In 1994, James Cameron wrote a treatment for a science-fiction film inspired by Edgar Rice Burroughs and H. Rider Haggard. Cameron initially announced filming would begin shortly after the massive blockbuster Titanic for a planned 1999 release. However, Cameron felt that the technology at the time couldn’t realize his vision, so he put the project on hold. He started preparing the project between 2005-2007, but Fox was weary due to Titanic going over budget and behind schedule. Fox told Cameron they were dropping the project in 2006, at which point Cameron took it to Disney. Not wanting Disney to take over, Fox agreed to take on the project with Ingenious Media providing funding. With a budget of $237 million, principal photography began in April 2007, followed by two years of post-production. After years of delays and development, James Cameron’s Avatar finally hit theaters in December 2009.
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Synopsis
In 2154, all of Earth’s natural resources have run dry, so the Resources Development Administration (RDA) turn elsewhere. They’ve set up operations on the planet Pandora, home of the Na’vi, to mine a valuable mineral called Unobtainium. To try and make peace with the Na’vi, Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) has developed the Avatar Project. Essentially, a person’s consciousness is placed in human/Na’vi hybrids, allowing them to explore Pandora without needing a breathing mask. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic marine, is assigned his deceased brother’s Avatar, much to Dr. Augustine’s chagrin. Jake manages to make peace with the Na’vi, which prompts Colonel Miles Quaritch (Steven Lang) to make a deal. The government will restore Jake’s legs in exchange for any information about the Na’vi and their home. After meeting and falling in love with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), Jake questions his allegiance to the RDA.
Review
From a technical perspective, Avatar is groundbreaking, especially regarding motion capture technology and being able to create realistic textures. Probably the film’s most significant innovation was being able to capture facial expressions to bring characters to life. These new techniques help make these giant blue humanoid creatures seem real, like you could interact with them. Visually, the movie looks impressive, with the world of Pandora fully realized with its lush greenery and unique creature designs. James Cameron does a great job making the world feel alive, and his direction is on point. There’s also the fantastic score by the late James Horner, which helps add to the film’s massive scope. This kind of movie is best enjoyed on a giant screen with the best sound system available. Unfortunately, for all its innovations and technological enhancements, the film’s story and characters suffer the most.
As many reviewers before me have mentioned, this story has been done in films like Dances With Wolves or Pocahontas. Granted, there’s nothing wrong with telling a similar story if you do something different with it, but this one doesn’t. It doesn’t help that the acting ranges from decent to flat, though there are some stand-outs. Stephen Lang steals the show as the hardened marine, and Sigourney Weaver has some fun moments as the cynical doctor. Zoe Saldana, CCH Pounder, and Wes Studi all do fantastic jobs utilizing motion capture technology to give great performances. Sadly, the significant outlier is Sam Worthington, who weirdly became a prominent name despite having little to no charisma. Thankfully, Michelle Rodriguez, Joel David Moore, and Giovanni Ribisi provide enough charm to compensate. Overall, Avatar deserves credit for its advances in filmmaking technology, but it suffers from a derivative story and lackluster characters.
Buy Avatar from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BAfAuV.
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