Avatar (2009)

Well, it seems James Cameron's big-budget movie about blue people has finally been released and is making a killing at the box office. Apart from his ability to raise hype in a sci-fi film, Cameron has laid out some landmarks for the genre with such titles as Terminator and Aliens. But does this compare with at least the dynamics of his other features?

Yes and no. One thing Avatar does do without a doubt is it succeeds in inducing awe on a technological level. The movie is indeed in 3D but it's difficult to say so given the other 3D theater releases we've seen from Disney and a few horror flicks. I did manage to see Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas in Disney Digital 3D a few years back, and while I'm a big fan of the movie, looking back the 3D aspect does seem pretty lacking. Nightmare, among other Disney releases, are 3D in the sense of a pop-up book. Only select features of scenes, and maybe a few characters will really stand out towards you. Whereas in Avatar, everything from the tip of a Na'vi woman's nose to a lamp on a scientists' desk presents itself in its own dimension. It's far more realistic in it's 3D presentation than any other movie I've seen. How convenient the movie has action sequences that really put this to the test.

With the spectrum that Avatar is presented being the main reason to be checked out, it's easy to see through what little Cameron has originated for the script. While some performances may seem lacking (Sigourney Weaver didn't really impress me) and the script will make it seem quite obvious this project has been a whole decade in the making. The film doesn't present one overbearing flaw that is only caused by it's excellence. Cameron really does balance the amount of attention between the human and the Na'vi races. But it's no question about which one would rather be seen. Cameron fleshes out his fictional race of blue people, making them interesting and lively in this colorful world of exotic alien creatures and wildlife. But then once the film cuts to Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) awakening out of his avatar capsule, it's almost a pain to sit through the rest of what feels like it should be more dragon rider and other ways of showing off the Na'vi's culture. I grew tired of the humans far too quickly and made this almost three hour movie a bit more inconvenient than I expected. Cameron is clearly aware of this flaw, as it supports his Pocahontas-themed plot.

Otherall, Avatar triumphs and achieves it's goal on delivering an old story with a fresh take and truly innovative presentation. For that I'd say my overall opinion is positive of Avatar, but maybe next time Cameron, have someone else write it.