FILM REVIEW: Avatar

Posted by: Tony – 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