Avatar (PG-13) Release Date: December 18th
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Stephen Lang, Joel Moore
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
James Cameron, who is most known for his success in directing movies like “Titanic” and “Terminator,” has topped the box office again with this visually stimulating, thrilling adventure known as “Avatar.”
The movie takes place on a planet called Pandora in the year 2154, a planet that is populated by a 10-12-foot-tall race of blue cat-like people known as the Na’vi. The U.S. military sets up a base on this planet because they have discovered an expensive mineral that lies underneath the Na’vi’s beloved home tree. They are set on forcing the Na’vi to relocate but are met with opposition, and what happens when Americans don’t receive what they ask for? That’s right, they take it anyway. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic, takes on the mission to inhabit an avatar body in order to enter into the world of the indigenous people and earn their trust. What starts out as a mission motivated by his curiosity and the dream of being able to walk again, turns into an internal battle that ultimately leads to him switching sides. He meets Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and learns from her the ways of the Na’vi—their language, their customs, and their love and connection with nature. As he gets lost in the beautiful world and wonders that Pandora brings and strengthens his trust and relationship with Neytiri, he realizes that he might be fighting for the wrong side. Indeed, he is, and this is shown when the ruthless humans bust in and try to destroy everything that is essential to the life of the Na’vi.
The visual effects of this movie are breathtaking. It is hard not to get lost in the beauty and bright colors of this imaginary world. The Na’vi are portrayed as a beautiful animal-like race that blends in with the fluorescent nature around them. As for the 3D experience, especially, you will get so immersed in the world that a 162-minute long movie will suddenly feel like it’s not long enough. However, the story is quite simple. It has a very predictable plot, which leads to a no-surprise-ending for the audience. But even with a plot as simple as this one, the movie does not disappoint. “Avatar” is one of the few movies of 2009 that actually lived up to its hype. The new dimension of special effects used in this movie was worthy of the large budget Cameron had to make it.
It is obvious that a lot of effort was put into the making of “Avatar,” and it would almost be a sin not to acknowledge how spectacular it was. Of course, you can complain about the dialogue or the not-so-unique plot, but a movie that can engulf an audience in its picture and visual effects even though the story is so simple, is definitely one to be recognized and applauded. An entirely new complex language was created specifically for this movie. Some of the best CGI ever seen in a movie was used in this one. Everything seemed so real—from the Na’vi, to the animals, and the flying prehistoric-like birds, to the bright trees and plants. Basically, the effort was noteworthy and should not be overlooked.
Even though the acting is sometimes easily overlooked in a movie like this one, it was convincing and very well managed considering most of the actors in this movie were playing imaginary creatures instead of real people half, if not the whole time. Sam Worthington, who was most recently seen playing a part-human, part-machine in “Terminator Salvation,” has officially earned a “career take-off” from his role in this movie. Zoe Saldana has also claimed her fame and shown off her noteworthy acting skills in this one as well as her most recent film, “Star Trek.” Sigourney Weaver dominated her role as Dr. Grace Augustine, making her enjoyable to watch every time she appeared on-screen.
“Avatar” has turned out to be a “must see” film of 2009. It is a fantastic escape to an adventurous, imaginary world and will keep your attention from beginning to end. Even after sitting down for two and a half hours, you might even find yourself sitting there wanting to still be immersed in the amazing visual effects for an even longer period of time. The story may not be the best you have seen all year, but the movie as a whole, is worthy of the title “Best Movie of 2009.”
Trailer:
