. In terms of scope, James Cameron's masterful film feels bigger and equally important as the first time I saw the beginning adventures of Luke Skywalker. Back then, Star Wars was introduced to me as the greatest film ever, and since i was like 5 years old I believed it, whether it was true or not. With Avatar, my expectations were somewhat muted. Certainly I followed the film from the beginning like any geek would; did my due diligence during Avatar Day; and poured over every still photo I could find up to a point. The hype was simply incredible, and in order to maintain a proper perspective I had to tone down my expectations. My experience with films that cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars is that I leave them wondering where all that money went. I oughta learn to trust James Cameron more easily, because what he's created is one of the deepest, most fully realized film worlds I've had the great pleasure of being swept off to. I shouldn't be surprised. Where most people think of Cameron as simply a special effects master, his true strength has always been his ability to immerse his audience in whatever story he was telling, and that requires more than just a big budget or fancy camera techniques.
Avatar isn't just another movie. It's a game changer. It takes place in the distant future, and as usual man has mined Earth's resources to near exhaustion. A potential lifeline and cash cow are discovered on a distant moon, known as Pandora, a name chosen for obvious reasons. The planet is ripe with a unique element that sells for big bucks, and the U.S. military is sent in to take it by any means necessary. The problem is that Pandora is inhabited by the blue-skinned Na'vi, a native race of blue-skinned humanoids. The Na'vi are deeply spiritual, naturalists, feeling a deep connection with all the living things on their world. They are in essence our polar opposite.
Jake Sully(Sam Worthington) is a Marine who signs on for the military's cause. A paraplegic, Jake jumps at the chance to be a part of the avatar program, in which his DNA is combined with that of the Na'vi to grow an organic automaton that allows for the humans to breathe and blend in on Pandora. In his avatar state, Jake is free to run again, and help carry out Earth's mission. That mission, though, is what's truly in question. Jake is "recruited" to infiltrate the Na'vi, helping to find out their weaknesses for a brutal military assault. Jake is up for the task at first, but starts to question himself when he meets Neytiri(Zoe Saldana), a fierce Na'vi princess. She saves him from imminent death, and Jake begins to see that the Na'vi aren't the evil creatures he's been taught they were.
Avatar's greatest strength is the way it allows us to experience the wonderment of Pandora right alongside Jake, as he tries unsuccessfully at first, to become one of the Na'vi. We are right along side him as he encounters their luminous agriculture, which looks like it was ripped out of Willy Wonka's wildest dreams. The Na'vi share both a physical and spiritual bond with the many creatures of Pandora, including dragon-like birds which they ride like horses. One of the film's best scenes features Jake's attempt to tame one of these creatures.
I'm not completely sold on Sam Worthington as Hollywood's new go to guy for sci-fi adventure. He was probably the best thing in the mediocre Terminator Salvation earlier this year, and he'll be starring as Perseus in Clash of the Titans. I just don't feel the charisma that a leading man should have, and i think it's telling that I was far more interested in Jake as an avatar than when he was in human form. The rest of the cast is solid. Long time Cameron cohort, Sigourney Weaver plays a scientist and researcher not somewhat reminiscent of her role as Diane Fossey in Gorillas in the Mist. There's also a unique take on the exo-skeleton battle she waged at the end of Cameron's Aliens
, but I won't spoil details on that. It was Stephen Lang, as the hard nosed colonel intent on driving the Na'vi out with brute force that stole every scene he was in. I had to think back to remember that he also was the best thing about Michael Mann's Public Enemies 
earlier this year. He's like a younger R. Lee Ermey(Full Metal Jacket
), and maybe even more intense.Avatar is undoubtedly a film with a message. Cameron has been quite vocal on that fact. You'll find obvious parallels to the environmental challenges facing us today, and also some pretty clear rebuking of the Bush administration's war mongering tactics. I've already heard some people complaining about that, but to me they're fair points to make, and in no way impede upon the natural flow of the story. At it's core, the story is delightfully simple, yet every single corner of this world is explored to it's fullest capacity.
Cameron's intended goal was to set the new standard for special effects, and with Avatar he has done that. If I were making a sci-fi movie right now, I'd probably just pack it in. Every film of the genre is going to be compared to Avatar. It's the new measuring stick, and few will be able to match it's mesmerizing look. The 3-D, for once, actally added depth to Pandora's world, and wasn't just a cheap parlor trick like it is with most films. I still have my doubts about the over used technique, but here it works wonders.
9/10
