Avatar

"Avatar"
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Michelle Rodriguez
Grade: B+

James Cameron’s Avatar will remind audiences what it is to have fun again at the theaters. Cameron’s dream film, Avatar isn’t the best film of all time, but it’s the best film of it’s kind since the third Lord of the Rings installment. More than anything, Avatar is an event movie, much in the vein as the original Star Wars or Peter Jackson’s recent films. Cameron knows how to push the envelope visually, and has topped not only himself, but every other filmmaker in the craft. Cameron can tell a story fine, but with Avatar, Cameron’s visual palette surpasses any type of the story. The money is on the screen, and it has paid off tremendously.

Avatar is a simple story, it’s about Jake Sully, played by promising Aussie actor Sam Worthington, who Americans got their first glimpse of in the underwhelming “Terminator: Salvation.” Sully lays cryogenically frozen in space in 2154 until he is re-awoken to the news of his brothers death. Now, scientists and the military need Sully to fill his brother shoes on an epic scale. Sully is brought to Pandora, a gorgeous alien planet filled with frivolous detail of every plant, corral, and blade of grass. Sully’s mission is to transport his body into a remote controlled alien body called Avatars, which are made up of human and alien DNA.

The Avatar program is run by Grace, played by Sigourney Weaver, her interests in the natives and their land far supersede the intentions of her Military colleagues. Grace’s counterparts, look to use Jake and his marine skills to infiltrate the natives and convince them to move off of their land so the Military can search for “un-obtanium,” a key natural resource that sells for $25 million a kilo. Giovanni Ribisi plays Parker Selfridge, an arrogant suit that cares little for Grace’s beliefs. The super villain is played by the underused Stephen Lang, a scared colonel who speaks in the worst film clichés, but somehow makes them work. Lang also uses Jake to gain Intel into the Na’Vi land.

The planet Pandora is the star of the whole show. Pandora is home to the native Na’Vi, who are viewed as savage warriors by the U.S. military. Sully is also a paraplegic, and is promised that if he does his due diligence of getting the natives to move off of the their land, he will get his real legs back. Pandora is the highest visual spectacle of the year. The luminescent colors are radiating, as well as the numerous birds and beasts that live on Pandora. Cameron does a great job of writing this culture and species into an identifiable race. The main Na’Vi, or the female lead is Neytiri, a 12-foot gorgeous female garmented in blue skin, she is the love interest of Jake, and gives possibly the best performance in the film. Neytiri played by Zoe Saldana, is another promising young actress who was seen earlier this year in Star Trek. Neytiri and Jake’s relationship is the main component of the film. She introduces Jake to the Na’Vi’s spiritual beliefs and ideals, and makes Jake truly believe in the Na’Vi ways.

Jake soon becomes accustomed to the Na’Vi’s ways and learns there lifestyle and language. Jake has to choose what side to join, his humans and violent military outfit, or the understated wild Na’Vi. Not that any of this matters. Sure the film is predictable, it plays like Dances with Wolves, except with blue aliens and the military. The casting of Worthington and other noticeable, but not big name actors also work in the film’s favor. Worthington's protagonist is clearly identifiable, as first he is a broken man, but comes to realize his destiny. The arcs of the characters, especially Sully and Neytiri are on first impression rushed and not fully developed. Upon second viewing, it works just fine. Worthington and Saldana do strong work here, as well as Weaver, and the over the top Stephen Lang.

The film’s pacing and narrative start to become familiar, but Cameron who also wrote the film, takes the viewer out of seeing a semi-clichéd story about a man being re-born into another society. Cameron’s narrative, while well paced and intriguing, doesn’t hold up to the dazzling effects which make the film. Pandora is simply an amazing place, filled with vivid wildlife and natural surroundings, it represents a getaway for Jake and his past. Sure, Pandora is home to the natives, but Jake finds solace in this safe and dangerous haven. Jake Avatar must adapt to the true nature of the Na’Vi people, Cameron cross-cuts this part of the narrative with the on goings of the humans, as Jake reports back to them with Intel and information. Soon, Jake is one of the Na’Vi and the game changes drastically.

While some may find it distracting to adapt to the look of the Na'Vi, fear not. Cameron has broken the mold with his re-discovery and ambitious use of CGI. Avatar is truly the most beautiful film of the year. The frame is constantly filled with exquisite wildlife, action, and wonder. I said it before, Avatar is not the best film of all time, and probably not the best film of the year, but Cameron has truly delivered here, and it must be noted. The future of film making may surely change because of Cameron and this film.