Scantily Clad And Blue All Over: A Review Of Avatar

Just got back from James Cameron's super-expensive almost completely CGI'd new film Avatar, his first time putting something out for the masses since that one about the big sinking boat back in 1997. There's been so much hype around this film, quite possibly more hype than I have ever seen around a big motion picture before (which I suppose is what 400 million dollars will get for your film). And I have to admit, that made me very, very weary going into it. I mean, usually when a film is this secretive prior to its national release, and this hyped, it tends to crash and burn (I'm talking to you, Matrix sequels). So, is that the case here?

Well, dear readers, I'm proud to say that, in my opinion, no. Avatar is good. Damn good. Not perfect mind you, not by any reach of the imagination, but pretty damn good.

The first (and most predominant) thing about this movie that will strike you is the visuals. And I highly suggest that if you have the option, see this in 3D. The first 20 minutes or so are slow and somewhat mundane setup material, but once the main protagonist, Jake Sully (played surprisingly well by Sam "Have I done anything besides that horrid Terminator film" Worthington) sets foot - er, wheelchair wheel - on the surface of Pandora, the film takes a visual turn that words cannot describe. Seriously, this is the most beautiful looking film I have ever seen. I cannot actually come up with a sentence that does the visuals justice. The visuals in this film shove the entire medium of film forward at least 10 years, possibly more, and I think we might be waiting a while before we see images on film more breathtaking than we do here. Never before have I ever seen CGI that made me forget it was CGI, nor did I ever expect a movie about giant blue people with tails to be able to make me forget about the CGI, but this one does it.

The casting in this film is solid, albeit the characters are a tad cookie cutter. Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez and Joel Moore are decent in their roles, and Stephen Lang gives us a hard-as-nails jackass Colonel that we love to hate. But of all of the supporting cast, the best was Giovanni Ribisi... But part of this is due to the fact that he was the only member of the supporting cast who really gave us much depth. He comes off as a businessman who only cares about profit, but when his actions start yielding results (which come with some nasty consequences for the indigenous people of the planet Pandora), its his silent looks and demeanor that adds some depth to scenes that would otherwise be, in a word, boring.

I hint on it there in that last paragraph, but now I'll head into the one really weak link in this film: the script. It's cohesive, lacking in any real major plot holes, but it's very reminiscent of other films (Dances With Wolves, Aliens, and even Fern Gully come to mind, to name a few). And for the most part that's okay; I don't mind seeing plot points I've already seen before in previous films, and sometimes that familiarity can even be comforting when seeing a world as unique and alien as the one in this film. But at times the lines feel forced, as do the performances. As with many movies of this type, the villain or villains feel kind of one-dimensional, flat, and somewhat unbelievable. Simply put, the film is another simplified repeat of the common "Military/Capitalist Machine Bad" message that has graced us for decades.

You know, I gotta feel for the Marines here. Whenever a branch of the military gets singled out as the personification of evil in a film, it's always those guys. I mean, can't we have the Coast Guard threatening to blow of the indigenous people of some random planet just once?

Anywho, the plot is the only part of this movie that really stood out as hurting the experience. But, and I never thought I would say this, the rest of this film is engrossing enough to put it on the back burner. The film is beautiful, and most of the time is beautifully directed by Cameron. The shots are flawless, the score is epic, and the world is very well thought-out. While it's a rather long film, it kept me interested despite a lack of surprises and stand-out acting, by replacing the need for that with near-perfection in many other aspects of the film.

So all in all, Avatar is, while not the perfect film some people were expecting going in, well worth the time and money spent for me to go see it. And I think it will also be for you too.

Especially if you see it in 3D. Holy God, especially if you see it in 3D. Just remind yourself to blink from time to time.