ARTICLES
FILM REVIEW: Avatar
Posted by: anthony – Dec 18, 2009
There is a lot of hype behind Avatar. Many, myself included, would argue that James Cameron, the writer and director, has never made a bad movie. In this case, he has been working on this new film ever since his last film came out. That was Titanic twelve years ago. Cameron’s promise for this film was that he would revolutionize motion capture CGI and 3D technology. He delivers in every way. Not only is the film one of the most visually stunning movies ever produced, but it also proves exceptionally entertaining to boot. <1--break-->
The movie is set about 150 years in the future on a far away planet called Pandora. A human corporation has sent in a team of scientists backed by plenty of marines to retrieve a valuable mineral that is plentiful on Pandora. The only problem is the resistance of the native people who are called Na’vi. They are tall, have blue skin and tails, and they love and respect their planet and all life on it. The marines would be satisfied to simply remove the Na’vi by force, but the scientists have a more diplomatic plan. They have developed technology to artificially grow Na’vi bodies (the titular avatars), and then remotely connect to them, essentially allowing someone to put their brain inside a Na’vi while their human body sits lies safely inert back at the base. The scientists hope this will allow a connection between humans a Na’vi so that a diplomatic solution for the problem can be found.
The plans of both the soldiers and scientists are altered, though, by a new team member, Jake Sulley, played by Sam Worthington. Jake is a marine who became paralyzed from the waist down in the line of duty. His twin brother was a scientist who was to be sent to Pandora to control an avatar. Unfortunately, Jake’s brother was killed before he could leave Earth. The avatars are each calibrated for a specific person. Jake is the only person alive who can control his brother’s avatar. He is shipped out to Pandora so the avatar does not go to waste. The scientists do not want Jake there, but the marines on Pandora welcome the opportunity to get one of their own inside Na’vi culture to help them plan an attack. Though Jake is originally on board for such a plan, his time living with the Na’vi and learning their ways from a young Na’vi woman named Neytiri makes him question his loyalties. When the time comes for a marine assault on the Na’vi, Jake must decide which side he is really on.
The plot is essentially put together to allow the audience to see one spectacular sight after another. All of the Na’vi are achieved through motion capture animation, and the jungle of Pandora is almost entirely CGI. It is all gorgeous, and looks incredibly real. For everyone who felt motion capture peaked with Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, be prepared for a treat because the Na’vi surpass everything that has come before them. They just look better once they start roaming around the beautiful CGI jungle. We see flowers and trees that glow, six-legged horses, giant pterodactyl creatures, and an animal that looks like a cross between a rhinoceros and a hammerhead shark. It is no mystery why the Na’vi love their planet so much. It is a purely wondrous place. The jungle becomes a character in itself.
All the time that was clearly spent on creating these special effects does create some drawbacks, though. It seems Cameron may have let some poor writing go in the hopes that the visuals would make up for it. It may be an appropriate name, but calling the ultra rare mineral the humans are there for Unobtainium is ridiculous. Much of the dialogue is flat and simple to begin with, and it does not help when characters start spouting that they need to get to the Unobtainium.
Another disappointment is the lack of big crowd pleasing moment or iconic line. James Cameron is the master of these. This film has no “Get away from her, you bitch,” or “I’ll be back,” or “Hasta la vista, baby,” or “I’ll never let go.” All of these lines are instantly recognizable and have each become a part of film culture. Somebody, either human or Na’vi should have had something compelling to say when they were about to charge into an interplanetary war. It is impossible to quote two and a half hours of gorgeous visuals.
These are minor gripes, though, and there is still more good news to be had. This is finally a film where I can recommend seeing the 3D version. The 3D is excellent. It is never used as a gimmick. Nothing jumps off the screen or bounces back and forth. The image simply has more depth. It is like looking through a window at something that is actually happening. I normally find 3D to be an annoying distraction, but in this case it compliments to film perfectly.
When James Cameron sets his mind to something, he succeeds. He set out to revolutionize motion capture and 3D technology and he does just that. Uninspired dialogue cannot take that away. With Avatar special effects have taken an exciting step forward. Nobody should miss the opportunity to see this film in 3D on the big screen. It is like nothing we have seen before.
by Gareth Mussen
- 1
6 Comment(s)
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"Many, myself included, would argue that James Cameron, the writer and director, has never made a bad movie."
You did see Titanic, didn't you?
— Posted by: paul_h on December 18, 2009 - 7:28pmDid you miss the "i got a gun too bitch" line?
— Posted by: Aalfonso on December 18, 2009 - 7:38pmTitanic wasnt good? It only made like a billion dollars!
— Posted by: anthony on December 19, 2009 - 1:24pmI thought Titanic was an awesome movie. It was the script that sucked. The story and casting were good and the special effects were incredible.
I didn't like the script for Avatar either, but again the story/casting/special effects were outstanding. I would definitely see it again.
— Posted by: lauren on December 19, 2009 - 10:18pmI loved the film and cant wait to see it again. No complaints other than the cut short "mating" scene. We will have to wait for an uncut version to really get uncomfortable with how the Na'vi do it.
— Posted by: Natural Science on December 22, 2009 - 2:37pmA weak story and little to no character development are not minor gripes. A narrative movie that is a technical achievement but not a narrative one is not a successful movie.
The very notion that one should see this movie because of the visuals begs the question: why was this movie made in the first place? Unlike climbing a mountain because it's there, spending a fortune on a half-movie merely because the challenge of creating a photo-realistic CG world presents itself is not a good enough reason. The difference here is that while successfully climbing to the top of a mountain can be an exciting, triumphant story, surmounting the challenges of making Avatar should not be more interesting than the movie itself.
And the 3D is a gimmick. Cameron's intent was to desensitize the audience from the immersive effect to the point where when it was over, one would experience feelings similar to that of withdrawal. Got the post-Avatar blues? Yes, I kind of missed watching Avatar when it was over, but only because the flatter, less hyperreal world I live in is less stimulating, and especially not because that effect was put in place to make me feel good while watching that uninspired, unimaginative story. That part makes me not so good about the filmmakers.
I think the reviewer knows this but never quite made it: this is a review about a very interesting screen saver, not a movie.
— Posted by: Joey on January 24, 2010 - 1:58amPost new comment