Directed by James Cameron
Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang
Rated PG13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking
5 out of 5 stars
No film has received as much hype in this decade as James Cameron’s sci-fi epic, Avatar. After setting himself up as one of the best action directors in Hollywood and creating the biggest box office hit of all time (Titanic), Cameron disappeared from Hollywood to do deep sea research. He returned to moviemaking in the mid 2000s and started work on Avatar, claiming that he was going to change the face of movies by using new filming techniques and 3D visuals. After 5+ years of work and a budget surpassing $300 million, Avatar has finally been released in theatres around the world.
The first question most people are going to have when seeing the movie is “does it live up to the hype?” I believe the answer is yes. My first time watching this movie was spent taking in the visuals and having an overwhelming sense of awe. I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like Avatar. The 3D is used in subtle ways that don’t feel gimmicky like previous 3D films. Rather than throwing random crap in your face, Avatar uses 3D to pull you into its world. Also impressive is the CG. This is as close to photo-realism that I’ve seen from computer animation. It’s nearly impossible to seperate real sets from scenes shot with CG backgrounds. It’s easy to see why Avatar cost so much money because it’s all on display onscreen.
As I revisited Cameron’s previous films this past week I saw numerous connections between each one. They all tend to have average (at best) storylines and cheesy dialogue, balanced by Cameron’s ability to create tension and stunning action sequences. This is the same with Avatar. The story has been seen countless times before in movies and literature, and the dialogue is pure cheese. That said, it works for the movie. As generic as the plot is, I found myself getting involved and finding it enjoyable for the most part. There is a good flow of action throughout the film, and having a more complicated story might have made for a more confusing film. The point of the film is to give the audience a beautiful world to be immersed in for 160 minutes, and in that aspect it succeeds on all levels.
I don’t know if I agree with the critics who are comparing Avatar to groundbreaking classics such as Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz. It’s too early to tell how it has affected Hollywood. But it WILL have some kind of impact on the films we get in the future. We’ll just have to wait and see. But at this moment, Avatar is the biggest “EVENT” film since Lord of the Rings. It is a film that needs to be seen in theatres and should be enjoyable for people of all ages. Go see it this Holiday Season. No other film out right now offers action, romance, adventure and wonder all in one package.
Oscar Chances: Likely: Picture, Director, Film Editing, Visual Effects, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Original Score. Possible: Cinematography, Art Direction, Song. Longshot: Actor (Worthington), Actress (Saldana), Sup. Actress (Weaver), Costume Design, Makeup, Original Screenplay