Simply Incredible

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2009)

I was one of the millions of people eagerly anticipating Avatar, buying any magazine that mentioned it, watching interviews with James Cameron, until the day finally came yesterday as I sat in front of my nearest Imax screen, tingling with excitement.
And it didn't disappoint.
From the first 3D shots of Pandora, Cameron manages to engulf us into this strange new world. Every detail has been considered, from the curious new species to the tiniest falling leaf that hovers in front of our eyes.
If the planet looks special in the daylight, as the night falls it is nothing short of magic, with its ambient glows and delicate attention to detail. The world Cameron paints becomes somewhere we envy, somewhere we begin to empathise with, and therefore urge on the characters as they fall under human threat as it is cruelly destroyed.
Most criticism Avatar has had has been situated around its 'poor story line'. This is simply, in my opinion, not accurate. I, like so many others, felt fully engrossed in the story, helped on no end by the likable Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and the wise and mystical Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). This combined with the indisputable excellence of the CGI ensure the audience is immersed fully in the plot.
Although it may be argued that the story line is un-original, it is the way it is told that truly makes the difference. Many films have similar core stories, but it is how the film maker chooses to tell them that is key. Avatar, seems to do so with such brilliance it at times becomes overwhelming.
I left the cinema in awe, wanting to go back into this new world Cameron has created. And I will certainly be watching it again.