An Absolutely Stunning Film That Leaves You Breathless

Rating: 10/10 (12 February 2011)

I'm not sure that film-making can get any better than this. I have a gut reaction to want to dislike James Cameron's blockbusters. I avoid them like the plague for the longest time before finally deciding to give in to the hype and check them out. Years ago I had that gut reaction to "Titanic" and then was completely blown away when I watched it. I've had the same experience with "Avatar" - a movie that I had no interest in watching, but now that I have has left me breathless. It's Cameron's best work ever - superior even to "Titanic," which I loved once I watched it.
The film is visually stunning in many ways. The world of Pandora (a moon of a distant gas planet) comes to life in every way, from the Na'vi tribe around whom the movie revolves to the various animals that inhabit the world to the trees and the sky - it was all real. The animation and computer-generated characters used to portray the Na'vi were breathtakingly real. There's only a hint every now and then (usually in their movement and not in their appearance) that these are in fact computer-generated characters and for the most part it's easy to forget that these aren't actors in makeup. The visuals alone make this a must-see and even if the story had been lacking would have made this a worthwhile movie. But the story wasn't at all lacking.
Cameron (who also developed the story and wrote the script) created an emotionally moving story that pulls no punches and hits a number of buttons so that the viewer gets the underlying message but never feels preached at. It's an epic adventure movie that reminds us of some of the tragedies of our own history and warns us of some of the dangers in our own future.
The first parallel that came across to me was the clash of cultures. I immediately thought of the tragic encounters between native Americans and Europeans of centuries ago from which native Americans still haven't recovered. The story revolves around a team of scientists and marines sent to Pandora to study the planet but (and more importantly) to mine the planet for an ore that's worth an astronomical price back on earth. Greed overcomes curiosity quickly, and the marines begin to play centre stage almost from the beginning, as it becomes obvious that the "company" financing this mission is willing to go to any lengths to get this precious metal. They'll make cursory attempts to talk the natives off the land, but if that doesn't work (and one gets the distinct impression that they don't really want it to work) they're quite prepared (and even eager) to force the natives off the land and kill them if necessary. Sound familiar? The next parallel (or rather, mirror image, I suppose) was the reverse take on "alien invasion" movies. Here, it's clear that we're the alien invaders, simply looking to rape a world of everything in it that's valuable with no regard or concern for the world's indigenous inhabitants. It's interesting to see humanity portrayed in a different light.
The aspect of the story that I appreciated the most, I think, was the extremely spiritual nature of the film. The Na'vi have a connection with creation that is deeply moving and that draws the sympathy of the viewer almost from the beginning - sympathy turning to anger as humans begin to destroy the world that the Na'vi are so interconnected with. The spirituality of this clan and of how it affects their interactions with the world, with each other and with these alien invaders is truly interesting to watch as it's slowly unfolded for us. This is not a Hollywood movie that disses spirituality. Instead, it seems to cut to the heart of spirituality and to what spirituality should be about - the building of community and of relationships, and the glue that holds those things together. Very much related to this is a soft-sell but noticeable if you pay attention environmental message. As the Na'vi see their world being plundered, the point is made that these humans have already done away with all "the green" on their own planet and are now going to do the same to Pandora, and - at the end - as the marines pull out, the point was made that they were returning to "their dying world." It never felt like a "preachy" environmental message to me, but it was obvious and well made - perhaps making the point more effectively than if it had been the centre point of the story.
The performances here were great. Sam Worthington as Jake Scully is a character to root for. He's the paraplegic marine who inhabits a genetically engineered Na'vi body (his avatar) and - as he comes to know the tribe - becomes increasingly sympathetic to them, to the point of wanting to be one of them. Zoe Saldana was great as Neytiri - the Na'vi female with whom Jake falls in love - and Sigourney Weaver was convincing as Dr. Grace Augustine, the head scientist who gradually comes to realize that science is the least concern of the company that has sent her and her team to Pandora. Perhaps the best performance, though, was that of Stephen Lang as Colonel Quaritch - the commander of the marine unit. He was gung ho about taking over the world, ice cold with no sympathy at all for or interest in the Na'vi. He was truly a frightening character. For a movie that is in many ways very gentle and spiritual, it also leads up to a stunningly portrayed final battle scene as the Na'vi take on their human invaders, and to a marvellous final confrontation between Jake and Quaritch.
This is a brilliant movie; truly, in my opinion, one of the best ever made.