Avatar Review

The long and the sort of it is that “Avatar” isn't the most original story but manages to succeed through it's execution. I know this review is coming a little late but I was sort of avoiding another big special effects type extravaganza after not being able to sit through “2012” or “Terminator Salvation”.

The basic plot is that a big company hires mercenaries to boot the natives from their homes so they can mine the crap out of it. At first they try to do it the most diplomatic way communicating through the avatars that look just like the aliens but are controlled by people. This is how they try to convince them to leave. A marine who has no use of his legs gets dropped into this environment just because his brother was training for the role, died and he fits a similar genetic profile to plug into the avatar. Eventually he falls in love with one of the natives and their lifestyle. And yes, it does end in the huge action set piece we all saw coming ten million miles away.

The movie first off is visually amazing. I liked the art direction even though the color palette reminded me a little bit of the video game “Halo”. There's a lot going on in most of the shots with action working on many planes along the z-axis making the shots visually titillating. I'm a sucker for movies with a sense of depth and I regret not seeing this in 3D. See “2001: A Space Odyssey” for a solid sense of depth in film, in fact the whole movie is tied together with that aesthetic. It's not as over blown in “Avatar” but still there.

Now about the theme, first off you're not going to like this movie if you're favorite show is “American Loggers” on Discovery. The reality is that this movie and it's theme are pretty hippyish and the natives are total “Triggers”(Tree + Hugger = Trigger, for those who didn't know). The basic theme is that the natural world is what's real and that human/materialistic society is a bunch of destructive BS. I liked this theme even though it's been done. During parts of this movie I couldn't help but hear Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt in “Fight Club”) say “In the world I see - you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying strips of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway.” Okay, so it's not quite that over blown but there none the less. I also remember some Disney movie where little fairies could talk to trees and feel their pain when loggers were coming in and chopping it all down. This is a lot like “Avatar” as well.

The plot is pretty straight forward aside from the whole avatar thing, which seems a lot like being plugged into the Matrix. When they unplug avatars they drop just like in “The Matrix”. The plot has the standard love story and battle between the invading humans and native aliens that was inevitable. I'm also pretty sure you could rip this plot off from most high school history books. I'm not saying the overall plot was bad, just not super original. Where the movie does shine is with some of the sub-plots. I completely enjoyed the detour where the main character must bond with a dragon type creature and learn to fly it. This is exactly like breaking a horse and for a minute I think I'm watching some out of this world western, expecting Clint Eastwood to pop out of somewhere. However, some things could have used further explanation. Like, why are the mountains able to ignore the laws of gravity? I guess the movie was just too long as it was.

In summation this is an entertaining film. The story isn't going to blow you're mind but it's still fun. A few parts start to drag but not that many. I only found my mind wandering once or twice throughout the film. James Cameron knows how to fill out a story enough with cool little detours/details to keep me interested and the visual execution was great. Cameron also made it so I was emotionally invested in the characters to at least some degree. Overall, nothing in this movie pissed me off or insulted my intelligence and that's a good thing. More than what I can say for most movies these days. I'm going to forgive “Unobtanium”(cheesy name) assuming that whatever corporation was mining it named it... “The IBM Stellar Sphere, the Microsoft Galaxy, Planet Starbucks” ... ha!