Avatar

By Rebecca Spence, Staff Contributor

Grade: A

Watching Avatar in 3-D is like immersing yourself in a dream. By the end of the 162-minute fantasy, you find yourself not wanting to wake up.
James Cameron’s Avatar takes one of the oldest stories in the book and pairs it with some of the most advanced visual effects to ever grace a movie screen. Every penny of Cameron’s estimated $230 million budget (15 per cent larger than that of 1997’s Titanic) is up on screen for the audience to absorb. The 3-D aspect of the movie was surprisingly well done, considering Avatar is the first major film not targeted towards kids to employ this technique. Rather than using gimmicky 3-D effects similar to a ride at Universal Studios, Cameron chooses to place the audience right in the middle of the layered action, creating an ultra high-definition sensation. Avatar proves not to be merely something you watch on a screen. It is an all-encompassing experience.
Avatar’s story demonstrates Cameron’s ability to rework tired old themes into becoming fresh cinematic gems. The story takes place in the year 2154 and centers on a paraplegic marine named Jake Sully (played by Sam Worthington) and his experiences on a planet called Pandora that humans have recently discovered. On Pandora live the Na’vi: a race similar to humans except they’re about 10 feet tall and their skin is blue.
Due to some cool technology and science that involves DNA transfers and lucid dreaming, Sully is able to control an avatar that looks just like the rest of the Na’vi. Sully can see, hear and feel through his avatar all from the comfort of the lab. Soon he (his avatar) is living with the real Na’vi, learning their ways, falling in love and eventually protecting them against the greedy, capitalistic humans who are trying to strip Pandora of its precious and whimsically named resource: “unobtainium”.
For some, Avatar’s story might be a bit too reminiscent of Kevin Costner’s Dances With Wolves, but what sets this film apart is Cameron’s completely unique execution. From the editing to the music to the most miniscule visual details, these are the elements that draw you in and compel you to become invested in the characters. Cameron is a natural at storytelling on the big screen.
One of my favourite things about the film is the talented and tantalizing Zoe Saldana, who plays Neytiri, the Na’vi tribe’s princess. Saldana brings strength and depth to the role just as many of Cameron’s leading ladies – including The Terminator’s Linda Hamilton and Titanic’s Kate Winslet – have achieved in the past. My only problem with the film is with Worthington’s character. Much like Cameron’s characters Kyle Reese from The Terminator and Jack Dawson from Titanic, Sully appears to be a perfectly heroic male figure without any personality flaw whatsoever. It is difficult to trace any real path of character development for Jake, which takes some believability away from the script. Still, it is hard to criticize Cameron too much for bestowing upon us such a beautiful man – inside and out – to gaze at for almost three hours.
My advice is not to wait until this comes out on DVD and to see it at least once in theatres. Be whisked away to Pandora and forget about life on Earth for a while. This incredible excursion is definitely worth $10 for the ticket.