Avatar, directed and written by James Cameron
Is this really the new Star Wars of my generation? The claims of awarding that title to this movie is surely premature, but the similarities in scale can’t be ignored. Cameron has indeed created a new world (Pandora) and a whole native race for it (Navi). The story is immediately lacking upon viewing due to its kitschy arcs that even good acting can’t save (not that the acting was good). But that type of direct good versus evil corniness can sometimes be leniently judged in sci-fi epics of this magnitude as some may even find that to be part of its attractiveness.
Cameron’s masterpiece work shows a meticulousness that will certainly let audiences become fanatics by producing an entire universe within our reality. The Navi language and unprecedented marketing has incubated so much hype that it truly reminds moviegoers of a time when the cinema was a glamorous event. And what did it take? Well, that’s the irony. It took something new age as $300 million in never-before-seen CGI to draw up a cinematic feeling of the past. The Avatar script was actually done more than a decade ago, but according to Cameron, technology needed to catch up with his vision of using synthetic actors. It looks to be the right choice, too, because the visual effects is stunning and the facial cues of the computer-generated characters really rival and, at times, even surpass those of their human counterparts.
Avatar is an epic in the truest sense. The film is definitely something for audiences to escape into. The wildlife and environment of Pandora is marvelous. However, the similarities to Dances with Wolves in storyline are noticeable, weakening the movie’s overall experience. Also, even with the superb graphics and the obvious advancements in technology, I found my initial impression fading as if I were watching a 160-minute video game commercial, rather than an interesting, rewatchable film. Nonetheless, it hints towards great strides in production and we can be sure to expect a sequel or two.
Rating: 6/10
