Not a Masterpiece BUT....

Rating: 9/10 (21 December 2009)

I just came home from seeing this movie and i have to admit, i am not quite sure what to think about that piece of art. It's definitely not a kids movie and definitely not just some kind of CGI-Action-Flick. So what is it? I would consider it an action-drama, definitely epic. A Masterpiece? I cant really say that, but on the other hand, i don't think it ever tried to be.
Short Summery: On the planet Pandora is found a precious kind of stone what sells on earth for 20 Mio$ per Kg. That's the reason why the people of the Navi, an Alien tribe, are supposed to leave. Unfortunately they don't want to. Jake, a war vet, now gets the chance to replace his dead brother, and get into the body of the Avatar, in order to spy on the Navi people. After some time he falls in love with the Navi Princess and when war is upon them he decides to change the sides... ... pretty much like the Last Samurai
I don't want to give any Spoilers so just my Opinion. I think its a great movie BUT... they didn't push the envelope. It just didn't really peak. There are a couple of reasons why this is not the best of the best.
James Cameron spend years in developing Avatar and the new world he wants to show us. In this case its the planet Pandora and the Navi, Alien people with different tribes (kind of like indians). And Actually James made a pretty a good Job at this. Actually his Job was to good. So ironicly the Movie suffers under his love for detail and the visual perfection. Usually a visual impressiv movie is a good thing, but only when the visual serves the story and the characters. And it doesn't. J.R.R. Tolkien created Middlearth so his characters can live on it. So he can tell his story and show emotional relationships. But James Cameron created Characters in order to SHOW OFF with Pandora and the new World he created. In LOTR the visual serves the Story. In Avatar the Story serves the Visual. And that is the major flaw in this movie.
Im not saying the story of Avatar is bad. Not at all. Even so it is reminding at Last Samurai and Dances with Wolves, its a great story. It is just not what it could be. You just realize James Cameron wasn't really concerned about his characters. That is why there is a lot of character detail missing. In Titanic Jack and Rose fall in love. But it actually makes sense. Rose is a rich girl inprisoned in a golden cage. She wants to be free. She is very intelligent and self confident. She does not care about money or class. She sees things as they are. (you realize that when she bought the pictures from the at the moment unknown picasso) And Jack is exactly what she wants. He is also very intelligent but he is poor, even so he doesn't care. Because he is free. And that is what attracts Rose to Jack. On the other Hand your are going to see a romanze in Avatar (don't want to spoil it) but why oh why do they fall in love ? I don't know. And James does neither. But he doesn't care. He rather tells a visual story than an emotional story.
Story 8 out of 10
About the acting. I think they all did a great job. Problem is, there is only so much you can do. So if you don't get the chance to perform some great acting... there is nothing you can do about it. But they did what was possible
Acting 8 out of 10
CGI & special effects: Im not that kind of person who consideres a movie to be a masterpiece because of groundbreaking CGI. Don't get me wrong. The World James Cameron created with Pandora, the love to detail, the CGI, the Action scenes and special effects. Everything your eyes are going to experience... is GROUNDBREAKING ... and it will keep you interested
Visual 10 out of 10
Score: Well i know James likes to work with Horner, i just think Hans Zimmer or Harry-gregson williams would have been the better joice. I don't want to say the score is bad. The Score is like the story. Its OK. Solid. But i think this is not enough. Epic pictures rise and fall with the soundtrack. And this one does neither rise, nor fall, it stands its ground.
Score 8 out of 10
Writing and Directing: Well the screenplay is in so far impressive, that there is pretty much nothing "wrong" or "bad" in it. Sure, its missing a couple of things that would might have turned this movie into a masterpiece, but besides that it is really well written. Directing is the best there can be.
9 out of 10
So... Im done ... pretty much. After all i will Stick with 9 out of 10. Its a weak 9 but I think it deserves it. Even so its not a Masterpiece, i think its a great adventure and i will get it on DVD