Sigourney Weaver & James Cameron.SPOILERS AHEAD for the uninitiated...
Weaver, Cameron, Worthington and John Landau.
I won't do a beat for beat review of AVATAR. All you have to do is visit Rotten Tomato's for a synopsis of the film. I'm gonna give you my impressions of James Cameron's masterwork. In AVATAR Big Jim basically took every familiar trope and archetype we've ever seen or read and filtered them into one film to give us a completely new experience. My theory is that Pandora is so wild, alien and exotic that in order for us not be completely overwhelmed, Cameron had to rely on tried and true storytelling archetypes. He placed us in a comfort zone of familiar archetypes, so he could drop us into a completely alien situation without freaking our collective asses out. There is a method to his mad-genius. And it works. Does it ever work!
Avatar has all the Cameron trademarks. Small human moments mixed with massive and I mean massive battles that will shake you to your knees. I read the scriptment ten years ago and was blown away by it but nothing can prepare you for what you're about to see. Nothing. The 3D is not gimmicky and in your face. Instead, it's subtle and slyly pulls you into the action in a subliminal manner. The film is hypnotic.
Weaver & Cameron.
I had the pleasure and privilege of seeing the film at the Mann's in Hollywood. The film was then followed by a Q & A with Cameron, Sigourney Weaver and Sam Worthington. Cameron was ebullient. No matter what he says, he WILL make a sequel to AVATAR. I would love to see what earth looks like in 2154. The mess we've made and the bed we must now sleep in would be an awesome sight. Cameron gave us Pandora in this one but will he give us a scorched earth in the next one? Does Jake Scully somehow make it back to earth in the sequel? Maybe Jake is kidnapped and the Na'vi must conduct a rescue mission. So many interesting possibilities. But I digress...
Cameron & Worthington having a laugh.
Moments that marked me:
When Avatar Jake wakes up for the first time in his new body. The running through the forest as dirt and grit fly toward us is pure joy. There's an exhilarating sense of joy when Jake realizes he can run again after being paralyzed for so long.
Avatar Jake & Ney'tiri.
Zoe Saldana as Ney'tiri.
Zoe Saldana as Ney'tiri should win the Best Actress Oscar for her performance. Hands down the most amazing performance of the year. Every nuance, every movement is like a ballet. And the moment she realizes Jake has betrayed not only her but the entire Tribe is heart-rending. This is monumental stuff. The CGI is unbelievable because it doesn't look like CGI. It's real. For me, the Na'vi exist in reality, not in pixels.
Stephen Lang as Quaritch.
Stephen Lang as General Quaritch is a force of nature. A man on a mission who won't be stopped. Even when his shoulder is on fire he keeps on going. I wouldn't fight this fucker. Perfect villain.
Avatar Jake. Notice the life in the eyes.
Sam Worthington as Jake Scully is an interesting leading man. Starts off low key and gradually becomes a hero. He makes what could've been a tough role to pull off look easy. His emaciated legs still give me the creeps. Great, understated performance.
Avatar Ripley. The resemblance is uncanny.
Sigourney Weaver. The Queen of Space Opera injects so much soul into the film. Even in her dying moments, she's the eternal botanist still wanting to get a sample.
The colors in the film are otherworldly. I saw things I never saw before. Glowing creatures that would spin like a top in mid-air. Horses with six legs. Spider monkeys with multiple limbs. This is the best creature feature in the history of cinema. It has dragons, dinosaurs and 6 legged horses. Amazing conceptualization.
That opening scene when Jake awakens from a 5 year cryo-sleep and we see dozens of scientists floating in the space craft is stunning. Just stunning. I felt like I was in space floating around with them.
I love when the film turns into Transformers vs Jurassic Park. The amp suits battling the flying dragons are a sight to behold.
I loved when Jake appeared with the red dragon. The wife said that it was like Jake showing up with a Ferrari to impress the people of Pandora (which he did).
The military hardware in this film is a gun-nuts dream. The ships, the choppers, the big-ass guns and the uber cool Amp Suits kick unholy ass. The last time we saw this type of badass hardware was in Cameron's ALIENS. In fact, I kept wondering if Avatar took place during the Aliens universe and if so, that would be hella-cool!
As much as I loved Hurt Locker, AVATAR made that film look like a pussy for not choosing sides. Hurt Locker is being praised for refusing to offer an opinion on War. On the other hand, Avatar is the ballsiest war film to come out since Oliver Stone's Platoon. Cameron basically decided to filter every vile War (Native American slaughter, Vietnam, Gulf War 1, Gulf War 2) we've been involved in and put it in allegorical terms in this film. Avatar took a stand in regards to the folly of War. Much like the director, this film is fearless in the face of adversity. Ultimately, Avatar is a War film about peace, another recurring theme in Cameron's eouvre.
The ending has to be the most astounding final battle ever committed to film. The sleeper has awakened after a 13 year slumber to show the pretenders how to shoot a coherent action sequence. After I saw AVATAR the first time I felt that James Cameron could no longer be King of The World because he is now a God. Why? Because Gods create worlds and I've never seen such a fully realized world on the big screen. Never. There is some impressive world-building in this film.
My Final thought:
AVATAR will win the Best Picture Oscar.
An interesting aside: The second time I saw AVATAR, I saw it on IMAX 3D@The Bridge with my Mother-in-Law. One Hour and a Half into the movie, I look at my Mother-in-Law and see that she's sweating profusely and has her 3D glasses off. I ask her what's wrong and she tells me she has to throw up but doesn't want to leave because the movie is so beautiful. She was in the throes of some heavy motion sickness. She went to the bathroom and unfortunately did vomit. The 3D made her feel like she was on a cruise ship. But the fact that this poor lady suffered through excruciating pain (she told me later that she actually felt like vomiting 5 minutes into the film) and yet fought it because she didn't want to leave Pandora, is a testament to the power and beauty of AVATAR. Don't worry my Mom-in-law is fine. She came back and enjoyed the rest of the film.
Your Friend,
D.
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