Review: Avatar

I have had several requests concerning my thoughts on the movie Avatar, so I figured I would oblige those few individuals, and post a few things I took away from the film.

First off, let it be said that this movie is a technological marvel. Visually, it is hands down the greatest thing I have ever seen on screen. It is rare that a movie is able to really “wow” me anymore, especially from a technical standpoint, but director James Cameron certainly succeeded. I was consistently amazed at the variety of flora and fauna that call the world of Pandora their home, and my only regret is that I was not able to view the movie on an IMAX screen. I did however see it in 3D, and I would recommend this to any potential viewers. This movie was made to be a visual spectacle, and though the first 30 minutes of the film were a bit disorienting, I eventually overcame it and settled into a comfortable viewing experience.

Apart from the visual experience however, there is little to recommend about this film. The story is recycled from various other sources, and the characters are such clichés that at times they become exaggerated caricatures. That isn’t to say that the story is bad, it just brings nothing new to the table. It’s clear that Cameron wanted his film to have a message, it’s simply unclear what that message should be. Is this a film about the environment? Is it about oppression? I’m unsure. In conversations with friends recently, I’ve summarized the plot as Ferngully meets Dances With Wolves, and I feel that’s a pretty accurate description. Concerning the latter, Avatar definitely exhibits all the wonderful clichés of a story about the guilt of the white man, in which he identifies with an oppressed people and becomes a race-traitor. (Yet he still maintains his superiority becoming not only part of the native tribe, but their greatest champion and savior, without whom they are doomed.)

For the most part, I found the acting to be passable. It was difficult to identify with, or relate to, most of the cast because as I mentioned earlier, it is all played a bit too far. However, I enjoyed the character of Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), and I thought she made an excellent guide into the life of the Na’vi people. She played her part with kindness as well as a feral animosity that made me like her, and at times fear her.

In the end, I did enjoy this movie. It became easy to overlook the story because it is such a beautiful movie to look at. (Perhaps that’s my ADD kicking in. I’m always distracted by bright lights and pretty colors.) And I would recommend seeing this in the theater. I just can’t imagine that it will translate to home viewing well, and I feel that without the visuals holding it up, the flaws in story and character will be much more apparent.

Final Grade: B-


In other news, this blog has been up and running for 3 days now, and we are already up to almost 100 hits. So thank you, all of you, for stopping by and checking it out. Be sure and let me know what you think of the films I’ve reviewed, and feel free to add suggestions of your own. (A few of you already have, and thank you to those who have left comments, as well as those who have emailed me.) And please help spread the word! If you like this blog, tell your friends. Let’s see how quickly we can get that counter up to 1000. This is the last post for 2009, so have a safe and happy New Years, and I’ll see you again in 2010.

Danny