The title 'Avalon', borrowed from Arthurian myths about a legendary island resting place for the souls of deceased heroes, in the film refers to an illegal and habit-forming multi-player, online, role-playing game engrossing thousands of mostly young adults in a dystopian, near-future Middle Europa (actually metropolitan Polish locations). Thrilling, hi-tech, guerrilla warfare scenarios comprise the setting of this virtual reality game that connects players who select a class they wish to role play with goals to gather equipment, earn experience points and advance to higher levels.

Participants can adventure solo or in teams while coping with commonplace effects like time-lag which can 'kill' (force one out), and reset, which can be used to save oneself. When inside the VR dimension, the players appear wearing snazzy, mechanistically accessorised combat suits and wielding equally cool-looking, gadgetised weaponry. The game's greatest and real challenging danger comes from potentially losing one's mind in the flood of data and becoming one of the 'unreturned', forever cut-off from the physical body, trapped in a vegetative state.

Avalon the film's photography uses unique sepia-tones to heighten the sense of blurred boundaries between mundane reality and the alluring VR gaming world where cyberspace effects get shown with digital image manipulation comprised of glowing, pastel spectrums of colours. This against the monochromatic, earth-coloured backgrounds produces dazzling visuals not quite like any seen before, rendering more compelling the story focusing on a top-notch, warrior-class, soloist celebrity of the Avalon game. Elegant-looking, intelligent, obsessed young woman Ash (Malgorzata Foremniak), named so for the white streak in her dark, shoulder length hair, earns what few others can achieve - enough to make a living from playing Avalon. Ash, living alone with only her pet basset hound companion in an apartment amidst post-industrial decay and indifferent pedestrians, centres her life on Avalon and social contact related to the same.

Ash's routine gets jolted encountering Stunner (Bartek Swiderski), a creep from her past when she belonged to a team. Stunner entices Ash with insinuations concerning a clandestine, ultra-high level within Avalon, reachable only by a team including a prestigious bishop-class character capable of tracking down and surviving to confront the innocuous-seeming, moppet-like, elusive and enigmatic Ghost (Zuzanna Kasz). She functions to embody the Gate to the hazardous, hidden plane permitting no use of resets to escape yet possibly offering substantial remunerations, the purpose if this level remaining unknown - a potential rogue program?

Avalon's risks become emphasised when Ash, after unsuccessful efforts by herself to find the secret zone, learns that her old group leader Murphy (Jerzy Gudijka), became one of the 'unreturned' after he failed to attain the same. Ash then allies with Stunner and a Bishop (Dariusz Biskupski), and together they elude the wary, paternal Game Master (Wladyslaw Kowalski) and with guile and struggle, access the sought-after level resulting in a startling, revelatory climax enhanced by photography in full-colour contrasting with everything seen before.

The film Avalon will please fans of director Oshii's earlier work and aficionados of The Matrix, Dark City and the cyberpunk science fiction subgenre in particular, engrossing as well, lovers of thoughtful, speculative entertainment in general. This picture dazzles with its exceptional cinematography combined with judiciously spare, seminal special effects to depict a fascinating near-future metropolitan milieu of disaffected yet intriguing characters played by a cast of unknown yet talented actors. The star portraying Ash especially stands out, projecting a smouldering, intense intelligence within her lovely, expressive body.

She makes the viewer want to follow her navigations of Avalon's world, a setting designed to provoke questions about the nature of reality, about the power of imagination and concerning the eternal human need to escape narrow confines of daily life for something more fulfilling. Kenji Kawai's haunting score punctuated by an original choral refrain and blending the synthesiser with a full orchestra, perfectly accompanies everything. At times Avalon's narrative becomes slow-paced, opaque and enigmatic, the ambiguous ending being particularly strange. These qualities, potentially exasperating for those insistent on slam-bang, mindless Hollywood action make Avalon rewarding for audiences willing to appreciate this film's challenges and its share of visceral thrills amidst its mostly surreal, even dreamlike ambiance. For distinguished, different, provocative cinematic entertainment, the viewer would do well to seek out and explore Avalon.

In the near future the world has become a dreary place. In order to escape from their depressing lives, many of the youths have turned to a life-like video game that has been banned by the ruling government; Avalon. As players progress through the higher levels of the game it feels more and more life-like, causing such things as nausea in people who make quick-restarts during game play, and even going as far as to putting some people into a vegetable state if they "die" on these higher levels. Ash, one of the game's top players, has been playing the game solo ever since her once-legendary party, Wizard, abruptly broke up. There are various rumors about how they disbanded, and the most prevalent one is that Ash snapped under the pressure and let the team "die." This, along with how she already acted, make Ash into a loner, who spends all of her time either in her apartment with her pet dog or playing Avalon at the local center. Her high scores not only make a better-than-average living for herself, but get the attention of another high-leveled player, Bishop. After a difficult game of "cat and mouse," she finally meets Bishop face to face. Not only does this lead her to learn about the fabled "Special Level," but also some disturbing knowledge about the origins of Avalon. Ash agrees to go along with Bishop and several other people, including Stunner, an old friend from Wizard. After a grueling level that will remind many of "Ghost in the Shell," Ash is finally capable of reaching this "Special Level." But once she is there she possibly runs into more than she expected, and all of her beliefs are questioned.

I went into "Avalon" not really knowing what to expect. I have always been a fan of Oshii Mamoru, and "Ghost in the Shell" in particular. Every time I watch that movie I pick up some new twist that I had not noticed. I can only hope that "Avalon" will prove similar. However, I've heard that many dislike his movies for this very same reason, since they find the movies too tiresome to try to follow. So this will undoubtedly be a "love it or hate it" type of movie. There really isn't much character development throughout the movie, however. My first great discovery is that all throughout the dreary city where Ash lives there are anti-Avalon posters plastered on the walls. But once Ash makes it to the "Special Level" there is, to say without spoiling, much praise for Avalon as this wonderful world of beauty. Although the game Avalon has undoubtedly helped to degrade the society we see, this alternate world that should strike as closer to home to ourselves can only see the beauty, and not the negative repercussions.

REVIEW:
Avalon reminds me in many ways of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Not because the movies are similar, but because both pushed the envelope, but both suffered major problems in other areas. It is unfortunate, because both these movies do have groundbreaking aspects, but because the final products turned out so disappointing, those aspects are lost, unfarily reflecting on such groundbreaking aspects (in Square's case, they completely gave up the movie business, losing us much hope for another shot at using their expertise in the medium to push the envelope).

Avalon's biggest groundbreaking aspect is its surreal live-action look. Live-action has always had its limitations when filmmakers wanted to go beyond realistic experiences. Technology is constantly improving to help this (see The Matrix), but very few films have managed to create a truly surreal virtual reality. Animation, particularly Japanese anime, has often been the medium of choice to portray such ambitions. With Avalon, famed anime director Mamoru Oshii blurs the line and creates a truly surreal universe with live-action blended with CGI, and adjusting the colors in the entire thing to create a "look" that makes Avalon unique. In such, the film is hugely successful and should be viewed at least once by everyone to see where films can truly go.

Unfortunately, the rest of the film doesn't fare so well. Mamoru Oshii revisits the recently common theme of reality vs. virtual reality. As Ash proceeds further into her quest for Avalon, we'll see reality called into question more and more. Unfortunately, the film seems to plod along in doing so and as such, never pushes the viewer to embrace this struggle. The characters were also fairly one-dimensional, which makes them much harder to appreciate and associate with. Considering that the characters and their inner struggles were so good in other Oshii films, such as Ghost in the Shell and Jin-Roh, it is really disappiointing for them to be so one-dimensional here.

I also honestly got the feeling at times that this film's story could have been told in half the time, as there were a number of scenes that seemed needlessly dragged out or unecessary in the first place. Finally, the end finishes on kind of an "Oh..." note, leaving a feeling of wanting. Mamoru Oshii has stated that he wanted to do something different than just go back to the real world and be done with it, but even without doing so - I felt that this question of reality could have been pulled together far better than it was.

This is a film I really wanted to love, but it just feels hollow. First impressions should be amazing, thanks to the amazing scenery in the film, accentuated by an awesome opening battle scene. Unfortunately, this only sets a high bar which the rest of the film never lives up to as its slowly plods along. The questions of reality are interesting, but other movies that have approached it have done a much better job of keeping viewers interested. I appreciate Oshii wanting to do a different take on this question, which is why I feel more disappointed that this was so empty. Watch this once, no matter what, for the imagery and to appreciate a new take on the question of reality. But, don't expect to have any desire to sit through it again.

"Avalon", on the other hand, truly deserves the title "visionary"; its depth and visual style makes "The Matrix" look like little more than a student project.

Of course, I wouldn't expect anything cut and dried to come from Mamoru Oshii ("Ghost In The Shell", "Jin-Roh"), who wrote and directed the film. While most anime seems little more than buxom babes with big guns, his works delve into complex technological and psychological themes more intent on making the viewer go "Huh?" than throw them a little fan service. Even if you don't always get his films, and believe me, you'll scratch your head more than once through them, they're not easily forgotten. And "Avalon" is no different.

In the distant future, people are addicted to a virtual reality combat game called "Avalon". In "Avalon", players progress through battlefields, trying to hone their skills, either in teams or solo. The game is so widespread that the best players can make their living playing "Avalon". Ash (Foremniak) is one of the game's best players. Once a member of "Wizard", one of the best teams around, a horrible mishap in the past has left her solo. Other players marvel at her talents, but as she progresses, the game begins to lose its challenge.

That is, until a former teammate tells her of a secret level that one can only get to under special circumstances, a secret level that imprisons her former leader from "Wizard". Ash becomes obsessed with finding out more about this level, ostensibly to rescue her old comrade. Although she has always been a lonely type, she grows more and more isolated, her only source of companionship her basset hound. Eventually, Ash gets her chance to find this secret level, accompanied by a mysterious stranger who promises to reveal "Avalon"'s truths upon completion.

To really go into more detail would spoil the movie for you. Not because I might reveal some spectacular twist ending, but because I might spoil your interpretation. That's the true beauty of "Avalon"; it's ending is truly open to interpretation, to look back at the viewer and force them to decide what's happening based on what they've seen so far. Its ambiguity is not some cheap ploy, nor is it laziness on Oshii's part. "Avalon" feels too carefully constructed for that. When the final credits roll, you're left with the notion that the true puzzle is about to begin.

But even if ambiguously existential virtual reality flicks aren't your cup of tea, "Avalon" is still a stunning and ambitious film. Do yourself a favor and peruse the stills from this movie. Yes, the movie really does look like that, though those JPEGs really don't convey how beautiful, how otherworldly this movie feels. For whatever reason, Oshii decided to shoot the movie with a muted color palette that consists mainly of browns, muted greys, and sepias.

The result is a distinctive look that has to be seen, but one that feels like a far cry from other "cyberflicks", with their William Gibson-esque visions of virtual worlds (a la "Johnny Mnemonic" or God forbid, "Hackers"). If anything, "Avalon" feels much closer to "Blade Runner" in this regard. Both movies present stunning visions of fairly dystopic futures that don't resort to visual clichés. When Ash logs into "Avalon", you don't see a vapid electronic rush of swirling datastreams, neon networks, floating 3D operating systems, and glowing avatars.

"Avalon" looks rusty and vintage, a world on the verge of fading out of existence. The buildings look like they'll fall apart as soon as the camera looks away, the streets like ghosts alone walk down them, the machinery like it was left over from some more advanced age. The whole movie looks like faded photographs, something dreamlike and wistful. Ash's faded apartment mirrors the emptiness of her life; outside of "Avalon" she's really nothing, her only routines are checking her mail for clues and feeding her dog. When real color is introduced, something as simple as a green apple jumps off the screen. And when Ash finally reaches the secret level, the visual shock is as disorienting for the viewer as it is for her.

Adding to the movie's look are the effects. Whereas most special effects scream "Look what we can do with a room of SGI workstations and a couple million dollars!", "Avalon" is remarkably restrained, though much more intriguing. When people are killed in "Avalon", their bodies flatten and shatter like stained glass windows, or simply unravel. When the ghost holding the key to "Avalon"'s secret level appears, she is truly haunting and eerily out of place in "Avalon"'s rusted world.

These days, most effects are meant to leap off the screen, to dazzle the crowd and make them feel like they're getting their $10 worth. "Avalon" is different. You'll notice the effects, simply because they look pretty darn cool, but the movie never lets them become the centerpiece. It doesn't grind to a halt just to make sure you notice how big the budget was. Rather, "Avalon" uses effects the way they should be, to enhance the movie's world, to underscore its reality (or surreality, as the case may be). There's a reason why James Cameron hailed "Avalon" as one of the most beautiful films he'd ever seen.

Also adding to "Avalon"'s distinctive flavor was Oshii's decision to shoot the film entirely in Polish. One can imagine the logistical headaches that might've arisen from the cross-lingual hurdles, but kudos to Oshii. It's yet one more element that adds to "Avalon"'s exoticness. And Foremniak is perfect as Ash, all business in the game, but almost painfully awkward and empty in the real world.

Oshii's movies have never been mere entertainment. Although his films are sometimes bogged down with too many questions and ambiguities, or simply too much monotonous dialog (as was the case with "Patlabor 2"), "Avalon" stands head and shoulders above his other works. Visually stunning and mentally puzzling, it's an intriguing movie, and a very beautiful one to behold that just gets richer the deeper you go.