Visually Mesmerising Science-Fiction Epic Of Human-Alien Battle On Ferocious Lush Tropical Planet

Rating: 6/10 (17 April 2012)

In the year 2154, Jake Sully, a crippled marine, is sent to the hostile planet Pandora to be part of the Avatar Program. The object is to gain the trust of the indigenous Na'vi people by using mind-operated genetically-engineered Na'vi bodies. Jake befriends the local clan but finds he is caught between the free-spirited, ecologically minded Na'vi and his human masters, who want to exploit Pandora for its mineral worth. Which side will he choose ?
Like most of Cameron's films, Avatar is not so much a movie as a phenomenal event, and that's not necessarily a good thing. It is a good movie though, full of incredible vistas and amazing mo-cap CG work, driven along by a great story and heartfelt characterisations. Pandora looks just stunning, packed full of amazing greenery, incredible creatures, rich colours and a jaw-dropping sense of depth; so many scenes involve cliffs, mountains and huge spaces, contrasted with dense undergrowth, fragile flowers and pin-points of light. The Na'vi too look amazing - giant but elfin creatures irrevocably linked to the earth and the sky, dignified and powerful yet also vulnerable. The photography and James Horner's rich music really create a majestic sense of place and space. The cast are also first-rate - unknown Worthington is great in the lead, managing the always difficult character arc of someone switching allegiance with subtlety and skill. Saldana, whilst only ever appearing in animation, demonstrates well how far this technology has come, as all the nuances of her performance are reflected in the visual effects. Jobbing tough guy Lang has the role of a lifetime as the jarhead villain, Rodriguez is good as always, and Weaver is terrific as the heroic Dr Augustine, reuniting with Cameron twenty-three years after Aliens. If the movie has a weakness, for me it's the plot, which is more than a little reminiscent of some classic sf novels, particularly Dune, and there are some points it glosses over just a little too conveniently - how exactly do the humans make the Avatar bodies, complete with a neural-network plug-in hair extension ? The movie was extremely successful, winning three Academy Awards, many other accolades and grossing around three billion dollars to become perhaps the most financially successful film ever. In some senses this is great because it is a visually stunning and beautifully constructed picture, but in a way it's also disappointing because an obscene amount was spent on its production and promotion and its focus on extremely expensive technology is, I believe, counter-productive to healthy and dynamic filmmaking. But it's still a must-see movie, brilliantly written and directed by Cameron, and packed with amazing scenes and images which linger in the mind long after the screen has gone dark.