is the real setting/situation behind what can be seen in the eyes through this movie? What is actually going on behind Ash's real character? I am not even commenting on the music score or the wonderfully done surreal atmosphere generated in the game world.The more you rewatch it, the more you think about it the more this movie offers many versions of interpretation. This is one of those films where you will get a different conclusion every time you re-watch it. A reminiscent of the directors' other films which are not what they appear to be, Avalon is meant to be made to reveal very minimal details to the audience, hence the slow pace and lack of solid 'plot line'.In fact reviewers who feel so much criticism for it should refer to the fan forums online on this movie and you can see the enthusiasm from those reviewers on their versions and intepretations - really not many movies are able to do this. Brilliant!

wandereramor If nothing else, Avalon is a visually striking movie, precisely for its lack of visual appeal. Whether it's the desert hellscapes of the virtual reality game the film centres around or the muted colours of the "real world", everything seems oppressively drab. It's an interesting bit of cinematography that makes it easy to understand how a person living in this dire, vaguely post-apocalyptic but maybe just contemporary city could turn to outlandish and violent fantasy.The script is, unfortunately, a bit of a shambles. Characters have cryptic conversations about the past or vague philosophical ideas. Interesting concepts are introduced only to be tossed aside. The ending is a steady unfolding of Twilight Zone-esque twists. It's basically Oshii indulging in his worst habits, basset hound and all. But what really rankles is that, despite this being ostensibly a film about video games, Oshii doesn't seem to grasp the appeal of games or gamer culture at all.Maybe there's a lot of stuff here I didn't get, or maybe a lot of important context got left on the cutting room floor. It's certainly an ambitious project, and not an entirely unsuccessful one. If nothing else it's nice to see Oshii exploring new ground with a live action film. But in the end this film just leaves me feeling as cold as its ambivalent and ambiguous protagonist.(Also, apparently the English version -- dub and sub -- includes expository dialogue not in the original. Who does that?)