Avatar...of What?
I went into this movie having seen a few advertisements, but without any real clue as to what the movie was about. I saw some guns firing, some crazy blue animals, and James Cameron's name being flashed around -- maybe it was a video game with forums where you could create an avatar? A new MSN program that would let you have a 3D video conferencing image of yourself? How is that related to movies?
You find out within minutes of the movie beginning that the avatars in question are alien-human bodies that human "avatar drivers" are controlling in an effort to communicate with the natives on a newly discovered planet far from Earth. The planet is rich in a rare and valuable ore that has attracted the corporate human eye, bringing a human presence to a planet that is devoid of technology. Jake Sully is an ex-marine who was crippled in the line of duty, and has been offered the chance to become an avatar driver after his twin brother's death. As his brother was a researcher and his avatar can only be controlled by his genome, Jake is given a unique chance to jump into a fully functional body and experience strange new sights on the frontier of the known universe.
The human presence on the planet of Pandora has three aspects: the scientific one, spearheaded by Doctor Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), the military one led by Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), and the corporate side represented by Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi). Parker is the head honcho, and serves as a mediator between Grace and Miles, who fight like cats and dogs. Jake finds himself caught in the middle of their struggle, as his marine background gives him a close affiliation to the Colonel and conflicting feelings as he works alongside the Doctor and the locals.
The story grows more complicated as Jake grows closer to the scientists, finds a friend in Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), and sees signs that he is destined for something greater as conflict looms on the horizon.
Was It Worth The Budget?
This movie is being tagged as being one of the most expensive of all time, and it is evident from the get-go that no costs were spared in its production. The music is extremely well-done, the CG animation is transparent and gorgeous, but the art in this movie is what really stands out above the rest. The entirety of the film is filled with back-to-back scenes that are stunning, beautiful, surprising, or a combination of all three. The movie would be just as enjoyable if it were viewed in another language (I suppose it is, as half of it is in Na'Vi with subtitles), as the story is told visually through facial expression and body language for the most part.
Having seen the movie in 3D, it was obvious that this is a high-caliber movie with excellent direction, a terrific crew, and a painstaking attention to detail that will take your breath away. The design and original though that went into creating this movie makes it more of a moving painting than an animated film, and it was a pleasure to lay eyes on it.
The People in The Painting
The cast in this movie was well-chosen and sealed the deal for me. The inclusion of Sigourney Weaver in a James Cameron film with aliens was a fitting decision that set the tone for the movie, as she had a Ripley-esque tone in the opening scenes for her character, and her interaction with Jake is similar to Ripley's discourse with any of the disbelievers in the Alien movies. Michelle Rodriguez also added some of her usual bad-assedness to Trudy, the to-the-point chopper pilot, and Stephen Lang is probably the most jacked 57-year-old in Hollywood -- you'll despise him right from the start.
The voice acting was great, and although the storyline had some cheesy moments, they are mostly lost in the epic visual undertaking that unrolls before your eyes. I left the theater a bit stunned at what I had just seen, and wondered if I should be rewatching some of James Cameron's old films in the New Year.
Avatar is definitely a movie you should check out, especially if you can catch it in 3D on the big screen.
Rating: 9.0/10.0
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