This generation's STAR WARS. Mark my words, people will talk about this movie even after 30 years...

Rating: 10/10 (29 December 2009)

At last the moment has come which i have been waiting for about an year now... The most anticipated movie in recent times is finally out. To express my view in one line - AVATAR will divide cinema as we knew it so far into a pre-AVATAR and post-AVATAR era. All those people who appreciate cinema as an art will enjoy this experience. Ya its not a movie.... its an experience. James Cameron has proved beyond doubt that he is not only the king of the world but "God of cinema". Because even god could not have created such a beautiful world. I mean screw Monalisa... This is real art. The attention to detail is unimaginable. Every tree, creature, landscape is so stunning and nothing like you have ever seen before.
Plot revolves round Jake Sully, an ex-marine who has lost his legs being sent to Pandora, a distant world full of exotic flora and fauna and large deposits of "Unobtainium", a rare earth mineral worth millions. Pandora has a native population called Na'vi who love nature and hence pose a threat to mining operations. Hence remotely controlled half human and half na'vi bodies are grown called AVATARs to mix with local Na'vi and convince them to relocate. Jake in his AVATAR understands Na'vi culture and human imperialistic attitude which could destroy the whole Pandora. Hence Jake needs to make a choice which will decide future of pandora.
For those people who argue that the plot and few sequences are not new have to understand that the story and major portion of screenplay was written by JC in 1994. The story is interesting enough to keep you glued to the screens for 2 hrs 45 mins ( which is not a problem... I could have sat there for 3 more hours as movie was so damn brilliant). The story is very relevant for the present age of global warming. It is in no way preachy but sends a strong message.
On the technical side, this movie is a sure milestone in cinema history. 1890 - Strongman Sandow(First motion picture) 1895 - The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots(First movie with special effect) 1918 - Cupid Angling(First colour movie) 1927 - The Jazz Singer(First Talkie movie) 1973 - Westworld(First movie with CGI) 2009 - AVATAR(Need i say more)
The motion capture is so realistic that it pushes CGI technology to its limit. I saw the movie with a friend who did not know anything about avatar and he could not realise the Na'vi were CGI and not actors with blue paint on them. It is so photo-realistic. Spielberg, Peter Jackson try to match this if you can !!! And people who say it looks a bit video gamish, need to stop looking trailers on their 14' screens and check it out on big screen. I have never seen CGI with so much real emotion in it. The climax battle scene is the mother of all war scenes... It will blow your mind.
Performances are equally brilliant. Sam Worthington is definitely the next big thing in Hollywood. He is almost flawless as Jake. He is tough and has a charm to pull off the child like nature of the character. As in every JC movie, female lead gets the best part and importance. Zoe Saldana is awesome as Neytiri. Its truly her year with two mega blockbusters in Star trek and AVATAR. Sigourney "The queen of sci-fi" Weaver is outstanding as Grey, the head of avatar operation. When JC meets Sigourney, its nothing short of magic. But the surprise package for me is Stephen Lang as Col.Quatrich, the tough head of security. This guy steals the show.
This has been an year of really crappy big budget movies like transformers 2, Terminator Salvation and GI Joe to name a few. But thank god at least one guy in Hollywood knows how to spend money. Of course the man who has raised the bar of movie making so high all through his career that only he can out do himself - James Cameron. This guy knows how to create hype and most importantly how to live up to the hype as he has proved it time and again in his career. This is truly a JC classic in the ranks of Terminator and Aliens. Not only its technologically years ahead of its time but movie is emotionally very strong... Like the speech given by Jake to all Na'vi inspiring them to fight, made me get goosebumps. 12 years wait and I say its worth it. The movie is already nominated for Golden Globe and will surely be a front runner at the Oscars.
This movie is meant to be seen in IMAX 3D ( or at least 3D). Its an experience you will remember for long time. It may not make as much money as titanic due to slightly less wider target audience. Even though it is the most expensive movie ever made, i am sure it will recover its budget in 2 to 3 weeks. Sure shot blockbuster. But more importantly it is this generations STAR WARS. Mark my words, people will talk about this movie even after 30 years...
10 on 10 from me....