Imagine "The Matrix" and "eXistenZ" mixed with a good measure of Japanese and European film styles and you have the feast that is "Avalon". The opening sequence to this movie is simply jaw dropping...this movie uses CGI in a way that is both original and highly effective. I am still gobsmacked by the action on the screen...simply brilliant.

The plot revolves around virtual reality gamers in a distant and very grey future where success in computer battles leads to financial rewards and a hope of some creature comforts. Gaming is not without risks - many players suffer brain death by becoming trapped in the imaginative worlds created for their pleasure. The main character, Ash, is a beautiful woman who has become an extremely successful player and who now wants to access a higher level than the other competitors. This level is almost mythical amongst gamers and many fear to attempt entry as the stakes are high....

I won't say anymore about the storyline as this film should be discovered and I don't want to spoil any surprises. What the film offers is visuals that are amazing...I've criticised the use of CGI before but the effects in "Avalon" are, in my humble opinion, far more successful than those in "Attack of the Clones" and other Hollywood fodder.

The film also has the most incredible soundtrack...I can't recommend it enough. Beautiful.

If you like your science fiction dark and gritty, this may be the movie for you.

I'm tempted to say that the plotline is somewhat similar to The Matrix, but the similarities are only on the surface. In a not too distant future, young people are getting their kicks from a virtual reality wargame. The game has dangers, as sometimes players are unable to come back from the game. However, despite the dangers, the best players play to get massive respect and loads of money, although some play just to achieve the higher experience levels. One of these players is the lovely Ash (Malgorzata Foremniak), an ex-member of the elite WIZARD team, who's currently playing solo. She is forced to gather a party as she goes in search of the mythical nine sisters, and the legendary ghost that can open a passage to the highest level.

Ok, admitted the storyline doesn't sound too impressive. But somehow, Mamoru Oshii manages to make it all very plausible. After ten minutes, the world of Avalon seemed very real. In a unreal, hypervisual way at least. This is mainly achieved by the amazing cinematography. Looking at the film, it's quite obvious that Oshii was very much influenced by Eastern bloc directors and films. The whole film looks more like something that Andrei Tarkovsky could've directed instead of looking Japanese. In fact, nothing in this film looks japanese. The visual style is very Polish, and the world of Avalon looks like it's stuck in the communist era. The cinematography by Grzegorz Kedzierski uses the scenery brilliantly, and he manages to make a difference between the Virtual Reality and Reality using subtle hints, coupled with some of the more outrageous visual effects employed by Oshii.

And the amazing score by Kenji Kawai deserves a mention too. It's amazing. Whereas his score for Oshii's Ghost in the shell sounded somewhat minimalist and japanese, this time he has gone for a very classic sound. I don't have words to describe how great it is. It fits in the film perfectly, setting an unique feel that goes very well with the amazing visuals.

However, Avalon is not all perfect. Although the story is good, the actors are all brilliant and I liked Oshii's direction, the characters are somewhat shallow, and their motives are somewhat vague. Also, the pacing was bit off, with the middle of the film being somewhat empty. A nice action scene like in the beginning would've helped things out tremendously. That said, even though Avalon has few amazing action scenes, they are few in between all the talky bits and fans of hardcore action won't find much to enjoy here. However, if you are not afraid of actually having to think a bit while watching a film, Avalon is highly recommended.