Something really special

Rating: Null/10 (7 January 2010)

Is this the greatest movie ever made? Well, no. But it's the most expensive in the history of the cinema (a reported $300M), it's going to be one of the biggest revenue earners in the history of films (already the fastest ever to make $1B), it's technologically groundbreaking, and we've waited 12 years (since "Titantic") for writer and director James Cameron to return to our cinemas. All of which makes it something really special. I saw it in both 3D and IMAX on the largest screen in Britain (BFI in central London) and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is not "Lawrence Of Arabia" but it is immensely entertaining and its glorious imagery lives in the mind long after viewing.
Set about a century or so from now entirely on a planet unoriginally called Pandora which uniquely houses a special energy source inanely named Unobtainium, much of the interaction between the humans - disabled ex-marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and scientist Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) - and the 10 foot tall, blood-skinned, flat-nosed locals the Na'vi - most notably Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) - comes through the adoption by the humans of avatars which only operate when they are in induced sleep.
There was scope here to explore what it means to be human and what treatment we should accord not just 'tribal' people but artificial creations, but subtlety is not Cameron's forte. Instead we have largely stereotypical characters - most especially in the economically-driven company man and the psychotic warrior colonel - with heavy dialogue and no plot surprises. The messages are very New Age spiritual, with lots of talk of energy and deity, and eco-friendly in a form that is almost Gaia-like, while the military treatment of the Na'vi makes this a sci-fi version of "Dances With Wolves" and the talk of fighting "terror with terror" and use of "shock and awe" clearly relates to recent American action in Afghanistan and Iraq.
But, heh, visually this is a stunning work with a fantastical world of flora and fauna and lots of high-tech gadgetry wonderfully created in three dimensions that should be seen on the biggest screen you can visit. There is enough action and excitement to fill the more than two and a half hours and make this a movie to remember and - like "Titantic" - worth revisiting.