AVATAR (2009)

Country: U.S.A.

Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Epic / Sci-Fi

Director: James Cameron

Cast: Sam Worthington / Zoe Saldana / Stephen Lang

Plot

When a Marine is recruited to aid in the exploitation of the resources on a far off moon called Pandora, he finds himself defending the native population against his own kind.

What I Liked

“Avatar” has some of the elements to make a great science fiction film.  Namely, it effectively transports the audience to another world that feels exotically foreign yet at the same time familiar enough to give the audience a point of reference.  This is done through creative design and state-of-the-art animation, both of which were obviously executed with painstaking detail.  There are several scenes that produce a real sense of wonder, particularly those devoted to the beauty of the natural scenery and wildlife on Pandora.

Nearly as visually impressive as the scenery are the actions scenes.  As is usually the case with James Cameron’s films, they are executed with a technical flair that makes it impossible to look away during the film’s most eventful and violent sequences.  Even as the final scene turns from an epic battle to a ridiculous one-on-one fist fight (through even more ridiculous circumstances), it is impossible to look away.

What I Didn’t Like

For something that was supposedly ten years in the making, “Avatar” has a pathetically poor story and characters.  This film drags out the already well decayed carcass of the “soulless white imperialists bent on subjugating the indigenous populations and raping paradise” plot and wraps it in bright colors and big explosions in a failed attempt to make it seem fresh.  It basically presents a simpleton’s misguided metaphor for the European exploitation of the Native Americans and other indigenous populations throughout the world.  Instead of a profound or thought-provoking musing on the dangers of mankind’s predatory side, we end up with an overblown version of the children's film “Fern Gully.”

As is sadly the case with too many big-budget action films, the characters are about as flat as can be.  Main character Jake Sully is a heroic man of few words with just the right kind of vulnerability to make him sympathetic to the audience; then there’s the goofy but lovable sidekick; the ultra-macho, violence-glorifying Colonel; the tree hugging environmental scientists; the ballsy tough girl who knows her way around  a gun; and the entire population of Na’vi people who are of course the proud but innocent people who live as one with nature and knew nothing of corruption until Americans showed up.

In short, Avatar is lots of admittedly dazzling flash with minimal substance underneath.  It has been hailed as a masterpiece by some, but history has shown that films that rely solely on special effects wizardry don’t age well.

Most Memorable Scene

As I mentioned earlier, all of the scenes that focus on the beauty of the flora and fauna of Pandora are highlights.  None more so than when Jake Sully soars through the skies for the first time on the back of one of the winged creatures the Na’vi people use to fly.  Everything about the scene is gorgeous and fun, perfect for a movie devoted to whisking the audience away into careless escapism.

My Rating: 3 out of 5