A grand cinematic experience

Rating: 10/10 (11 January 2010)

AVATAR is one of the few films in recent years that I've really looked forward to. Given Cameron's solid track-record when it comes to sci-fi/action-films, there was no doubt in my mind that this film would be good, even though it's been 12 years since his last feature film. The only question in my mind was whether the film would be great or merely good. Fortunately, it turned out to be the former.
I'll start by mentioning a few things that I really liked about the film, and areas in which I feel it succeeded very well:

The characters: Cameron invests enough time in his characters so that the viewer actually care about them when the going gets tough later on in the film. Most action-directors put too much emphasis on the action and fail to involve the audience on an emotional level: You couldn't care less what happens to the main characters and the feeling of genuine suspense is severely undermined. AVATAR is an action/adventure film with a heart.

The CG (primarily by WETA Digital) looks great, especially when it comes to organic objects, such as plants and the blue humanoid-looking natives. The great attention to detail makes a significant difference in terms of photorealism. The natives move and express themselves in a very convincing, natural manner. Mocap (*) has been used for many years, but this is one of the few films in which the movements (both body and face) look completely realistic. AVATAR sets a new milestone when it comes to photorealistic characters. I was also very impressed by the seamless integration of CG and live shots, and the CG explosions: The explosions were actually created using fluid simulations which made them look very realistic (the normal approach is to use live shots of real explosions, composited on top of CG elements).

The directing: With AVATAR, Cameron demonstrates why I consider him one of the best action directors in modern cinema. The long finale, in particular, is one of the best action-sequences I've ever seen. It's dynamic, intense and exhilarating to watch. The rhythm and pacing is spot on. Cameron also slowly builds the film to its finale, and this makes the action-sequences even more rewarding (because the buildup serves as 'foreplay' and creates anticipation).

Other things that I liked: The beautiful cinematography and the interesting, underlying themes related to imperialism and the environment. It makes you think a bit after you leave the theatre, and it adds a bit of extra depth and meaning to the film. This is more than you can expect from a typical film in this genre nowadays.

It's hard to pick things that I didn't like about the film, because there was nothing that really bothered me. If I had to mention one thing that I was hoping would be better, then it would be James Horner's score. It didn't seem as prominent or memorable as it should've been. Its impact on the overall movie experience was much smaller compared to his score for films such as TITANIC, ALIENS or BRAVEHEART. I'm not saying the score is bad, far from it, it just lacked that little extra.
Some people have complained about the simple plot and predictable ending. I personally didn't have any issues with the plot, and I must admit that I don't really understand those who get too obsessed with spotting plot holes and logical problems. First of all, it's not really the story itself that matters, its the way it's told, because film is primarily an audiovisual medium. Cameron's films are simply structured in general and they're easy to follow. But he makes things interesting and engaging to watch because of his storytelling skills. Although the film lasts for over 2,5 hours, I never felt there was a dull moment. Cameron sucked me into the film from the get go and he didn't loosen his grip until the end-credits started to roll.
I've seen both the 3D and 2D version. Some people clearly prefer the 3D version, but I didn't feel that I lost anything substantial when I saw the 2D version. Cameron doesn't make the mistake of trying to use 3D as a cheap gimmick, and the use of 3D effects isn't exaggerated. The 3D effect is impressive, though, and the technology has obviously improved significantly in recent years. After a few minutes into the film I almost forgot that I was wearing the glasses: They were comfortable and they didn't cause dizziness.
AVATAR is a visual tour de force that really needs be seen on the big screen in order to be appreciated fully. Don't wait until the DVD or Blu-Ray is released: The experience simply won't be the same, unless you have a big, high-end home-theatre.
(*) Motion capture: Technology used to capture the actors's performances, so that they can be reproduced by their CG characters.