Avatar (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'Avatar', directed James Cameron, had a lot to live up to; including an enormous budget, months of hype, & talks of game-changing filmmaking techniques. My verdict: it's a gorgeous, broadly-sketched epic that I appreciate more than outright love. When his twin brother is killed in battle, paraplegic ex-marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is recruited to take his place in a unique mission on the distant, toxic planet of Pandora. In exchange, the military will arrange the surgery that would fix his legs. This aforementioned planet (which you have to travel light years to get to) is a dense jungle world where greedy humans, helmed by Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi), have arrived with the intention of both driving off the natives, & strip-mining their rare ore material that can save Earth's energy crisis.
Col. Quaritch (Stephen Lang) is the military leader who's on hand to provide protection of Selfridge's corporation who are ready to uproot Pandora. Any human contact with the natives - 10 ft. tall, blue-skinned Na'vi humanoids - have been met with strong hostility. Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) had some early success interacting with the natives by using 'avatars' (hybrids of human DNA mixed with Na'vi DNA) to provide technological advancement & education. But with time, progress came to a halt, & Grace was shut-out of the Na'vi society. Wanting a way to reconnect, she allows for wheelchair-bound Jake to become an 'avatar'. Col. Quaritch wants him to bond with the Na'vi so he can retrieve intel. And Grace wants him to rebuild civility with them.
Once in the jungle, Jake gets separated from his fellow avatars; placing him in mortal danger. He is saved by a beautiful Na'vi named Neytiri (a fantastic Zoe Saldana); who understandably distrusts him. She leads him to the 'Home Tree' where he must beg for his life. And if granted to him, he is required to learn the Na'vi ways. Neytiri becomes his mentor. And in a storyline that feels familiar - though, no less satisfying - Jake finds himself feeling both sympathy & a kinship with these blue-skinned wonders. Consequently, he falls in love with Neytiri. But their temporary happiness is averted when the ruthless colonel plans an enormous operation to get rid of the Na'vi, & drill the rest of the ore. Jake must endure dissonance from all directions, take a stand, & fight in an epic battle for the world he loves.
'Avatar' is one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen. Pandora. Ohhh, Pandora. What a magnificent creation for the eyes & ears. That fantasy world is so breathtaking; you feel like beaming light years ahead along with Jake to get there. The shocking colors, depth, & textures of the landscape, the animal-like vegetation, the waters, the mystical beasts ... all full of life & amazingly realized. So, needless to say, the sound design & special effects are out of this world. The battles are thunderous. The art direction (machinery, creatures, topography of the planet) is magnificent, unique, & immersive. And though they're not 100% perfect, the motion-capture Na'vi are extremely well-executed. Cameron can thank Peter Jackson for lending his WETA workshop crew.
The themes this film tackles are relevant (environmental, anti-war); including a beautiful, moving spiritual theme. But there are no surprises in the script, memorable dialogue, or intriguing plot twist. 'Avatar' has a standard plot (man is transformed by the culture he adopts, falls in love with a woman of said culture, & ends up opposing his own kind). But that didn't bother me, at all. I like the story. It's the lack of maturity/sophistication in the 'storytelling' & dialogue that bugged me. Also, while I liked Sam Worthington as Jake, he lacks that special spark of charisma that is necessary in a role like this. And one last thing, while my jaw dropped in awe throughout, this film takes itself too seriously, at times; more angry & dour (particularly in the first & last half hour) than actually having fun.
You see, while this film is a current pop cultural phenomenon, I don't think 'Avatar' will be an everlasting classic like a Star Wars (with timeless characters, dense mythology, & fun banter throughout), or a Jaws (with an iconic score & jump out of your seat thrills). That said, though it didn't fully engage my heart & mind, 'Avatar' is truly a WONDER to behold. I rooted for the Na'vi people by the end of the film (because the film leaves nothing for interpretation. Humans, bad. Aliens, good). The majesty of it is undeniable. I highly recommend it as great universal entertainment. And I will buy the DVD. I come away loving the sum of 'Avatar' more than its parts; and though I can nitpick it to death ... I can't find substantial reason to negate my joy of having seen it.
Col. Quaritch (Stephen Lang) is the military leader who's on hand to provide protection of Selfridge's corporation who are ready to uproot Pandora. Any human contact with the natives - 10 ft. tall, blue-skinned Na'vi humanoids - have been met with strong hostility. Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) had some early success interacting with the natives by using 'avatars' (hybrids of human DNA mixed with Na'vi DNA) to provide technological advancement & education. But with time, progress came to a halt, & Grace was shut-out of the Na'vi society. Wanting a way to reconnect, she allows for wheelchair-bound Jake to become an 'avatar'. Col. Quaritch wants him to bond with the Na'vi so he can retrieve intel. And Grace wants him to rebuild civility with them.
Once in the jungle, Jake gets separated from his fellow avatars; placing him in mortal danger. He is saved by a beautiful Na'vi named Neytiri (a fantastic Zoe Saldana); who understandably distrusts him. She leads him to the 'Home Tree' where he must beg for his life. And if granted to him, he is required to learn the Na'vi ways. Neytiri becomes his mentor. And in a storyline that feels familiar - though, no less satisfying - Jake finds himself feeling both sympathy & a kinship with these blue-skinned wonders. Consequently, he falls in love with Neytiri. But their temporary happiness is averted when the ruthless colonel plans an enormous operation to get rid of the Na'vi, & drill the rest of the ore. Jake must endure dissonance from all directions, take a stand, & fight in an epic battle for the world he loves.
'Avatar' is one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen. Pandora. Ohhh, Pandora. What a magnificent creation for the eyes & ears. That fantasy world is so breathtaking; you feel like beaming light years ahead along with Jake to get there. The shocking colors, depth, & textures of the landscape, the animal-like vegetation, the waters, the mystical beasts ... all full of life & amazingly realized. So, needless to say, the sound design & special effects are out of this world. The battles are thunderous. The art direction (machinery, creatures, topography of the planet) is magnificent, unique, & immersive. And though they're not 100% perfect, the motion-capture Na'vi are extremely well-executed. Cameron can thank Peter Jackson for lending his WETA workshop crew.
The themes this film tackles are relevant (environmental, anti-war); including a beautiful, moving spiritual theme. But there are no surprises in the script, memorable dialogue, or intriguing plot twist. 'Avatar' has a standard plot (man is transformed by the culture he adopts, falls in love with a woman of said culture, & ends up opposing his own kind). But that didn't bother me, at all. I like the story. It's the lack of maturity/sophistication in the 'storytelling' & dialogue that bugged me. Also, while I liked Sam Worthington as Jake, he lacks that special spark of charisma that is necessary in a role like this. And one last thing, while my jaw dropped in awe throughout, this film takes itself too seriously, at times; more angry & dour (particularly in the first & last half hour) than actually having fun.
You see, while this film is a current pop cultural phenomenon, I don't think 'Avatar' will be an everlasting classic like a Star Wars (with timeless characters, dense mythology, & fun banter throughout), or a Jaws (with an iconic score & jump out of your seat thrills). That said, though it didn't fully engage my heart & mind, 'Avatar' is truly a WONDER to behold. I rooted for the Na'vi people by the end of the film (because the film leaves nothing for interpretation. Humans, bad. Aliens, good). The majesty of it is undeniable. I highly recommend it as great universal entertainment. And I will buy the DVD. I come away loving the sum of 'Avatar' more than its parts; and though I can nitpick it to death ... I can't find substantial reason to negate my joy of having seen it.