Epic Sci-Fi blending romance and action.

Rating: 7/10 (21 January 2010)

Unless you've been living under a rock in a cave you've seen an Avatar advert, promising to blow you away with unrivalled 3D and some of the most realistic CGI ever put onto screen. I've always been sceptical about 3D cinema, for me 2D cinema is perfect. Everything that a film needs to be great can be captured in 2D, hell, everything a new film needs to be great can be captured in black and white but that still doesn't stop these new colouring techniques revamping old films. So here we have a relatively new breed of cinema experience, one that I experienced for the first time today in all its glory at the IMAX.
The story is a basic one; Humans play the role of the invading Aliens, so this time it is us who have the technology and the edge. Their interest in the world of Pandora is due to the rich mineral known as 'unobtanium' (as silly as it sounds, it is actually a real name), which is inconveniently located in the depths of the planet underneath the Hometree of the Na'Vi, 10 foot tall humanoid powerhouses who survive the world through a deep understanding of nature and life.
The Avatar project is the means of finding a diplomatic solution, Na'Vi bodies are grown in labs with human DNA, and then remotely controlled and dropped onto the planet to learn about the natives, hopefully leading to a peaceful resolution. When Jake Sullys Phd holding brother dies, the military request that Jake (a marine with no training in the Avatar programme) takes his brothers place in the project. Turns out these things are pretty damn expensive to make and having similar DNA means he is the only other person who can control this Avatar, which appears a good alternative to his paraplegic human one.
As he takes on the role of the Na'Vi, he learns there ways and their trust, and so the story unfolds into one of love, betrayal and war. The films main weakness is it's predictability, at no point does it challenge you to guess what is going to happen because it can all be seen from a mile away. You know who he is going to fall in love with, you know that when hope appears to be lost the saviour will come, and the final act offers the payoff you would expect from 2 hours worth of build up, an epic battle between human and aliens.
Despite that it did suck me in, one scene with Jake capturing the Turok and returning to the tribe should of been cheesy, but I was completely and utterly invested in the film so it managed to have an emotional impact on me. And I know this was largely due to its presentation.
The rendering of Pandora is a beauty to behold, the floating mountains, the Hometree, it's almost indistinguishable from real life, and the Na'Vi themselves look authentic and move with slick realism. The use of 3D isn't abused at any point, it complements the film without being the sole reason the film was made. Nothing jumps out at the screen in a 'Look at the big bad 3D! It's going to get you!', it's a lot more subtle. One scene with small floating 'spirits' from a tree landing on Jake was a favourite of mine, it's almost tempting to reach your hand out and try to pluck one. Don't get me wrong though, when the battles start the 3D is intense, but the fact it was applied in so many different ways is what made it work. James Horner provides a very impressive soundtrack to, the tribal feel combined with wordless vocals captured the mood of the planet perfectly.
Even if the ingredients of the story are taken from the Hollywood cookbook, it was one of the most visually immersive films I have seen. It might not be the most intelligent or creative plot, but at this moment in time James Cameron is one of the few directors in the world who can be handled a budget of such magnitude and deliver.
8/10