Gorgeous But Not Quite the Classic

Rating: 8/10 (20 January 2019)

20 December 2009. The technology is almost here and Avatar and director Cameron has "almost" created the perfect vehicle for the future of film (minus the real actors). This American-focused, popularized and simplified version of the block-buster sci-fi movie appears to the fusion of various popular movies plus super CGI. This movie is essentially "Dances with Wolves" (1990) with an American ending put into space along with a "Aliens" (1986) military background/corporate scenario, "Robocop" (1987), "Star Troopers (1997), Jurrasic Park III (2001) along with fantasy series "Dragonriders of Pern" written by Anne McCaffery (1988) with musical strains from "Enemy at the Gates" (2001). What this spectacularly looking movie misses is the consistency of cultural immersion found in "Dances with Wolves" especially the native language and the inconsistent adoption by lead character Jake Sully of its language and its holistic mind-set, Cameron allows the Americanization and over-simplification of the politically correct presentation of American evilness. There is one scene midway where Jake is able to meld with one of the local inhabitants and then says incorrectly "You're mine" as opposed to "we're together now" which would have been much more in line with the native perspective of living things. There were also a few technical weaknesses consisting of 2154 machine guns which one would have assumed would have advanced in over a hundred years and the climatic action scene were supposedly bullet (still using them) proof glass conveniently breaks when it comes to the enemy's troop carriers. Overall, however, this is a break-through movie that immerses the audience into another world almost seamlessly. The level of technology and special effects almost, almost is imperceptible to live action. Yet, it is the small details that seem to deflect this movie from becoming truly a classic movie. 8/10.