‘Avatar’ departs from box office to shelves
When I walked out of “Avatar” for the first time back in December, I have to admit that my initial reaction was highly conflicted. Between the tremendous upscale in SPFX and the extraordinary captivation of its atmosphere, the film still left an uncertain taste in my mouth. One that kept nagging me with familiar titles such as “Pocahontas,” “Ferngully,” and of course one of my all time favorites, “Dances With Wolves.”
We’ve already heard the story several times about a troubled protagonist who begins their journey on one side and then eventually ends up befriending the culture of the enemy. But never before have we seen it done with such a unique touch of sci-fi enthusiasm.
Set in the year 2054, “Avatar” follows a young paraplegic marine named Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) who is thrust into a special government project that takes him to a whole new world. This new world called Pandora harbors a very powerful mineral source which the people of Earth desperately need (did they ever say exactly why we need it?) and our only hope is to send in the Armed Forces. The inhabitants of Pandora (referred to as the Na’vi) pose no actual threat to our existence, but they still refuse to let these “strangers” invade their planet.
In an effort to penetrate the Na’vi guardianship, Jake and several others undergo an organic transformation that turns them into Avatars (Na’vi lookalikes). They look, see and feel just like the real Na’vis, and as they edge their way further into the clan, their loyalties will soon be questionable as the mercenaries grow increasingly impatient with the mission. Many of you have already seen the film, and even if you haven’t, the rest of the story is still yours to learn when the DVD is released on April 22, in coordination with the celebration of Earth Day; a cool idea if I may say so myself.
While the familiarity of the premise may have slightly crippled the film’s overall integrity, I noticed over several viewings that there is still a great deal to appreciate and admire about the way “Avatar” amplifies some of its simplest points. For instance, we already know before seeing the film that one of the Na’vi creatures (preferably a female) will have to save Jake’s life; which is all the more reason to include a romantic connection between the two of them. As we saw in “Titanic” with the poor boy/rich girl formula, James Cameron knows how to properly set these ideas in motion with little tidbits of detail. And because he allows both the human and the Na’vi personalities to gradually develop into actual characters, we have no trouble understanding and believing it when one of them proclaims, “I See You.”
And then of course you have the special effects. One of the many things I strongly object to are people who think that they can degrade quality by simply digesting the framework of a good picture. I know I try to always be generous with my opinion, but some critics think that if they can just explain how something looks so good, then it isn’t really good. Using motion-capture technology to enhance the features of his actors, Cameron doesn’t just make his Avatars look good, he makes everything look simply extraordinary. Whether it’s the golden eyes of the Na’vi, the countless shades of blue in their skin, or the colorful environment that encircles each frame; for every moment of 165 minutes, ‘Avatar’ captivates the audience to the point at which we not only see Pandora in all its beautiful glory, but we become part of the experience as a whole.
After a few more trips in the closing months of its run for box-office glory, I was able to successfully set aside those other titles just enough to acknowledge what was still an extraordinary breakthrough for the digital era. Unfortunately more often than not, it is a curse for any filmmaker to sign on for a big budget. As we’ve seen with many comic book flops, good money can easily paralyze the potential for a great film. But Cameron is not one of those directors, and “Avatar” is not one of those films. No, this is a movie that cost almost $300 million, and Cameron knew how to spend the money wisely. It wasn’t the best film of the year, but to say that it qualified for “epic” would still be a grand understatement.
Grade: A-
Posted by Chris Moskaly
on Apr 23 2010. Filed under Reviews.
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