Stunning Avatar Tells Familiar Story

Avatar

film review

by Mandy Rodgers

2009

Rated: PG-13

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel Moore and Laz Alonso

            For 12 years, we waited for Cameron’s epic follow-up to his super-mega-hit Titanic, and for numerous years before that, he had been plotting the film that would come to be Avatar. The technology was not ready for what Cameron envisioned, so he continued developing the movie until what he needed was available at a “reasonable” price. Reasonably priced is relative, however, as its budget reportedly exceeds $280 million at least, making it one of the most expensive films ever made, but Cameron is no stranger to uphill battles for funding and profit. His aforementioned blockbuster was the first to have a budget of $200 million.

            During the time he took to make Avatar, many wondered what exactly he was up to. Film critics and avid moviegoers knew the project would employ special effects and speculated to what degree Cameron would utilize 3-D and IMAX aspects—two pieces of filmmaking still coming into their own. In 2007, I quoted film theorist David Bordwell in a newspaper article at a lecture he gave: “The number of admissions today are falling,” Bordwell said. “So what’s the answer? Well, 3-D is coming back big and showing regular theatrical releases in IMAX format. James Cameron is convinced that 3-D is the future of cinema.”

            After seeing Avatar in its full 3-D, IMAX glory—the way he intended and I recommend—one thing is for sure, Cameron is a unique and dedicated filmmaker with this latest piece of entertainment that he spent countless hours perfecting. The entire fete from start to finish is visually stunning like a painter’s masterpiece or photographer’s claim-to-fame shot. The 3-D elements are not gimmicky or in-your-face but subtle and soothing, particularly in aerial shots over the entire world that is Avatar.

            But what is Avatar all about, anyway? Unfortunately, that part is where Cameron’s labor of love falters.

            Set some 100-plus years in the future, Avatar revolves around the conflicted plight of Jake Sulley (Worthington), a paraplegic marine, who has been asked to take his deceased brother’s place in a scientific mission on the moon Pandora. Here, another species—the Na’vi—rule, but a greedy corporation ran by narrow-minded Parker Selfridge (Ribisi)—and helped by the sinister Colonel Miles Quaritch (Lang)—wants to obtain a profitable element that resides under the Na’vi home. Technically, Jake is working solely with the scientific group (consisting of Dr. Grace Augustine (Weaver) and Norm Spellman (Moore)), analyzing the humanoids with a new-fangled technology that allows them to inhabit a Na’vi body designed specifically for them.

            From a possibly promising premise, many obvious movie clichés follow as Jake (in Na’vi form) meets and falls in love with Neytiri (Saldana), a swift and sassy princess of the native tribe. Half-way through, I actually felt like I had seen this movie before and discovered that one of my childhood favorites—Ferngully: The Last Rainforest—was evident through and through as a human in a foreign form quickly adores a creature in tune with all things nature. Other movies have also been referenced and draw obvious comparisons, like Dances with Wolves, Delgo and more far-fetched ones like Hellboy and Willow.

            Weaver—a previous Cameron film star in Aliens—effortlessly slides into her role as Grace, a scientist yearning for a way to save the Na’vi and their home from corporate takeover. Lang’s evil colonel has a cartoonish disposition, but it works in the alternate reality Cameron has created, complete with a made-up language by linguist Paul Frommer. Leading man Worthington is often unrecognizable and not just when in blue alien Jake form. The standout is Saldana, who makes these odd creatures seem completely human and identifiable.

            Avatar’s cinematography and direction is nearly impeccable. Throw in James Horner’s score, and a great movie should result—in many aspects, it does. Suddenly the conundrum of an original and intriguing story’s importance in a film’s success rears its head. I’m not sure how well Cameron’s predictable epic will work in a conventional theater without 3-D dazzle, let alone a home TV screen, and that is a definite drawback.

However, Cameron’s diligence and extremely, painstaking effort deserves much credit and recognition. Creating a universe and characters like the one in Avatar is no easy task. Hopefully it doesn’t take another 12 years for him to seamlessly join idea, story and effects.