Avatar

Last July I had the privilege of going to a panel with Peter Jackson and James Cameron at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con. These giants of the industry talked about pushing the envelope of special effects and what the future of cinema has in store. As I listened to Peter Jackson describe the new King Kong attraction he’s building for Universal Studios Hollywood and heard what James Cameron had to say about Avatar, I was awe-struck and excited. But to be honest, I just couldn’t imagine it.

For the last six months, everyone has been talking about Avatar and the new technology behind it. As impressive as that is, it really doesn’t matter. What I wanted to know, is it a good movie? You can have all the special effects in the world, but if the story is lame, you’ll eventually lose interest. Based on James Cameron’s track record, I was putting my faith in him. In the past, story has always come first. Basically the man is a storyteller. For him the technology is just a means to convey the story. But this time around all the hype has been on the process and not the script. I was a little apprehensive. But I am happy to report that Avatar is a very good film.

What I liked the most about the story is that it is split between two worlds. When the hero is awake, he is in our world. He is an ex-Marine with two useless legs, unable to afford the expensive surgery to repair his spine on his military pension. When he is asleep, or synced up to his avatar, he is a mercenary soldier for a large corporate entity. He has been given a strong, fully intact alien body. For the first time in years he can run, jump, and fight. His job is to infiltrate this alien culture and find a way to get them to move so that the corporation may mine their territory. If you substituted Native Americans for the Na’vi, this story plays like a western. It’s kind of like Dances With Wolves on the planet of Pandora.

Sam Worthington plays Jake Sully, the soldier who has gone native. Sigourney Weaver portrays Dr. Grace Augustine, a scientist who has studied Na’vi culture and has learned their language. What is really cool about these performances is that they translate to their alien counterparts. When you watch Sam Worthington or Sigourney Weaver’s alien avatar, you can really tell that it is them. All their facial expressions and gestures are there. Likewise, Zoe Saldana, who portrays an alien warrior, is all Zoe. Of course she is acting, she is playing a part, but you can easily see her behind the animation. It is her performance with all her mannerisms intact.

I’m glad that James Cameron did not do the entire movie in performance capture. It would have been sensory overload. By mixing the animation with live action, it gave us a chance to rest and get used to the technology. I believe that James Cameron has made some really wise choices in creating this film, different, yet familiar, new, and yet very old. It is the perfect introduction into the future of cinematic presentation. Even if you’re not a sci-fi fan, see it anyway. Despite all the new technology, it’s still a classic story.

Rating: Must See Like Dances With Wolves on the planet Pandora