Changed a Heretic into a Believer

Rating: 9/10 (1 December 2011)

Truly a work that deserves admiration. Many people were doubting if this film is justifiable to its enormous budget, many were doubting if it would "live up to the hype." Well all of those things are silly trivial matters, what really matters is if the film is good, and it is great. James Cameron has far surpassed his achievements of his last also great endeavor Titanic. There will be many things the naysayers of this film will tell you, but I was one of those naysayers, those doubters. I have converted, I am no longer a naysayer. This movie has proved to me that James Cameron really is a phenomenal director; this is his greatest work to date.
This movie shows a master at the top of his craft. Avatar is not technically sound, because of the massive budget special effects, but by the way these effects are shown to you. There is a plethora of detail in each and every shot and an epic immersive world. There may be heretics who tell you that the avatars look silly, but what is silly in a dream world? The visuals are so vivid, so realized that when our main hero Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) dives into the world of Pandora we are immediately submerged with him. The graphics of the movie play into the whole theme of nature that this episode partakes in. It is like a Garden of Eden type haven and the world is called Pandora, ironically it is the humans opening up the box.
The next stifle heretics may give is that the story is too basic or derivative. While some parts are can be a little cheesy you don't mind, because as a whole the story actually holds up nicely. The dialogue is not basic, but rather simple, simply good. And even though there was some plot points that I was able to predict, heck I even predicted how it was going to end, it was still a glorious ride that you won't regret taking part of. There are also subtle truths within the screenplay if you pay attention for them. Beneath the easy for "Average Dumb Viewer" type simple story, there are powerful aphorisms sprinkled in giving an overall powerful tone such as, "This is how it really is" when Jake Sully brings forth the realization of how wars really start and the façade of how history paints an enemy. Another is the movies trademark saying, "I see you," heightening the purpose of a need for deeper understanding. There are also a few in there reiterating the poignancy of the whole nature vs. man and greed vs. preservation ideals.
When we go watch a new movie we always have that tingling feeling in the back of our mind asking us merely, what's next? Avatar was the what's next of 2009. It may not be on the groundbreaking level of 2001, but it still offers us a strong visceral take on what is to come from films with the advancement of technology. I did not even see this in 3D, after my outings with Saw 3D and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides I have not been sold on this whole new 3D rave that is going on right now. However on Blu-Ray this movie radiates with each graphically stunning detail. 8.8/10