James Cameron returns with blue aliens to reinvent the movie experience.
Avatar is James Cameron’s second film to become the highest grossing movie of all time, and it’s easy to see why. Filled with big budget effects and dramatic imagery it’s difficult not to become absorbed by the film. The monster marketing budget has also been a big part of its success.
However, by far the best aspect of the film is the fact that it’s in 3D, and the best part of that is that you get a very cool set of 3D specs to mess around in before you even get to the arrows flying out of the screen. Although, apparently mine made me look more like Austin Powers than Buddy Holly.
The other good thing about the specs is that whenever the storyline or action dips, you still have the 3D world to keep you occupied.
Avatar’s heart is also in the right place. It paradoxically strikes a chord against capitalist greed, despite its own big budget and high grossing credentials. It has environmental concerns (though these are let down slightly by the over spiritualisation of the plot), the acceptance of new races and anti-exploitation at its core, wrapping it up in messages about our own shortcomings.
The plot follows a paralysed marine, Corporal Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), as he travels to a forest moon in the Alpha Centauri star system called Pandora. His mission is to take his dead brothers place as the controller of a bio-engineered Na’vi (the indigenous people of Pandora) in order to help the capitalist invaders to learn enough about them to get free access to an expensive mineral called unobtainium. Inevitably, greed leads to military might and Sully must decide where his heart lies.
Sigourney Weaver puts in an appearance as Dr. Grace Augustine, head of the Avatar Programme that engineered the Na’vi hosts. She also gets her own lookalike avatar to run around in, along with Zoe Saldana (Uhura from Star Trek) who plays Neytiri, the film’s main native female Na’vi
Avatar is in all fairness a must watch film, especially in 3D at the cinema. If for nothing else, but to see what all the fuss is about. Ground breaking, despite the fact that 3D technology has been around since 1890, and pushing forward important ideas to the masses, it gets a McCartney style double thumbs up from me.
Avatar film review: 3.7/5
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