I went to see this last night, in 3D no less, and will admit that it was with some trepidation that I entered into the Cinema. Y'see, I love James Cameron's films. All the one's up to Titanic anyway, and after a 13 year absence, I don't mind telling you I was pretty worried that Avatar was going to be a three hour disaster. I mean, it is about big blue people after all. Hardly Terminator or Aliens. Not to mention the fact that after such a massive hiatus, I feared he would pull a Steve Spielberg and release a total fuck up like 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal OH GOD MAKE IT STOP!!'. Admittedly, Cameron wouldn't be destroying my childhood in one fell swoop, but I still have a lot of love for the Man's achievements, so I was still wary about putting down the cash to see it.
I needn't have worried though. From the get go, the film sets a tone that you probably wouldn't expect straight off the bat. With a rather sombre voice over from the main protagonist 'Jake Sully' played by the sure to be massive Sam Worthington, it kinda disarms you, but in a good way. Clearly with the style of this movie, a lot of people are going to be questioning just what exactly they're going to be getting, and the truth is, from my perspective anyway, probably one of the most beautiful looking movies you'll have ever seen. And not just visually, it seems to have a sense of wonder and soul that I've not seen in a while. Not outside of a Pixar film anyway. That's no great surprise however, with the majority of the film being done in CG that will absolutely rock your cock off. The Na'vi themselves are truly some of the most convincing CG characters I have ever seen. The first time Jake enters into his Avatar will have you smiling.
I'll give you a short synopsis breakdown here, although it won't be anything that you couldn't read off of the thousands of synopsis' that will be circulating the interwebz.
Basically, Jake Sully is a paraplegic Ex-Marine who is sent to what appears to be the largest Moon of a massive Blue Planet. This Moon is called Pandora, and from Orbit very much resembles Earth. Unlike Earth however, the atmosphere is not breathable by Humans. Anyway, Jake's Twin Brother was a Scientist that was working on the Avatar programme, until somebody decided to shoot him. Or blow him away, as young John Connor might say. It's never exactly explained why he was murdered, but nonetheless, the company who fund the Avatar experiment are at a bit of a loose end. Apparently it costs quite a pretty penny to engineer each individual Avatar and so they don't just want to bin it.
Enter Jake, who being the Brother of the Avatar's original occupant, can sync with it, as it is a mix of Na'vi DNA and Human DNA. Why would anybody want to sync up with a 9ft tall Alien? Well like all catalysts for major technological breakthroughs, War is the main culprit. Pandora is rich in a Mineral that Earth desperately needs. As Scientists and the like have been predicting for decades, it seems like Mankind has finally pushed Earth to breaking point, by raping it of it's Natural Resources. Therefore, the Human's have spread out and in Classic Human style are trying to now rape the World of Pandora for all they can, locals be damned. And the locals are of course, the Na'vi.
A lot of parallels can be made with the storyline and current Conflicts in the Middle East and so on. It is also clearly influenced by the struggle of the Native Americans during the Colonisation days of the United States. The Na'vi themselves have a strong spiritual bond with Nature and the World around them, as well as sharing certain characteristics that one would normally associate with Native Americans. In that same respect then, the general flow of the plot shares a lot in common with movies such as 'Dances with Wolves' and 'The Last Samurai'. An outsider attempts to gain acceptance into a largely insular and initially mistrusting group. I'm not going to say that it does anything drastically different from these movies, but what I will say, is that what Avatar does, it does very well.
So, Jake becomes one with his Avatar and through a series of unplanned events, ends up living with and learning the ways of the Na'vi tribe he has come to live with, mostly thanks to the Na'vi Warrior 'Neytiri' played by 'Zoe Saldana'. Obviously a love story has to form from this relationship, as is the norm for these types of movie. I know what you're probably thinking however. Jake's a Human yet he would fall in love with a Na'vi. Well yes, and although it's probably going to make me sound a bit off, I can see why. So convincing are the Na'vi, that Neytiri has a sort of tribal energy and spark about her. It's hard not to see a certain attraction there after a while, I kid thee not. And if that makes you feel weird, rest assured that Zoe Saldana is a very beautiful woman so it's all good.
Jake's motives in the beginning are a bit murky. On one hand he is there to research the Na'vi, and understand them in order to broker peace under the Guidance of 'Dr. Grace Augistine' played by the cracking Sigourney Weaver. A crass, abrasive Professional who states quite matter of factly that she wants the Scientist Brother with the PhD, not the Jarhead Grunt Jake. After a while though, she forms into something of a Mother figure, and regularly turns up at the Na'vi Village herself, in her own Avatar. On the other end of the scale is 'Colonel Miles Quaritch' played by Steven Lang. Your A-typical no-nonsense Military Commander who promises Jake that if he delivers desired results and information directly to him, then he will ensure that expensive surgery required to regain him the use of his legs, will be paid for by the Corporation.
Now, I knew that Pandora was a Forest world before I even sat down in the Cinema, so I had a fair idea of what to expect. Or so I thought. The reality of it is, that Pandora is probably the most beautifully realised fantasy world I have seen in some time. For a start, it seems to have it's own Eco-System that absolutely pours out of the screen in every shot. The Forest is packed with all sorts of bizarre, yet familiar at the same time, animals that all want to charge, stomp or eat anything that gets in their way. Visual touches absolutely bring the world to life, one in particular being how plants and the undergrowth seem to become luminous and glow in the dark at night. Moss on the tree branches light up under foot like something out of 'Billie Jean'. I can't state enough, just how fantastic this world is. Especially if you pay a little extra and see it in 3D.
The Human world contrasts it of course with futuristic Hardware and Tech. Mechanised Bipedal Walkers patrol the Compound where the Corporation is holed up, and Soldiers with Breathing Apparatus walk the grounds with Pulse Rifles. OK, I dunno if they're really Pulse Rifles, but it's James Cameron. They can't NOT be Pulse Rifles.
The sheer variety and imagination on show here will having you picking your jaw up off the floor at times. As I mentioned before though, the Na'vi are the most impressive thing on show. They truly do appear to be alive, with subtle facial expressions and body language that just look entirely natural. In actual fact, as the movie progressed, it was becoming more jarring seeing Jake back in his human form, as you come to know him more in his Na'vi form. And of course, I think this was done on purpose. As a Human, Jake seems forlorn and distant, clearly a Man affected by his Disability. As a Na'vi, he is free, performing acrobatics through the Forest and basically living a life he hasn't been able to. The biggest factor I feel, that endears you to his Na'vi self, as opposed to his human self, is the lust for life and almost foolhardy way he throws himself into things. It could be argued that he wouldn't fear death because if his Avatar dies, he'd still be OK. But through the course of the movie, his avatar seems to become more important to him than even his natural body. Cracks even show where you get the impression that he's come to resent his human form even more.
Which brings me to my final point. Sam Worthington is excellent in Avatar. As Jake Sully in human form, he gives a quiet, nuanced performance, that at times can be quite sad without it even seem like it's trying to be. Like a lot of people, living with disability, he doesn't like to accept help, which ultimately seems to have turned him into something of a loner. He is also intelligent, with a keen sense of humour, dry as it may be, which leads to some nice little back and forth's between him and the supporting cast.
It is when he jumps into his avatar though, that he really comes to life. Ironic considering the character was made entirely on a computer. He shines through however, and he exhibits a zeal and tenacity that almost makes his Na'vi form more life-like than his Human form.
All in all, I thought Avatar was excellent. It doesn't re-invent the wheel, at least not story wise, but what it does do is tell a refined and heartfelt story set in a World that your brain just won't let you accept isn't real. He's been gone for a long time, but it's great to see that old Jimbo hasn't lost his touch.
Let's just hope he doesn't wait another 13 years before making his next film.
