Avatar

Synopsis

Ex-Marine Jake sully (Sam Worthington, Terminator Salvation) is hand picked to journey to Pandora, an alien planet that is inhabited by an indigenous population called Na'vi. He travels as an Avatar, an alien Na'vi body that's human mind-controlled by him. He ulitmately finds himself torn between his world and the Na'vi world filled with exotic life forms, in a deadly fight for his survival and that of the Na'vi clan.

Review

Woah!!! Avatar is one stunning motion picture that is extremely pleasing to the eye. It's like powerful poetry or some great intricate spoken word on HBO's Def Poetry Jam that explodes from the screen. GENIUS! Now, I watched the 3-D format of the film, like I'm sure everyone else did. But you know, for some reason, something is tugging at me to go a second time and see it in the usual 2-D format. I think the colors will really pop the way they did when I saw the trailer. I didn't see the bursting of colors the way I wanted and needed in 3-D. I really dislike how 3-D format illustrates a darker tint to films. It’s like I’m watching it with sunglasses on – the tint only, not the actual frames. Don’t mind my little complaints, things did feel like I could reach out and caress, touch or slap them.

I truly was taken in by the story. I’ve heard some talk that it’s just like a couple other movies --one being, Dances with Wolves. Heck, there are tons of movies out there that are similar to one another yet, different. Frankly, I found Avatar to be very unique and captivating.

Consider this small description. James Cameron (Titanic) tells the story of a fictional Earth-like moon called Pandora. The year is 2154 and it’s inhabited by an indigenous population called Na’vi . They are sapient humanoids with skin blue as the ocean. They are extremely and freakishly tall, looks to me like 12 feet tall. The Na’vi are quick, very strong and are one with nature. I guess you can say tree-hugger-homies.

Now, the Na’vi are just trying to live their lives in peace and harmony in their world. However, a human corporation wants Pandora’s most valuable minerals that sell for $20 million a kelo and the Na’vi village just happens to be resting on the richest drop and they have got to go. Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi – remember him from Boiler Room?) the corporate administrator for the mining operation prefers a diplomatic resolution however, will get what he wants, how he can. There are two ways to get it. One being, to create Avatars that look just like Na’vi who are mind-controlled by human operators and are genetically matched. The Avatars are grown from human and Na’vi DNA. They need Na’vis because no real humans can breathe Pandora’s atmosphere because it’s very toxic to humans.

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington, Terminator Salvation) is a paralyzed ex-marine who is promised a fresh start in a new world by being an Avatar and journeying to Pandora with Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver, Vantage Point), the head of the Avatar Program, to convince the Na’vi to abandon their homeland. Jake is told to gain their trust and learn their ways. Sneaky humans! I know it seems like I gave a lot of the story away, but I didn't. Everything I wrote is from the trailer. So, don't ya worry. Be prepared, there’s a lot of talk in the movie to establish the plot and to move the story forward, but when the action comes, it’s quite thunderous.

The acting was done better by the Na’vi clan. I didn’t even know who some of them were until I saw them on the Mo’Nique show. For example, Laz Alonzo I didn’t know Mr. Cutie-Pie was in this movie. He’s a good actor that doesn’t get much buzz. He was excellent in Miracle at St. Anna and a total butthole in This Christmas. Anyhoo, look for him. He plays Tsu’Tey, heir to the chieftainship of the tribe.

Another powerful performance was by Zoe Saldana (Star Trek) as Neytiri, the princess of the Omaticaya, the Na’vi clan. She's very central to the story. I truly felt her performance. My word did she bring it. I'm proud of her. What's also extremely amazing is knowing that all the blue Na’vi character actors physically acted all these scenes out using performance capture. This isn’t animation baby. This isn’t voice-over and let me come in and work one day, spit my lines and I’m done. Oh, no, no, no. These actors had to learn to fight, leap, ride horses and they had to learn a completely made up language. Uh, yeah. a made up Na’vi language. Heck, it sounded real as heck to me. That’s what is so amazing about it.

James Cameron is a visionary and is quite remarkable. Avatar was incredible. And to know this just all came from Cameron's imagination. The actors were fantastic. Sam Worthington was just okay though. I didn’t believe him when he was a Na’vi. I did when he was a human.

Some of the dialogue was a little corny and stiff, but I guess you’ll have that, especially in a visual escapade epic picture such as this. I can deal with it. I always have to give my eye-roll up into my head from time to time. I struggle with giving this motion picture 4 reels or 5. Because I struggle, I can only give it a 4. Visually it's spectacular and I give 5 reels for that, but because there was just a little bit of corniness, I have to drop it down to 4 reels.

If this movie does great at the box office, and of course it will, I know there are going to be sequels for sure. Why not? This film may be long, but it’s definitely worth checking out. I personally prefer to see it again in 2-D, but they all made such a big deal that this film is revolutionizing 3-D, so, go for what you know and see if you feel the same way watching it in 3-D. Things do jump out at you and that is the idea. Extraordinary!

There's such a lovely message to this masterpiece. Actually, there are a couple. People, just remember to hug a few trees and really SEE people.

My Rating ~ 4 Reels

Audience Rating (What's Yours?)