Avatar

Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, CCH Pounder
Directed by: James Cameron
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction
2009

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A paraplegic Marine (Sam Worthington) travels to the planet of Pandora to take part in an avatar program, interacting with the native Na'vi population. In his avatar, he meets and befriends a beautiful warrior (Zoe Saldana) who helps him learn their ways- but also causes him to start to question his original mission.

Review:

Tim: Twelve years after his stunning Titanic, James Cameron set out to do the definitive science fiction film, using revolutionary 3D technology. As so often is the case, Cameron hits this one out of the ballpark. Avatar is truly a stunning, landmark, gamechanging film. And yet, although I loved it, I was also very cognizant of the movie's flaws, which do hurt the movie to some degree. Still, this was the best film I saw of 2009, and one of my all time favorites.

I want to talk briefly about the 3D. Cameron revolutionized cinema with his amazing 3D on this film. I will never forget seeing this movie in theaters, sitting for the first thirty minutes with my jaw open. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It changed the way movies were made. And yet, brilliantly, Cameron knows that using 3D as a gimmick is not the way to go. As the movie goes on, the 3D becomes a secondary focus- the story itself is so compelling that the visual effects almost take a backseat. This is why the movie works so well.

After seeing the film in theaters and in 3D, I was a bit concerned about how I would like the movie on a small screen, in 2D. I was shocked to find that I loved the movie every bit as much. The 3D helps, but Avatar is more than just about that. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie every bit as much. This is a testament to Cameron's skill.

While the special effects may be secondary, I have to admit they are a gigantic reason why I loved this movie. Cameron takes great pains to transport his audience to this fantastical, magical place called Pandora. This movie works because we are fully immersed in this world, with all its strange flora and fauna, and of course, the Na'vi. Believing in this world was a critical aspect, and the movie pulls it off. I was amazed at how imaginative and inventive Cameron was in creating this beautiful world. The different animals, from the horses to the beasts to the flying creatures of the air- they were astounding.

The actors did excellent work also. Sam Worthington gives a career-making performance. Worthington was so good in this film, both as a human and as a Na'vi. He is the emotional core of the film, and I thought he did a tremendous job. However, I think Zoe Saldana deserves special mention. We never get to see Saldana as a human, but her performance as Neytiri is so full of emotion and humanity that it doesn't matter. There is no doubt that Saldana is responsible for all the movement and the performance of this key character. I desperately wish she received more credit for this terrific performance. I thought Worthington and Saldana worked very, very well together.

The supporting cast is good. Sigourney Weaver does a good job, and her mere presence is welcome to the film. I liked Michelle Rodriguez here. At first, I thought she was a bit out of place here, but she won me over the longer the film went on. I also enjoyed Giovanni Ribisi, but I always like seeing him on screen. Stephen Lang also gives a good performance as well. Cameron almost always gets the most out of his casts.

While I love this movie in many, many ways, I also have to admit this is not a flawless film. The whole story, although inventive, is basically just a rehash of a number of other movies, but instead of the Na'vi, we have Native Americans. The plot is basically the exact same as Dances With Wolves. While this is an age-old story, I do appreciate that Cameron adapts it to modern times. However, this whole film was created as a gamechanger, and the very story itself is a retread of other movies. This hurts the movie, but not fatally.

I also have to criticize Cameron's dialogue. As the writer of this film, he needed to make the dialogue less wooden and more effective. Most of the film contains good dialogue, but there are just far too many moments where you can barely believe the awful word choices you're hearing. This hurts the movie. I also thought the film's big, final climactic battle was just a little bit much. I love the scope and the epic quality of this battle, but it often felt as if Cameron ratcheted up the explosions purely to outdo other movies. These flaws prevent the film from achieving the highest level of accolades, but they do not stop Avatar from being truly great.

James Cameron created one of the biggest movies of all time with Avatar. We will not fully know the extent of how greatly this movie changed the landscape of cinema, but I believe the impact will not be slight. It was nominated for 9 Academy Awards, won 3, and will make a lasting and undeniable impact on all future movies. I loved this film (despite the fact that I was hesitant going in), and I have to say that James Cameron is a genius.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 8.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Titanic, Aliens, Clash of the Titans, Star Trek