Movie Review: Avatar

by Justin Velasquez

December 24, 2009

James Cameron returns from a long hiatus and brings forth his boldest, most ambitious project to date.  Avatar, his first directing effort since 1997's Titanic, is a cinematic achievement that is being hailed as the film of the year.

Avatar is an epic 3-D science fiction film that blends action, love and drama with with an ecological message that comes off a little too preachy.  But Avatar isn't necessarily a film to see for the story.  This is essentially an excuse to display the incredible vision that Cameron has for a project that originally started with a treatment he wrote in 1994.

Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation) stars as Jake Sully, a former Marine who's confined to a wheelchair.  Jake is offered an opportunity to regain the ability to walk when he's asked to replace his recently deceased twin brother on a mission to the faraway place of Pandora, a moon of Polyphemus.  On Pandora a battle wages between humans and the native people, the Na'vi.  The moon features an atmosphere too toxic for humans to breathe and survive, so scientists initiate the Avatar Program, in which biologically generated avatars are produced and mentally controlled by humans.  The avatars are designed to look like the Na'vi and their "drivers" are trained in the ways of the Na'vi, including their language, culture and customs. 

Jake uses his avatar to infiltrate and attempt to negotiate the Na'vi's relocation from their current home.  Their home sits on the moon's richest deposit of a precious ore that can help solve the Earth's energy crisis.  Jake replaces his brother as a driver but he lacks any training on the Na'vi.  This inexperience gets him into trouble as he's almost killed while in action.  That's when Neytiri (Zoe Saldana, Star Trek) saves him from certain death.  Jake is taken back to Neytiri's tribe where he is taught their ways.  Jake, along with his reluctant teacher Neytiri, learns of the richness and beauty of the Na'vi and soon falls in love with their way of life and with Neytiri. 

Jake's conversion from human to Na'vi is more than just aesthetic as he realizes that his human counterparts are willing to wipe out an entire race in order to obtain the mineral.  With his loyalties now belonging to the Na'vi he becomes the leader in an incredible battle that will determine the fate of Pandora and its inhabitants.

Avatar is an incredible film visually and every bit the epic it's been billed to be.  The "new world" that Cameron creates here is simply breathtaking, comparable to witnessing the Grand Canyon or the Great Wall.  Beautiful colors, landscapes and creatures weave in and out of the screen as if you're really there.  And thanks to the incredible advances in 3-D technology Avatar deserves to be seen on the big screen.  But of course at the core of any film, regardless of its impressive technological advances, is the story.  And as long as you don't mind similarities to films like Dances with Wolves, The Last of the Mohicans, and The Last Samurai, a viewer may be able to forgive the trite storyline. 

What sets the film apart is the notion of viewing computer-generated characters as actual beings.  The Na'vi can easily be seen as a digital representation of the Native American and Pandora as the New World that Christopher Columbus discovered.  The bad guys are standard fare and unfortunately are the human race.  Cameron uses the film to stage a "save the world" campaign.  This is not new to fans of Cameron's work since he used Terminator 2: Judgment Day to comment on the state of humanity and Aliens to indict the shrewd tactics practiced by governments and big business.  Interestingly, one has to wonder that with a film that cost roughly $300 million to make and another $200 million to market, just how much of this planet's resources went into this endeavor - just a thought. 

Cameron uses Avatar to create a beautiful world that with little imagination is a visual symbol of Earth.  Many of our planet's inhabitants don't realize the true beauty of our home and many more may not realize the importance of conserving its resources.  Since this film takes place in the future it seems also that Cameron believes that the human race is destined to repeat its own mistakes.  And if they are able to realize the error of their ways after seeing this film, then by all means bravo.  The only thing that may bring its message down is the constant preaching occurs through three-time Oscar nominee Sigourney Weaver's with her character, Dr. Grace Augustine.  She plays a scientist who's there to learn and understand the Na'vi culture and as the film progresses her constant nagging is enough to make you want to cut down a tree or two out of spite.  But the film deals with extremes and her obvious opposite was displayed by Marine Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang).  Miles' pleasure is providing others pain and his arrogance towards the Na'vi is easily a commentary on the indifference that is society.

With an environmental message attached to an overall enjoyable film, Avatar isn't a bad way to spend an evening at the movies.

3.5 Stars out of Four