Film Review: Avatar (James Cameron, 2009)

Well, what can I say? This is what cinema is all about.

Visually it is utterly spectacular, and worth the price of admission alone just to see a 3D movie done right. This time it wasn't a gimmick, this time it wasn't tacked on- this time it was for real- completely 100% immersive, I felt like I was in the movie with the actors, on Pandora- and that has never happened before at all with a film (other films all have layers which make it 3D, not here. Here it's all a seamless blend, it all works as one). It wasn't just things popping out at you, but you very much being there...and that has to be seen to be believed. All other 3D movies basically all look like sh!t compared to this one, because this is how it is done. You have never seen anything like this before.

As well as the 3D, it was the CGI- i know the term "photoreal" has been thrown about a lot regarding this film, but after seeing it on the big screen- i completely believed that it was all real. There were some things that looked off (mainly some creatures), but 95% of the time it was all seamless, you were just there, and you didn't scrutinise any of it. Pandora was stunning. Cameron has almost shot it like a nature documentary, and in that sense it is spectacular, just a completely plausible environment, it feels real and looks real. And in 3D- jaw dropping. And i'm not even going to go on about Pandora at night-time which again has to be seen to be believed, as the flora and fauna all give off a dazzling array of beautiful neon lights. The Na'vi are just incredible, and i'm not just talking about Jake and Neytiri- but every single one of them. They all have their individual personalities, they are all different; expressing emotion very clearly- and considering there are literally hundreds of them, this is no mean feat- but they nailed it here; I even tried to
study each and every one as much as I could to try and catch out some background one which didn't do anything (this usually happens with films with many CGI characters all at once)- but they ALL had soul, each was unique which is terrific attention to detail. Emotion capture- WOW. This, to me, was the best parts of the film- when Jake and Neytiri are just talking, interacting, it's jaw dropping, and the little things really stand out- they looked and acted like real beings, i could not get over that, i was speechless. I could watch that all day and still be amazed- i thought Gollum and Kong were amazing but this is just on another level entirely. And to keep that high standard up throughout the whole film was amazing (in LOTR Gollum's standard drops sometimes), but not here.

The visuals are impressive and easily the most groundbreaking aspect of the film

Story- yes, it's cliche. But it's gloriously, magnificently, entertainingly cliche. Yes, it's Dances with Wolves and FernGully, but they are just takes on the age old Pocahontas story (of which Disney also did), and here, Cameron is doing the tale again for the new generation to show us just how relevant it is right now in this present day and age; the complete history of human/western colonization in 3 hours- and it works, just as it always has done. Of course we've seen many of these things happen before in movies, but the way it is presented here is still darn entertaining, not to mention completely engrossing. Cameron may not be a great writer but he's a damn good storyteller- just watch how he executes scenes we have seen a million times before in a hard-hitting fresh new style. Scenes that, in the hands of a lesser director would be completely laughable and show up as lame, but in the hands of Cameron turn out to be amazingly well played, stunning to look at. Put on top of that the fantastic performances (especially Saldana, Lang and even Rodriguez) and you are literally enthralled, on the edge of your seat, in the zone.

Zoe Saldana gives an inspirational performance as Neytiri

Characters are memorable, and dialogue is too- i'm not going to bitch about duff lines or generic characters because I honestly did not have a problem with any of them- this is pure Hollywood cinema; it's not trying to be clever nor superior to the classic films we grew up on. People had the same problem with the lines/characters in Jurassic Park, Titanic- I didn't see a problem and unless you are looking to nitpick, you won't here either as it's of the same caliber. And if you know Cameron's movies you know what to expect- and let me tell you it's full of memorable lines that won't be quickly forgotten. I enjoyed all the talking here more than the actual action scenes, to be honest- simply because I loved the characters and how they played off each other.

Stephen Lang plays the memorable, though cliche, villain of the piece

Action scenes are unbelievably spectacular, done by a true master. When it kicks off, it really kicks off and all of a sudden you realise your brain has been corrupted by the crap you have forced to watch from Micheal Bay and Stephen Sommers, even George Lucas of recent years. Forget them. Their stuff does not even hold a candle here. What we get here is expertly paced, brilliantly choreographed and superbly directed action scenes that actually evoke real emotion. Not just "this is so damn cool", but sadness, awe-inspiring euphoria and a sense of overall beauty- as well as anger when the bad guys come into play. Not since Peter Jackson's Kong and LOTR have I been in awe of action scenes. I'm glad he can still deliver. Man, what a combination those two would make if they ever made a movie. And the fact that none of the CGI seems to faulter at all even where there is a ton of sh!t going on screen is another testament to how revolutionary this film is.

The star of the show is Pandora itself and it's jaw-dropping inhabitants- beautiful by day, but ny night takes a whole new appearance

All in all, it's a grand spectacle of a movie with a wonderfully simple but completely engrossing from start to finish. It's not perfect by any means, as I think it could have done with at least 45 minutes more just to flesh out backstories (Jake mainly) and even characters- but as it stands it's a fantastic cinematic experience overall. And it has to be seen in the cinema, because this is a movie done for that medium. It's not going to work at home, sadly, or if it does, it will be a completely cut-down experience. So everyone waiting for the DVD/Blu-Ray is at fault, because the are truly missing out on a new and original experience. Cameron said he wanted to make a film that would bring people back to the cinema and this is it. Believe me, his is totally it.

All manner of beasties live on this new world- so many in fact that an entire enclyclopedia was bought out for the film showcasing every detail!

Is it a classic film? Only time will tell. Is it perfect? Not so. But is it a revolutionary film in more ways than one, that will change the face of cinema technologically? Definitely, and in that respect Cameron delivered. I simply loved this film.

The original King Kong got dissed for story and acting etc when it was released too. But in time people saw how revolutionary it was, how it was a great example of just pure classic escapist cinema. Same with Jurassic Park. I think the same can be said with Avatar. A cinema experience you have to witness for yourself, as it will change it forever. Don't miss it!

So for now- I give the 3D version 10/10. It's what cinema is all about.

Notes: I've not yet seen the 2D one but I think the definitive way to watch this was 3D.

SPOILIER: (but not a plot one) One of my gripes is that I regret seeing any/all the featurettes, trailers and TV spots- because all of them put together make up at least 30-40% of the film! The first 1/2 hour or so is everything we've already scene via internet clips and whatnot...I was gutted. Oh well, next time