Avatar (2009) – Movie Review / Film Essay
vatar” is what a box office hit should be. Stunning visuals, explosive action, fearless heroes and dastardly villains all collide in a classic story, albeit an overused one (think “dances with wolves,” but with tall blue aliens and flying dragons). The level of detail and creativity that surrounds the look of director James Cameron’s New World is simply amazing, from the colorful wildlife that blanket the forests to the gigantic beasts that inhabit them. even the slender humanoid “na’vi” designs quickly reveal his genius; and the many military machines provide much awe. Seeing the film in 3-D is the icing on the cake as it further focuses the viewer on the incredible visuals that already dwarf previous efforts to mimic realism. in fact, it’s these near-flawless cg effects that make it so easy to accept a world full of floating mountains, stingray dragons, and giant blue natives. Some will argue it wasn’t worth the wait (it’s been 18 years since Cameron’s last entry into the sci-fi genre), but the visuals definitely look ahead of their time.
When his brother is senselessly murdered, paraplegic Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) decides to take his place on a mission to the far-flung world of Pandora (the year is 2154, and for some strange reason, it’s on a standard hand). … wheelchair operated). There, he learns of greedy corporate figurehead Parker Selfridge’s (Giovanni Ribisi) intentions to drive out the native humanoid “na’vi” to extract the precious material scattered throughout his rich forest. In exchange for spinal surgery that will repair his legs, Jake gathers intelligence for the collaborating military unit headed by the enthusiastic Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang), while also attempting to infiltrate the Na’vi people with the use of a avatar identity. essentially, he controls the avatar creature with his mind, inhabiting it as if it were his own body. As Jake begins to bond with the local tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), the restless Colonel presses forward with his ruthless extermination tactics, forcing the soldier to take a stand and strike back in a epic battle. for the destiny of pandora.
“avatar” is certainly not a great movie, but the technological elements liberally scattered throughout are some of the best ever seen in a movie. From the spaceships floating in the sky to the dropships that enter the atmosphere, the forest-covered planet Pandora, and the massive machinery that mines the earth, “Avatar” spares no detail. No background creature, flying jellyfish, monstrous dragon, or slender blue alien is without the most stunning and jaw-dropping computer graphics imaginable, giving it that extra touch of sheer realism. Most blockbusters are disappointing when they’re nothing more than special effects, but “Avatar’s” visuals and computer animation are beyond anything seen before, so technologically advanced and on such a colossal scale that it would have been unsatisfying if it was anything more than 99% cg.
The acting could be better, the dialogue is stale, and the character designs reek of “alien” colonial marines. Cameron has also recycled the power charger, even after the “matrix” trilogy used it for the APU hydraulic power suits, and the Na’vi humanoid primitives and aboriginals don’t scream originality. The plot resembles the basic plot of the latest sci-fi animated movies: “Planet 51”, “Battle for Terra”, “Delgo”, “Kaena: The Prophecy” and even “District 9” or “Fern Gully”. it can also be compared to any other script with a “fish out of water” “romeo and juliet” pattern, with a main character realizing that the adversary is not the real villain, and with allies who turn the alien into the enemy to justify stealing your stuff. But with the indescribable amount of graphics and the insanely epic scope of Cameron’s return to his genre best, the uniqueness of the story hardly matters. Avatar is an achievement in computer imaging so mind-bogglingly futuristic and stunningly beautiful that it demands to be seen on the big screen, in 3D, and more than once.
– the massie twins
