The Terminator. Aliens. The Abyss. Terminator 2. True Lies. Titanic. As a writer and director, James Cameron could hardly be called prolific, only releasing a movie on average once every 4 years. But that's only because each of these mammoth works represents the painstaking labor of a technological breakthrough in the world of film making. Every time James Cameron releases a project, he doesn't so much push the envelope as shred it. With his latest sci-fi opus, Avatar, Cameron once again has broken preconceptions, as well as budgets (rumored to cost close to $500 million, it is possibly the most expensive movie ever made, as most of Cameron's films tend to be on release).
Opening Pandora's Box
Avatar takes place 150 years in Earth's future. Our planet has been depleted of most of its natural resources (again), and the human race has (again) turned to the stars to seek what we need to survive. Enter Pandora, a mostly jungle-like planet (technically a moon) many light years from Earth that contains a rich bounty of something annoyingly called "unobtainium", the greatest superconductor in the known universe. Unfortunately, Pandora has an indigenous alien race, the blue-skinned humanoid Na'vi, living above the ground where the greatest deposit of the material is buried. A private military security firm from Earth has established a base on Pandora to negotiate terms of relocation with the Na'vi, but it hasn't been going well, and relations are getting hostile.
In order to help negotiations with the Na'vi, as well as to study the flora and fauna of Pandora in an atmosphere poisonous to humans, Earth scientists have developed Avatars - perfectly realized, lab-created new bodies of the Na'vi species that can be psychically inhabited and controlled by humans remotely. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is a wounded marine whose twin brother was supposed to take part in the Avatar program, but was murdered en route to the planet. Since Avatars are specifically designed only to match particular DNA patterns, and twins share the same genetic makeup, he is offered the chance to take his brother's place. Showing a great affinity for controlling his Avatar despite a lack of training, Jake is tasked by the military commander (Stephen Lang) to infiltrate the Na'vi, learn their ways, and gather information useful towards getting them to vacate - by diplomacy, or by force.
Unparalleled Visuals
Avatar is, unquestionably, one of the most visually spectacular films ever made. The lush jungles of Pandora are incredibly detailed, and beautiful. The entirety of the forest has a neon bioluminescence at night that feels completely organic and is stunning to behold. The planet is filled with jaw-droppingly majestic landscapes, rivers, and waterfalls.The floating mountains of Pandora that are home to the pterodactyl-esque flying creatures the Na'vi ride are truly breathtaking. The sense of scale in this film cannot be overstated.
Then there are the Na'vi themselves. The computerized "motion capture" of human actors has advanced to the extent that it is now commonly called "performance capture". An apt name, as now the level of detail afforded by the technology allows for some truly fantastic subtleties in expression and emotion by the blue, feline Na'vi. These generated images actually do give impassioned and believable performances. Zoe Saldana, as Jake's personal Na'vi tutor Neytiri, really shines, and manages to bring life to what is ostensibly still a cartoon. With the help of technology, the Na'vi actors, including Wes Studi and CCH Pounder as Neytiri's parents, clearly contribute more to the process than just voices in a sound studio.
The actual human performances are also quite good. Sigourney Weaver has some great moments as Grace, the head scientist and custodian of the Avatar program. Giovanni Ribisi has a small but effective turn as the heartless corporate money man in charge of all operations on Pandora.
James Cameron Needs To Lighten His Workload
The direction is also magnificent. The final battle sequence especially is a thrilling tour-de-force of spectacular cinematic choreography and artistry. Take a look again at that list of his movies and it's clear that as an action director, Cameron is simply in his own league.
Unfortunately, it's Cameron as a writer that ultimately cripples the film and undermines its potential for complete and iconic greatness. First of all, while the design and technology of the film can be considered somewhat revolutionary, the story cannot. The culture of the Na'vi is based on the idea of the interconnectedness of all living beings in nature, figuratively, and even literally. A nice thought, but the new-agey-ness of the concept can get a bit heavy-handed at times. It is overwrought enough that the aliens come blatantly close to a Native American analogue, rendering the film nothing more than a sci-fi version of Dances With Wolves. The anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist message is cringingly obvious, as is basically the entire plot. Not knowing anything else about the movie, or having seen the trailers,one could probably map out the entire story just from reading the synopsis. There are no surprises.
Secondly, the main character, Jake, the lynchpin of the story, while ably acted by Worthington, frankly isn't very interesting or well defined. The same soldier mentality that lets him follow orders blindly, the same flexibility that allows him to adapt well to his Avatar also renders him somewhat dull and unsympathetic for a good two thirds of the film. He willingly spends a great deal of time with the Na'vi, fully aware of the military's unsavory plans for them. Cameron falls a little too much in love with this world. We spend way too much time looking at the pretty scenery as Jake acclimates to it, while still not making the decision that everyone in the audience knows full well he will ultimately make.
Within the confines of the predictable story, the dialogue itself is also pretty lifeless. No snappy banter, very little humor, nothing memorable except for missed opportunities for some great lines.
See Avatar Anyway
All that being said, Avatar does demand to be seen in theaters, on a large screen, in 3D if possible. As a piece of visual storytelling it is a spectacular achievement, and many will find it eye-popping enough to overcome the shortcomings of the script. Perhaps now an enterprising young auteur will take the new technology built by Cameron for this film and run with it, creating something truly legendary. Any takers?
Dan Kaufman - Dan is an actor/writer/teacher with a passion for all kinds of geek interests. He has been cultivating this passion for over 30 years, to ...
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