Avatar: Once in a lifetime film making

Rating: 10/10 (20 December 2009)

James Cameron is one of the best directors of all time. He is what you may call an Auteur. If you aren't aware of this, then you probably are not a movie person. James Cameron wrote and directed Terminator, Aliens, Terminator 2, and Titanic. That last one I'm not a fan of, but he won Best Director, Picture, and it became the highest grossing film of all time. $1.2 billion dollars.
Avatar is his latest film, it is a movie that has been in the works since 1994. After a decade of being in the works, you would expect it to be a good movie. But the real question is it any good? It is the most expensive film ever made. The budget was $500,000,000 so you'll be wondering if all that money was put to good use, and if you should spend $11.00 to see the film in 3-D. Should you or should you not?
The answer is that you should. Avatar is a monumental success. It is a film unlike anything you have ever seen. It uses special effects to a level that you have never seen, and that's not a bad thing.
The story to Avatar revolves around Jake Sully, a paraplegic ex-marine who is sent unwillingly to a hostile planet known as Pandora. While on this planet he finds himself caught in the middle of a war between the planet's indigenous people known as the Na'vi, and his own race. He must decide whether he should fight for what he knows is right or help his own people destroy Pandora as they destroyed earth. I don't want to spoil anything in the story, so I'll refrain from saying anything else. To put it simple, the whole movie was the prime example of a colonialism work.
The cast in Avatar is strong. Sam Worthington (Terminator: Salvation) stars as Jake Sully. He does a fantastic job, but the real credit in the film has to go to Zoe Saldana (Star Trek) for playing the native Neytiri. She creates most of the emotion in the entire film. She preforms fantastically and I also have to mention that she is also really attractive as a blue woman. (True fact.) Some people have complained about Stephen Lang (Public Enemies) as the antagonist of the film. But he actually pulls off a very believable and cruel performance. All the actors in the film are great. But the real actors are the ones that are the digital Na'vi. These actors are the ones that create the film. I think that this movie is proof that special effects don't have to be of just robots killing and blowing stuff up. (Even though that's in this movie.) This movie shows that special effects can be used to take us to places that we never even dreamed of.
Other films have used special effects like this. (Lord of the Rings, King Kong, Pirates of the Caribbean, District 9) But none of them have gone as far as this movie has. This movie takes you to a whole new level of film making that you can't even imagine. You almost want to call this movie insane, because of how different and unique it is. You really have never seen anything like this, and that's a very good thing. What I really enjoyed about this film, was how it is a breath of fresh air. You don't see that very often. The only other films to do that this year for me were District 9 and Fantastic Mr. Fox. But Avatar is far more different and unique than these other movies.
One thing that I always enjoy about a James Cameron film is his sense of innovation. Avatar is the most innovative movie I've seen in years. It is so different from anything else that you have seen. It is a movie a film that you literally cannot describe. This is a see to believe film. You'll have to see the movie to believe that it's as good as I'm telling you. Avatar is a once in a lifetime film. You will not get another chance to see a movie like this one.
James Cameron creates not only a visually beautiful race of people, but also a culture that is so beautiful. The Na'vi in Avatar felt very Native American to me. Everything from how they dress to the musical score is very unique, and made me think of Native Americans. The film was almost like a reenactment of our history, with the Native Americans being driven out of their home land. It's all very believable. It's all very sad as well; and it moves you. I sympathize with the Na'vi as they fight for their lives and their home.
I am not a fan of 3D. I think it is over used, and ultimately lessens the movie experience. Avatar however, is not like that. The 3D in Avatar is extraordinary. Little bugs on the screen fly right past you, leaves fall from trees towards you, and the battles are astronomical. You really feel like you're there, and forget that this is a movie. The cinematography is actually enhanced by the 3D which is a rare thing. The wide flying camera shots make you feel like you're flying with the film, it is fantastic.
Avatar is a difficult movie to review because it is so innovative. It blows away almost all sci-fi epics out there, and is a must see. See Avatar. It is well worth full-price, and it is the best picture of the year. The only movie that comes to being as good as Avatar is District 9. Avatar however, I will say is better because Avatar has heart. A truly fantastic movie. Avatar is one of the most beautiful movies ever made, it is James Cameron's masterpiece, and it should not be missed.