Ignoring The Hype, I See You...

Rating: 7/10 (19 June 2014)

Well the hype for this movie was unbelievable with headlines buzzing "12 years in the making", and "1000's of man hours go into just minutes of this movie" etc. It was without doubt a very well marketed movie, because I certainly got sucked in being that it was literally everywhere here in the U.K.
Still, James Cameron's goal is admirable. Where critics commented he was doomed to fail by making "Titanic" (1997), he managed to do very well albeit including a romantic subplot. "Avatar" definitely succeeds in the effects department, as it is without question one of the most beautifully CGI rendered worlds I've ever seen. Taking the novelty of 3-D (Usually being a method where an object is coming towards you), the movie makes very good progression when using it to instead aid and give the tropical world more visual depth (Although 3-D IS still a gimmick that I think will never catch on while glasses are involved).
A young paralysed soldier is drafted into the "AVATAR" program, to take over the role of his recently deceased brother. His job is to infiltrate a tribe of natives on the planet "Pandora", whose home is on top of a large mineral source where small quantities are worth millions. However, will the time he spends with the natives change and alter him? Or will he be doomed to stand aside to let the corporations harvest the jungle?
The story I have to say is flawed and in some areas is of course similar to other famous movies, most notably "Dance's with Wolves" (1990). But I still think "Avatar" has enough to be entertaining. Obviously more similar remakes and reboots are getting put out every year, and already in the same year "BATTLE OF TERRA" seemed to be ripping off Avatar and getting away with it pretty well. As far as casting goes, everyone does a solid job be it motion captured or not. Sam Worthington is growing on me here and there, and to see Sigourney Weaver on screen again certainly brought back a lot of "ALIENS" (1986) nostalgia to me.
Other than that, it certainly falls flat in some areas. I don't know how well to rate Cameron as I writer, but the script doesn't deliver anything particularly memorable throughout the two and a half hour flick. Of course somewhat being the first of its kind, there's always going to be a level of higher regard as a success or failure. The kid in me wanted it to win big at the Oscars that year, yet looking back "The Hurt Locker" more than deserved BEST PICTURE.
Final Verdict: As a technical achievement, "Avatar" is grand and gorgeous but unfortunately can't help but be a movie full of exposition, that is just "showing off" how far we've come only in terms of technology. All that said though, it is an enjoyable flick, albeit a very long one that makes you wonder how refined Cameron's planned sequels will be. 7/10. It's a lot of fun.