Released after a nearly decade-long incubation process in which its creator obsessively tinkered with its almost completely-computer-generated world and characters, sowed the seeds of failure with his "industry-changing" hyperbole, and drove a literal army of digital artists to the brink of insanity with his attention to minute detail, Avatar was nearly guaranteed to be a failure on the scale of the Hindenburg.
The reality of the finished film just goes to show; you never, ever bet against a mad genius like James Cameron.
Avatar is set in a possible future in the year 2154. Humanity is fully engaged in scouring the stars for resources, and focus their sites on Pandora, a harsh jungle hell with a toxic atmosphere and nightmarish creatures only H.P. Lovecraft could love. Paraplegic marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is transferred to this life-ending getaway to take the place of his recently-killed twin brother in an experimental attempt to win over the native Na'vi species. Jake remotely "drives" a Na'vi avatar, or genetically-manipulated clone, in order to gain the trust of the primitive, hostile race of ten foot tall blue cat people.
Things take a turn for the predictable when Jake falls in love with the creatures and their oneness with Pandora's deadly nature. Tension between the scientific arm of humanity's operation on Pandora, headed by Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), and the corporate/military complex, led by the trigger-happy Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang), reach a breaking point, and armed conflict becomes inevitable. Which side will Jake end up fighting for?
If you genuinely don't know the answer to that question, then you obviously haven't seen many movies. Yes, Avatar's story borrows liberally from many different sources and doesn't necessarily add anything new to the mix. The science fiction trappings and technological devices never really raise any serious questions that cinema hasn't already explored thoroughly. This is essentially the same critique of colonialism that we've seen dozens of times before with a familiar helping of white-guilt fable thrown into the mix, but it's a story that doesn't demand a lot of attention away from the game-changing visuals.
Yes, I said game-changing. James Cameron has always been known to be riding the wave of special effects innovation; he put creature effects to shame with Aliens, he revolutionized the use of CGI in The Abyss, and took a giant step further into that pool with Terminator 2; and Avatar is certainly nothing near an exception. The fully-realized world of Pandora is nothing short of breath-taking to watch unfold. Bio-luminescent plants, trees, and flowers light the night scenes with their gentle glow. The branches, leaves, and shoots all carry realistic weight when impeding a desperate foot chase. Enormous floating rocks teem with vicious winged creatures. Lovers of spectacle and pretty lights alike will gaze in ecstasy at the beauty James Cameron has lovingly crafted. It must be stated: If you plan on seeing Avatar, do yourself a big favor and see it in 3-D.
With all the unique locations Jake Sully and his blue cat friends visit on Pandora, one place they rarely go is the uncanny valley. Having been utterly unconvinced by purely digital creations in any films prior to this (save Gollum from the Lord of the Rings trilogy), I am happy to report that Avatar represents the first true advance in realistic CGI human animation on film. The facial animations, eye movements, and interactions between the digital Na'vi creatures is completely convincing, allowing us to completely accept these beings as real creatures of worth to the story. Only on a few occasions did the Na'vi hold their arms stiffly or produce robotic movements. Of all the accomplishments Avatar makes in the name of James Cameron, I am most in awe of the giant leap forward for realistic CGI animation. And when the eye-friendly action really shifts into high gear at the climax of the film, it's a good thing we have Cameron's steady and assured hand on the camera, rather than the jittery Bourne influence.
It's a shame, then, when such an otherwise-well-crafted film harbors other seemingly neglected components. On top of a rehashed story we have a lazy script, which contains plot devices like "unobtainium." I must have been the only one in the theater to break out into chuckles when I heard that one, delivered with the straightest of faces by Giovanni Ribisi. Compared to the other films in his portfolio, Avatar has no real quotable lines. "I see you" and "You're not in Kansas anymore" certainly will never hold a place alongside other Cameron classics like "Game over, man!" and "I'll be back."
The cast of Avatar is refreshingly strong, with Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana bouncing back from unmemorable roles to deliver much better performances. Stephen Lang as the villainous Col. Quaritch is perhaps Avatar's most memorable character. His complete disregard for his own safety when savagely pursuing a target is truly something to behold. The supporting cast all do well in their own right, but unfortunately play underdeveloped characters that we never have any reason to care about.
Despite a few minor complaints about originality and the general studio-processed feeling that it sometimes produces, no one can argue that Avatar is a very good film from a legitimate cinematic talent. Unlike other technologically-obsessed filmmakers his age, James Cameron continues to prove that he has the patience to craft lovely character moments, push the art of film-making forward, and . . . well, actually direct a film, rather than paint it. In any other director's hands, Avatar would have been nothing more than a extended tech demo, alá Beowulf or the Star Wars prequels. Cameron's Avatar is an fully entertaining celebration of spectacle, and one ride worth taking, if only to briefly glimpse what the future holds.
Rating:
7.5 out of 10
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