"Avatar" is a "Star Wars" avatar

Rating: 8/10 (26 June 2012)

By definition, an avatar is a descendant who is a modified reincarnation of an ancestor. The definition really doesn't apply to the characters in Avatar who assume alien form to survive in a hostile planetary environment; they're more like participants in a virtual reality environment. Rather, the definition applies to the movie "Avatar" as a whole. As I saw it, "Avatar" is an avatar, in a way, of Star Wars. While "Star Wars" took the framework and concepts of King Arthur and Camelot and placed it in space, "Avatar" took the framework and concepts of cowboys and mystical Native Americans and placed it in space.
Therefore, you have, as I believe Boston Herald critic James Verniere put it, "Dances with Giant Blue Ewoks", which is a rather comprehensive description. The only tweak is that instead of traditional cowboys, we have the traditional bullheaded military/industrial complex obsessed with conquest and pillage. So, as a majority of the posters here have sagaciously observed, originality is not "Avatar"'s strong suit. But then again, was "Star Wars" original? The only original movie is arguably the first one ever made, and even it had to borrow from oral and written folklore and stories.
Okay, enough digression. "Avatar" is certainly derivative, but is it any good? It's astonishingly very good I think, because James Cameron is not only a master of technology, but also good storytelling. As you felt for Luke as he journeyed toward adulthood and his Jedi destiny, you will feel for quadriplegic Jake as he gropes his way forward towards physical independence, love, and defense of a higher spiritual good. Sure, you've seen these morality tales before, but seldom with such impeccable CGI (and 3D) depictions, intense characterizations of both human and the alien Na'vi, unrelenting adventure and violence, and compelling spirituality ("God does not take sides, but preserves the universal balance"). "Star Wars" had these elements, and of course soared to popular and critical acclaim. "Avatar", "Star Wars"'s avatar, of course duplicated this feat, even more so.
P.S.: Pandora strongly reminded me of a planet you would find in the "Star Wars" mythos. Wishful thinking, of course, since they are separated by immense time periods, but I would find a "Star Wars"/"Avatar" crossover interesting.