Rarely, these days, do films strike chords with so many differing emotions, simultaneously, in one sitting. This is a feat achieved only by the top tier of cinema; a feat that is incredibly difficult to attain in any shape or form.
Avatar attains this. In fact, Avatar blows the feat out of the water and raises bars on different levels. Why?
I'm not going to berate you with what you already know. Whether you've seen it or not, James Cameron's latest cinematic powerhouse is a majestic beauty to behold. My only gripe on this front is that the fictional planet of Pandora is, indeed, fictional. It is a cornucopia of original and creative concepts of plants and animals alike. Everything from the lush, green jungles to the mountainous horizons are simply breathtaking; I dare say they look even more stunning than many real-life venues.
You would think that this might just be a drain of $154,283,219,990,234.56 in the sink of computer animation (which it is), but it's oh so much more than that. The CGI may be the best part of the film overall, but the story telling is marvelous and connects with you so deeply, you will feel part of the Na'vi tribe almost instantaneously.
As far as the plot goes, it's a very intricately woven story with plenty of back-story to feed the inevitable sequels and adaptations to come, but it's nothing too creative in terms of variety. However, hail the film gods, Avatar is not an adaptation of anything else, but solely the story of Mr. Cameron himself. For a completely original work, Avatar is certainly an impressive narrative, with several running themes throughout the story, an original language developed just for the (soon-to-be) franchise, and a brand new universe to dissect for years to come. This is on the level of Star Wars, to be quite honest, in technical achievement, fan base, international appeal and story. As stated, the story may not be the most creative thing ever, but it certainly has its own history to build off, and that's really all it needs.
Sigourney Weaver is great here, no doubt going back to her "Alien" roots; so is Stephen Lang, playing the primary baddie, who really evokes a certain disgust and hatred out of the audience. Sam Worthington as the primary protagonist was a pretty good choice for the lead, but doesn't really add any depth to his character. Whether or not that's his fault is up for debate, considering the character of Jake Sully wasn't exactly the most intriguing one.
Therein lies one of the few problems with Avatar. Although stunning in almost every way imaginable, it has its setbacks. The main character (Jake) is a bittersweet kind of character, a kind of archetype that is hit-or-miss depending on the viewer and the situation. Essentially, he's the "blank slate," the very easily manipulated and "relatable" character; it's all too obvious that he is this way solely to give the audience a kind of avatar of their own, being able to see everything through his eyes. This works especially when he first lands on Pandora and explores the terrain; his curiosity is matched by the majority of the human race in terms of how he reacts to the planet and all the sights he experiences for the first time. After that, though, he has no real character. Not to say that he's boring, but the only reason you'll care for him is solely for his moral ground in the impending squabble and also for the other characters (i.e. his herald, Neytiri, played by Zoe Saldana, along with the rest of the Na'vi, and his relationship with Dr. Grace Augustine, played by Weaver). Your liking of him also builds off of the basic hatred of the antagonists.
In addition, the story may be lacking in variety, but that's not the real problem with it. It seems as though the duality between the Humans and the Na'vi is played off thoroughly well in the beginning, then the story spirals into complete contempt of the Human race, portraying the Na'vi as a pure, humble and completely free-of-sin race. However true that might be, it equalizes them at first, giving rational motive to both sides for their respective future actions, then strips away any innocence the Humans had altogether. Then again, you probably would've seen that coming because the story does fall a tad bit predictable. In fact, it's almost entirely predictable, which is sad considering the script is so well done except that it falls to subtle formula. Sure, this is easy to overlook as anyone can simply classify Avatar as a classic story turned modern sci-fi epic, but for the advanced viewer, you'll know who dies, who lives, and who chooses what side from the get-go.
...But it really is quite easy to overlook. Avatar pulls you in and never, ever, ever lets you go. You will be so enthralled with what you're seeing, both physically and mentally, that you won't be constantly pondering the creativity or predictability of the story. Just desserts are served all around, and the audience will surely get a good portion of crowd-pleasing moments. Avatar toys with your emotions like a cat with a keychain over and over again. Any viewer will undoubtedly raise their spirits high and reduce their happiness low. Tears of both sadness and joy may overcome you at several key moments in the film, and it's okay to let them flow like the Pandora river. Most of the film is a glaringly obvious allegory of the Native Americans and their tragedy, but many other themes are used: living vicariously, the morality and future of technology's advances, and my favorite, the seamless and beautiful intertwining of both spirituality and science. The Na'vi live as we wish to live, and the Humans live as feel we are forced to live. To use an Avatar and see another world is to dream and escape reality; the film is its own story. Avatar is simply an escapist film from all viewpoints. The story proclaims it and the 3D imagery beautifies it.
Avatar will blow your mind, if only in its technical prowess. There are a few minor plot holes, the story could have been a little more creative, and the characters just a bit more developed, but if you have a soul, Avatar will reach it and pull it out, and you will become one with it. Brilliant on almost every level, Avatar is a must-see for any age, any race and any background.
9.0/10
-Kyle Shelton
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